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WE AfriHug 2019 – East Africa at a glance
Countries
Ethiopia, Uganda
Number of HEIs
4 HEIs
Number of Erasmus+ Training Seminars for HEIs
3 Erasmus+ Training Seminars
Number of Students & Academic Staff
620 Students & Academic Staff
Number of Training Seminars for CSOs
2 Training Seminars for CSOs
Number of CSOs
50 CSOs
Number of Youth Workers
120 Youth Workers
Number of partnerships between AU & EU HEIs
5 partnerships
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Social Media
Website
Infographic
YouTube channel
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Team
WE AfriHug team garagErasmus and Erasmus Mundus Association joined forces to co-organize
and implement WE AfriHug 2019 – East Africa.
garagErasmus: One garagErasmus member from the local association
garagErasmus Athens was the coordinator of the project. garagErasmus
provided the platform weTipp for the engagement of the HEIs, CSOs and
students that we interacted with during the project.
Erasmus Mundus Association: African chapter, the Eastern Sub-Regional
Coordinator, the Country Representatives of Uganda and acted as contact
points for the organisation of the training seminars and were present to
contribute to the objectives of the project.
“We believe that the project is used as a working example for young
people who want to bring the change by collaborating and co-creating
together for a better world.”
“WE AfriHug is a project born in the
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Greece: Konstantinos Maragkos
mind of ambitious dreamers. We
want to see something changing in
this world and we are here to make
things happen. Education is the
key.”
Konstantinos is the Coordinator of WE AfriHug 2019 – East Africa. He is a
graduate of Classics from the University of Athens and a postgraduate from
the Erasmus Mundus European Master in Tourism Management. He has lived
in Greece, Austria, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain and Ghana until now and he is
keen on learning and working in different fields. He loves foreign languages,
traveling, volunteering and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about sports
and he is a marathon runner. His main interests lie on international
development, education and mobility programmes for youth. He represents
the Erasmus generation after being awarded with the Golden Laissez-Passer
"Best Erasmus Talent of 2017" by the foundation garagErasmus.
Kenya: Lina Mkoji
“I am pleased to be
an ambassador of
the WE AfriHug
Project as it gives me
an opportunity to
interact with youth
and to encourage
them to pursue their
dreams through
education and
cultural exchanges.”
Lina, Kenyan origin, is co-organizer of the project WE AfriHug 2019 – East
Africa. She is the Eastern Sub-Regional Coordinator of the African Chapter of
the Erasmus Mundus Association. She holds a bachelor of Science degree in
Hospitality and Tourism from Kenyatta University in Nairobi and she just
completed her master’s studies at the Erasmus Mundus European Master in
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Tourism Management programme, having been awarded the prestigious
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship in 2016 She is a sustainability enthusiast who
loves travelling, cultural encounters, languages and volunteering.
Greece: Marilena Maragkou
“WE AfriHug 2019 – East
Africa is the result of our
previous work in Africa. I
believe that Africans should
be exposed to European
opportunities and co-create
projects together.”
Marilena is the Trainer of Erasmus+ of the project WE AfriHug 2019 – East
Africa. She is a Young Expert of Education at the AU-EU Youth Cooperation
Hub. She holds a Bachelor in MBA and an MSc in International Marketing.
Since 2013, she has been working as a Project Manager in European
educational projects. She has participated in several volunteer programs in
Europe and abroad and she had the chance, through studying and training
opportunities, to live abroad, interact with people from all over the world,
exchange views and ideas with them and open her mind. She loves learning
foreign languages and her hobby is traveling.
Ambassadors
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According to our values, we respect other cultures and our approach is
always locally tailor-made. In each country that we visited, we had a local
ambassador, who was responsible for the organization and coordination of
our activities while providing expertise and advice about the local cultures
and needs of the communities that we visited.
Uganda: Edwin Kamalha
“For one more year, I wish to
support more Ugandans Universities
to be exposed to European
opportunities and get connected
with EU HEIs”
Edwin, Ugandan origin, is a member of the WE AfriHug 2019- East Africa team.
He is a lecturer at Kyambogo University and Busitema University in Uganda.
He is the Erasmus Mundus Association Country Representative for Uganda. He
holds a PhD of the SMDTex programme. He has studied in France, Italy and
China and he is enthusiastic about volunteering, teaching and research.
Being part of EMA and Erasmus mobility programme has been exciting and
so rewarding for him.
