O engenheiro Mateus Esteita comenta sobre bolsas de estudos e os partidos políticos em Angola

Bolsas de estudos e os partidos políticos.

Um artigo de Mateus Esteita.

Muito recentemente o presidente do maior partido da oposição anunciou uma campanha de atribuição de 254 bolsas de estudos para cidadãos angolanos mas para o espanto de muitos as mesmas serão dirigidas somente a militantes do seu partido, causando assim um mar de revolta e frustração para alguns que se consideram apartidarios e gerou debates no seio de muitos acadêmicos. No mesmo dia do anuncio e em forma de resposta o secretário de estado para o Ensino superior anunciara a disponilidade de mais de duas mil bolsas de estudos do governo angolano e para alguns críticos a jogada parecia intencional afim de abafar a intenção do grupo partidário liderado por Adalberto.

Entre criticas e elogios das duas louvaveis iniciativas sobre mais bolsas de estudos para os angolanos, precisamos perceber e entender a gênese da bolsa de estudo no nosso territorio.

Em Angola, as primeiras manifestações para formação no exterior, surgiram num período compreendido entre 1482 a 1484, quando Diogo Cão chegou pela primeira vez ao Zaire. Queria ele mostrar a sua descoberta ao rei e a corte portuguesa, decide assim levar consigo para Lisboa um grupo de jovens provenientes do Reino do Kongo, de forma violenta e contra a vontade deles.

Em Portugal, os jovens, foram apresentados pelo rei D. João II, este ordenou que fossem instruídos e ensinados a aprender os costumes, a língua, os hábitos e as práticas da civilização portuguesa.

Posteriormente, quando alguns destes nativos voltaram para suas terras, o Manikongo Lukeni Lua Nimi notou a diferença existente entre a civilização portuguesa e o Reino do Kongo, decide assim mandar escrever uma carta para D. João II com a finalidade de enviar mais nativos angolanos para Portugal. A partir deste período, começou a movimentação volumosa de um conjunto de cidadãos do reino que se deslocavam como estudantes, com destino à capital portuguesa, para uma aquisição de conhecimento. Os primeiros bolseiros angolanos foram sob ordem do rei do Kongo, maioritariamente filhos dos mais poderosos membros da corte, inclusive o seu filho.

Apois o período colonial, com surgimento da primeira República, quando conquistamos a independencia em 1975 e no ano seguinte o Presidente Neto anunciara o ano da formacao de quadro e Angola continuou com o envio de jovens para o exterior, dando continuidade de muitas estratégias deixadas pelos portugueses na área da educação e ensino, surgiram varias organizações nacionais e internacionais que promoviam o ensino no exterior, por exemplo, partidos políticos como o MPLA, FNLA e a UNITA, enviavam seus membros para adquirir formações no exterior, mais tarde surge o Instituto Nacional de Bolsa de Estudo (INABE), com esta organização, a bolsa passou a significar um símbolo de honra e uma garantia para o futuro apesar de que a selecao nao era transparente, inclusiva e justa. Hoje com o esforco do executivo, o processo, se tornou menos burocrativo, mais transparente e mais inclusivo.

Em suma podemos afirmar que a bolsa de estudo sempre fez parte dos objectivos estratégicos dos partidos politicos afim de formar seus melhores quadros, para dota-los de conhecimentos e habilidades afim de poder concretizar seus planos e projectos socio-politicos ao longo dos prazos estabelicidos.

Hoje existe uma mudança de paradigma no que concerne as bolsas de estudo, alem dos planos do governo como PNFQ, organizações diplomaticas promovem o intercambio e o ensino na diaspora com regularidade, permitindo jovens e aspirantes a bolsas de estudos  participarem com mais facilidade e inclusão no processo. Sendo assim é  imperioso que se trabalhe na melhoria da qualidade de ensino em Angola afim de se apostar mais em bolsas de estudos internas que correspondam a qualidade de ensino exigida e adquirida no exterior.

Opportunity for Africans. Thomson Foundation/Mojofest mobile Journalism Competition 2020 (Fully Funded to Mojofest in London, United Kingdom)

Thomson Foundation/Mojofest mobile Journalism Competition 2020 (Fully Funded to Mojofest in London, United Kingdom)

Application Deadline: March 15th 2020 

Could you be our next mojo star? Now in its sixth year, the Thomson Foundation mobile journalism competition is a leading showcase for mobile journalism ('mojo') talent, in partnership with Mojofest.

The judges will pick the best stories with the overall winner receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to Mojofest in London between 13-14 May, 2020. At least five others will be shortlisted for outstanding content and each participant who completes the programme will be issued with a certificate of achievement.

