CAFOR prepares for the Year of Education in Africa

As we get closer to 2024, when the African Union will declare that year to be the Year of Education in Africa, it was satisfying to meet with some external partners during the past week to discuss potential collaboration with CAFOR on various projects and programs.

On Wednesday, November 1, 2023,  a CAFOR delegation with its Executive Director, Dr. Lawalley Cole met with H.E. Mr. Jaber Jemail Al-Hajri, Deputy Ambassador and currently chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Ethiopia, as we looked into closer collaboration with Qatari institutions that would support education and special skills training for African youths.

Also, on the same day, Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the CAFOR team in Addis Ababa and elsewhere met virtually with Mr. Werbayne Mcintyre from the U.K.’s Digisoft Education, University of the Arts London, Spain, which is working to develop products and solutions designed to provide education and training in regions facing infrastructure limitations. We had very fruitful discussions as this group offers educational solutions across various academic levels, encompassing foundational education and adult training, with a core objective of improving career prospects, alleviating poverty, and enhancing community health.

We also met H.E. Ambassador Attila Koppany, Hungarian Ambassador to Ethiopia, on Friday, 3 November 2023, with Ms. Reka Agota Csizi, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Hungary in Ethiopia. Hungary and CAFOR have collaborated in academia and project development since 2018. In 2022, CAFOR signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Pécs in Hungary. CAFOR will continue to work with Hungarian institutions to support education and training for African institutions.

On Friday, 3 November, we held fruitful discussions with Dr. Spio-Garbrah of the ABCDE which was founded on 25th July 2012 by H.E. Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister of Education and Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Ghana. It is a Non-Governmental Organization that focuses on helping the business community to deliver various services to the educational sector. CAFOR will enter into a new partnership with Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and his organization to participate in the new Africa Education Trust Fund, the chairman of which is Dr. Spio-Garbrah.