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Higher Education Institutions
Civil Society Organizations
1. Youth to Youth, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. The Netherlands education, Group Ethiopia
3. I for you Volunteering, Ethiopia
4. Mwana Wa Gwanga Youth Troupe,
Kampala, Uganda
5. Love to Love Organization, Uganda
1. Kyambogo University, Uganda
2. Kampala International University, Uganda
3. Busitema University, Uganda
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16. MUVA Elderly Initiative, Uganda
11. Charity Bag Foundation, Uganda
6. ADRIVUYO, Advocacy for Rights of Vulnerable Youth, Uganda
7. Arise the Youth Foundation, Uganda
8. Afrika Youth Movement, Uganda
9. Vijana Kwa Afrika, Uganda
10. AfriNYPE, Uganda
12. Love and Hope Monde, Uganda
13. CEHURD, Centre for Health, Human Rights & Development,Uganda
14. MenEngage, Uganda
15. Girls in School Initiative, Uganda
17. UNASO, Uganda
18. Impact, Uganda
19. Giving Hope Foundation, Uganda
20. Save the Children, Uganda
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31. UYP, Uganda
26. AFCOA - Uganda
21. Uganda Mentoring Centre for Men
22. Kadama Widow Association, Uganda
23. CHAIN – Community Health & International Network, Uganda
24. Vision for Children & Youth Forum, Uganda
25. Buganda Government, Uganda
27. Mamas Club, Uganda
28. Embibo Gender Initiative - Uganda
29. Health Child, Uganda
30. The Suubi Center, Uganda
32. AIC, Uganda
33. UYP, Uganda
34. Empowered Women’s Association, Uganda
35. Kutessa Association, Uganda
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46.HANDLE, Uganda
41. COTFONE – Community Transformation Foundation Network, Uganda
36. Child Initiative, Uganda
37. Men’s Forum against Domestic Violence Uganda
38. Serving Lives under marginalization (slums), Uganda
39. Kawaala Teenage Youth Center, Uganda
40. United Children Integrity & Development Action, Uganda
42. Conscious Citizenship, Uganda
43. TASO, Uganda
44. GCKIR Uganda
45. KADFO Uganda
47. POMU, Uganda
48. MEDRED, Uganda
49. Educate Her, Uganda
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Co-organizers
Local Partners Ethiopia
Uganda
Powered by
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Description Background
This is the first part of WE AfriHug 2019 Project before the second part in West
Africa. The proposal is built on the experience and lessons learned from a
similar and successful project, WE AfriHug 2018. WE AfriHug 2018 was a
voluntary project that took place in 7 African countries (Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Togo, Ghana, Western Sahara and Nigeria) from January 1st until
July 31st 2018. Five passionate volunteers from Greece, Italy and Cyprus
joined forces and travelled to the Eastern and Western part of Africa. The aim
of the project was to empower Youth in African local communities through
education, to promote European and international understanding through
the Erasmus+ programme and to foster the development of a shared sense
of European identity. In the framework of the project, the volunteers
achieved 2 sports milestones aiming at raising awareness about WE AfriHug
and motivating people to overcome their limits. Lastly, data were collected
during the trip in order to conduct Research for a Master Thesis, entitled as
“Academic mobility: Traveling abroad for educational purposes. Case study:
WE AfriHug Project in Ghana”.
We believe that each person has the right to education and we acted upon
this belief by organizing actions in local, national and international level.
During our endless efforts through volunteering, we realized that
development is a complex issue that needs a well-researched and well-
planned approach, in order to benefit people in the long term. Putting the
lessons learned in practice, we understood that sustainable development is
an approach that needs the involvement of various stakeholders. We then
realized that not only should we think global but we should also act local -
giving a voice and opportunities to people to be the protagonists for their
path for change.
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Problem Identification
The project addresses a problem with 3 layers: 1. Lack of information about
mobility opportunities through the programme Erasmus+: African HEIs and
CSOs can also participate but there is not enough awareness. 2. Lack of
capacity for HEIs & CSOs: academic staff, students and youth workers do not
have the skills needed to submit successful applications for Erasmus+ projects.
3. Lack of partnerships between European and African HEIs and CSOs: it is a
big challenge for African HEIs and CSOs to find partners in Europe and vice
versa to create strategic synergies for sustainable development.
Vision Bring Africa & Europe closer
through education
Mission
Empower youth through capacity building & create connections
between AU & EU CSOs
Values
EU values, Human rights, SDGs, Solidarity, respect to local cultures &
communities, collaboration, co-creation
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In a nutshell
WE AfriHug 2019 – East Africa is a project funded by ESAA implemented by
garagErasmus and Erasmus Mundus Association. It took place in 2 African
countries (Ethiopia and Uganda) from February until May 2019. Three
passionate members from Greece and Kenya joined forces to travel to East
Africa to work together with grassroots organizations and universities. Initially,
Rwanda was also included in the planned activities but due to difficulties of
communication and early confirmation of the activities of the project, the
team extended its visit at Uganda and implemented more activities.