The learning

The competition is a great opportunity to build and develop your video production and storytelling skills. Entrants will follow step by step exercises under the guidance of the foundation's finest trainers and mentors. You will be required to learn to use a mobile phone to:

* Capture quality images and video * Capture quality audio

* Film a video interview * Edit video * Tell a story using video

* Capture and express emotion through image and video

The judges will pick the best stories with the overall winner receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to Mojofest in London between 13-14 May, 2020. At least five others will be shortlisted for outstanding content and each participant who completes the programme will be issued with a certificate of achievement.

REPORT OF THE 3RD YOUTH CAPACITY HELD IN NOVEMBER 2019 IN ACCRA

1. Introduction: 

The 3rd Youth Capacity building took place under the theme: ‘‘Advancing young African women in Entrepreneurship and Leadership” from 26th to 29th November 2019, in Accra, Ghana. The workshop brought together 49 young participants representing the following African Union Member States: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo-Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Egypt, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,  Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Equally amongst the participants was Mr. Moti Daba, winner of the online Quiz organized by the AU/CIEFFA during the celebration of the International Day of the Girl child.

2. Background of the 3rd Youth Capacity-Building Workshop

Mrs. Simone Yankey-Ouattara, Senior Policy Officer, provided the backdrop of the workshop by outlining the selection process, the objectives and outputs of this capacity-building workshop. She added that in order to achieve the Aspirations of agenda 2063, it was important to involve a number of key stakeholders, especially the youth.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony was chaired by the Coordinator of the AU/CIEFFA, Dr. Rita Bissoonauth.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Vigdis Cristofoli, Education Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy to the AU, expressed how Norway was proud to partner and collaborate with AU/CIEFFA in promoting girls’ and women’s Education in Africa. She stressed that for the future of Africa’s socio-economic development to be ensured, African Youth needed be capacitated with the best set of skills and competencies and that this workshop was responding to these needs. 

On behalf of H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor, HRST Commissioner, AUC, Dr Mahama Ouedraogo, Director HRST, explained how happy he was to be among the crème de la crème of the African Youth, as representatives of the Africa we want. In the fight against an intergenerational cycle of poverty which denies girls and women their basic Human rights, he saluted AU/CIEFFA’s work with the support of development partners, in the empowerment of girls and women through their Education in line with key legal frameworks amongst others such as the AU Gender strategy, STISA and CESA. He also appreciated the theme of the meeting, which offers the ideal framework for achieving the agendas of Gender and Education whilst empowering young people with crucial competencies to combat harmful practices and attitudes.

Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister of Education and TVET of Ghana, highlighted the numerous activities that the host country was undertaking in the area of Education, namely, free access to secondary cycle Education, expanding TVET and improved international standards for teacher training. 

Hon. Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Minister of Gender, Youth and Social Protection congratulated the participants for making it on the crest of such a continent-wide and competitive process. She appreciated investments made by the AUC through this capacity building workshop which promotes the necessity for Youth-driven entrepreneurship as key to the betterment of African societies. 

 

III. Presentations of Modules

Mr. Victor Mensah briefly outlined the different steps of creating a project proposal: identify the purpose of the project, its key components and the differences between managing and finalising a project. He pointed out that one of the outcomes of the workshop was to come up with a group project on issues relating to girl’s and women’s education.

Module 1: Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa

Under the session on “Understanding the dynamics of Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa”, Ms. Daphne Chimuka, enabled the participants to better interpret key various concepts and terminologies of gender and to understand how aspects of Gender as social construction of norms and attitudes impact negatively on the universal rights of women and girls such the right to education. To demystify participants’ perception on gender based myths and stereotypes, she clarified the different levels of intervention.  

Module 2: Girls and women in TVET male dominated areas

In the session on “Gender Stereotypes in TVET: Assessing the facts, challenging the myths”, Dr. George Afeti, provided an overview of the gender dichotomy in learning and vocational choices into TVET. He explained that the current gender gaps are often attributed to influential factors such as society, culture, tradition and religion. He also provided data on enrolment and female participation in TVET. 

A Panel Discussion ensued following this presentation on: “Dynamics and Factors Influencing the Educational and Career Goals of Girls and Women” comprising of five panellists: Espoir Mebi Djam (Cameroon), Erick Ouko (Kenya), Tiewa Noel Coulibaly (Cote d’Ivoire), Ngozi Nkulula (Zambia) and Zineb Ayadi  (Algeria). 

The panelists outlined different factors such as culture which influence the educational paths and careers of young women. They also added how sexual harassment in particular, impacts women’s and girls’ educational and professional achievement especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Module 3: Financial Literacy

Ms. Nadira Bayat, facilitated the session on “Advancing Gender Equality and the Sustainable Economic Empowerment of Women under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”. She highlighted that gender gaps still exist due to discriminatory laws, limited access to land, and lack of access to social protection services, resulting in unpaid work and labour for women. She encouraged participants to seize this trading opportunity of AfCFTA and to work with young girls and women entrepreneurs to tackle gender-related concerns and constraints gender based violence and norms as well as lack of access to finance and self-confidence.

Module 4: Linking Entrepreneurship in STEM & TVET

In the session on “Entrepreneurship”, Ms. Brinda Hunziker presented some key projections and statistics on the evolution of the job market on the continent. She explained that by 2040, 47 % of actual jobs will have vanished according to a research by the Oxford University. In retrospection, she also explained although the youth in Africa constitute 75% of the working age population, they only represent 60% of the jobless persons in Africa. Ms. Hunziker highlighted the importance and benefits of venturing in Entrepreneurship, while cautioning for some of the challenges to be encountered. She also provided the participants with the skills required to become an Entrepreneur and how to prepare a business plan.

Ms. Brinda Hunziker also moderated a panel Discussion on “Sharing best practices on Entrepreneurship in the areas of TVET and STEM”. The panelists were: Kelahloko Mashiloane (South Africa)¸ Dior Fall Samb, (Senegal), Kadio Niang (Mauritania), Merveille Tia Ngolo (Congo) and Eden Tadesse (Ethiopia). They discussed the main challenges faced by young entrepreneurs on the continent in the areas of STEM and TVET and provided some feasible adaptable solutions/avenues to address the recurring issue of limited funding. 

In the picture is the Angolan representant Sofonie Dala.

 

Module 5:  Leadership in STEM

During the session on “Personal branding and values”, Ms. Naadiya Moosajee from WomEng, explained the key concepts of Personal Leadership branding and used a “Values vault” exercise to identify core values, impressions and postures of Leaders. She stressed on the necessity to cultivate a network and use networking opportunities. She presented the “Elevator pitch”, where participants had one minute to brief a potential investor on their work. 

Ms. Moosajee also explained that as long as their projects were sustainable and helping the community, investors would be interested to come in. 

Module 6: Digital Literacy

Ms. Wanjira Kamwere from Microsoft Africa, presented the session on “21st Century Skills and the future workforce”. She began by encouraging participants to contribute to increase  the number of youth-owned companies, as a driver for transformation of African societies. She explained the need for digital skills to keep up with innovation and competitiveness on the African job market. 

Mr. Stewart Samkange, Representative of Microsoft gave some tips on how to use LinkedIn for job-seekers. An online quiz was also administered to strengthen participants’ capacity in digital skills. 

Module 7: Community Engagement

Mr. Victor Mensah explained the core components of community engagement: identification of target group, brainstorming of ideas, community assessment, collaboration for action and change. He also added that community engagement rests on inclusivity, participation, civic intelligence and leadership and that it happens at different levels: individual, interpersonal, community, organizational and policy levels.

Module 8: Presentation of projects 

Six projects were presented at the end of the workshop: 

1. Setting up a multimedia company

2. Advancing women’s and girls’ Education under the AfCFTA 

3. Developing a multi local language app

4. Knowledge Hub in STEM 

5. Alternative Education app

6. Engaging men in Girls and Women’s Education. 

Throughout the workshop, participants in their groups used a project template, and exchanged views and ideas to finalize their project.

2. Closing 

Mrs. Constance Swaniker, CEO and Founder, of “Accents and Arts”, shared her experiences and the challenges of working in a male-dominated field. She explained her career path in in the construction sector, often perceived as a male-dominated area. 

In her closing remarks, Dr Rita Bissoonauth requested the participants to take up their roles as advocates for girls and young women to access and complete their education. A certificate was awarded at the end of the capacity-building workshop.

Parabéns! Sofonie Dala foi selecionada para Cúpula Mundial da Paz na Malásia. Congratulations to Sofonie! She was selected among 7000 applicants to participate in the Global Peace Summit in Malaysia 2020.

Parabéns. A angolana Sofonie Dala volta a ser selecionada para representar Angola na diáspora.

Desta vez ela foi selecionada entre 7000 aplicantes em todo mundo para participar da Cúpula Global da Paz na Malásia 2020.

Ela permaneceu bem-sucedida em inspirar o júri com seus projectos sociais e motivação para participar da Cúpula Mundial da Paz na Malásia.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT

The role of social media in reducing unemployment is perceived and well documented. 

I think the question about the possible sources of any academic material on the topic: The role of social media in reducing unemployment, is focused on one of the most critical issues facing almost every country in the globe today and it is expected to continue for some time or decades to come.

My response to the question has both specific and general sources of data. In fact, anyone who is unemployed can get a job via internet driven social media forum. These media are available, simple, easy to use, and value laden.

Let me begin by stating that unemployment or joblessness is caused by many sources or factors such social, economic, environmental, or political issues. At the same time, the social media have multiple channels or platforms that can be be employed to deal communicate or access all kinds of social, economic, political, or environmental information that anyone needs or wants to interact with.

A person can get freelance, part-time, or full time job online with a minimum investment of resources like time, money, skills, device, or cafe services .

As stated above, all the sources of most of or all our jobs or employments are classified under social, economic, environmental, and political jobs, employment, or occupation. We also know that the social media is a tool that can be effectively used to create and sustain any employment as well as to create or raise awareness of job opportunities at all levels globally.

Allow or permit me to share with you the idea that, access, use, or literacy determine our ability to seek and get jobs through the social media investments, facilities, technology, or infrastructure at personal, family or household, village, local community, county, state or national, federal,sub-regional, regional, and global or international levels.

Your question assumes that all the above are guaranteed, granted, or addressed already.I would like to go with your assume that, if all the barriers to unfettered access and use of the social media are eliminated to enable any able and willing user to seek, create, or perform any employment, then the following information can be used to address the above question.

It is also vital for me to explain in advance that, there are some basic preconditions or requirements for anyone to be able and willing to engage in a meaningful, gainful, or productive employment, with or without the social media.

These have to do with our levels of human capital development at individual, institutional, family or household, national regional, or global levels. Employment calls different levels of competencies in terms of education, training, experience, attitudes, practice, skills, availability, mobility, or locations.

With respect to the above, the social media, for example, can be used for accessing education at all levels such as from basic education to PhD education. In this case, it is a source education, funding or scholarships, or grants for education, opportunities for online education, training, and research or community outreach or collaboration opportunities.

I am also aware that the social media are the biggest sources of paid online jobs from simple home based jobs, teaching or training, multiple supervisions, selling or social marketing options, or research to international project partnerships or consultancies.

The social media by themselves are sources or factors of employments by themselves.For example, we need ICT technicians, teachers, curriculum, trainers, policies, institutions, engineers, scientists, facilities, software or programmers, internet cafes, content developers, dealers or industries, regulators, laws, investors, infrastructure, or all kinds of ICT end users.

If you look at the issues which I have identified in the above paragraph, you can see that see that all of them are related to all kinds of employments or jobs or occupations at all levels of the society. Some jobs are formal while others are private jobs. As you are well informed, the social media are used by almost all institutions or organizations in addition to individuals or households, communities, or businesses.

I would like to share with you my simple ideas about examples of what I stated as social, economic, environmental, or political issues which can employ the social media to create employments or jobs. In this case, I take job creation to decrease or eliminate unemployment.

So social issues include; educational, cultural, religious, information / communication, food, water, eneergy or power, security, accommodation, clothing, shelter, media, entertainment, movements, or health.

All these are sources of employment or jobs as they all use the social media to advertise jobs, recruit human resources, procurement services, or create poliicy awareness of emerging issues such as mainstreaming gender equality for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation, gender equality for empowerment of women and girls for sustainable development, and gender based analysis to promote gender equality at all levels of social, economic, environmental, legal, and political spheres of development. .

Likewise, economic issues include; incomes, investments, infrastructure, transport, land use, industries, business or commerce, technology, labour or employment, trade, or finance. At the same time, examples of environmental issues include; weather, climate, climate change or climate variability, biomass and biodiversity, forests and trees, water resources, wetland and natural resources, as well as their management, gree technology or funds, or energy sources.

Examples of political issues include; the government institutions at various levels, legal or regulatory systems, public participation, politics or political institutions, judiciary and judicial institutions, national institutions or agencies, local or state or federal governments.All these agencies use the social media to create jobs or employments.

In conclusion, if you reflect on all social, political, environmental, legal, or environmental jobs or employment today, the social media provide the pivot for all of them at personal, family, community, institutional, national, sub-regional, regional, global, or international levels of employment.

Social media awareness, literacy, access, adoption or diffusion, or use are vital for education of unemployment with a focus on gender equality for inclusive empowerment of women and girls to eliminate digital gender gaps for employment opportunities to achieve SDG 4, SDG 5, or SDG8 among others.

Regards, 

Sofonie Dala 

Unemployment in Africa

The soaring rates of joblessness in many African countries are denying millions of young people of their rights to earn a living. Without opportunities to reach their potential, youth are more likely to turn to violence as a means of survival.

If we want to create a bright, peaceful, and conflict-free future for Africa, we need to ensure young people have the tools and opportunities to thrive.