2. Capacity Building
Objectives
1. Raise awareness about Erasmus+
3. Create partnerships
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Methodology
Raise awareness about Erasmus+
During the Training
Seminars the focus
was the knowledge
transfer for the
opportunities that
the Erasmus+
programme can
offer to African
Universities. Board
members,
academic staff and
students got to
know about Erasmus+, what it is all about and how they could be part of it.
Moreover, they got information about partnerships between European and
African HEIs, tips and guidance on how to submit good proposals and make
applications for EU funding. Moreover, connections between European and
African Universities were facilitated with an aim to create new networks and
collaborations. The main aim of the training seminars was to explain the
benefits of participating in this European Union programme to African HEIs.
Students were also informed about the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master
Degrees, the concept behind joint master degrees and how they could
apply for these kind of masters. They also attended a workshop which aimed
to build their capacity on submitting strong applications and to create
meaningful motivation letters and CVs.
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Preparation Phase
Preparatory activities
Physical meetings
An initial physical meeting took place
in Athens, in November 2018 where two of
the three members of the team met to
discuss the project development idea
and to ask for feedback from experts
on the field on education and
international development.
Following this meeting, the first draft of the
project idea was ready, and the team
members continued intensively the
discussions via online means.
Skype meetings
Because of the long distance, the members of WE AfriHug team conducted
several Skype calls to continue the design of the project. The first online
meeting took place in late November 2018 when the call for applications
was out so as to start planning the proposal for submission. Afterwards, weekly
meetings until the day of submission followed to arrange all the details of the
project, discuss the methodology, the activities and the training seminars.
Once the project was approved, the team members conducted several
skype meetings in order to finalize everything before the departure of the
team to Africa.
Partnerships
The team used their networks to reach the people in the countries that the
project would be implemented in. We contacted people in HEIs and NGOs
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which work directly in the field of youth, in order to discuss the needs and
potential collaborations. After discussing with several HEIs in Greece and
Africa, we decided on the content and the dates of the training seminars.
Later on, we identified the CSOs that would act as local partners to co-
organize the training seminars for youth workers and worked together to
develop the content and to decide on the dates of the training seminars.
It was crucial for us from the beginning to involve local actors and ask them
how we could accelerate our impact during our collaborations on the
ground.
Visual Identity
The team kept the same logo of WE AfriHug 2018 to show
that this is a new edition of the project WE AfriHug. The logo
was created after brainstorming sessions of the team
members. A simple but clear logo was decided, which can
convey the message of the project, thus the name and the map of the
African continent.
Website and Social media
The team kept the website and social media of WE AfriHug 2018 in order to
show continuity. A Facebook page, a Twitter account, a LinkedIn profile, a
YouTube channel and an Instagram account were used for the project to
boost online visibility. The website consisted of the following sections:
description of the project, information about WE AfriHug team, ambassadors,
supporters, press clips, a gallery with photos and videos and contact details.
The website is translated in Greek, Italian and English. The website targets not
only the participants and beneficiaries of the project but also HEIs, CSOs,
stakeholders and policymakers who want to be informed about the project
and its results in Greece, Cyprus, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and all African
countries that participated in the previous edition of the project. The website
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increased WE AfriHug’s visibility and raised awareness about its goals
amongst the target groups. During and after the training seminars all the
press clips, photos and videos of the activities were uploaded in the website.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were extensively used in order to reach
more people and raise their awareness about the project, its objectives and
activities.
YouTube channel
We created several videos, in order to
show and explain the project to the
online community. You could see all the
videos in our channel. Plus, dissemination
videos for each country were created in
order to showcase the activities and
results in each country.
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Implementation Phase Activities per country
Ethiopia
The “WE AfriHug 2019- East Africa” team started its mission in mid-February
2019, flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for its first activities. An Erasmus+ training
seminar for CSOs and youth workers was the first activity of the project hosted
at the training room of the Greek enterprise “Santorini” located in the district
of Lancha in Addis Ababa.
Erasmus+ Training Seminar for CSOs
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The training seminar,
held at the Lancha area in Addis Ababa, attracted 42 participants. In line with the
project objectives, the 5-day seminar included an introduction about Erasmus+
programmes for students and youth workers under KA1 and KA2 respectively. The
enthusiastic participants also got first-hand information from Project Management
expert, Marilena, about the use of Erasmus+ platforms such as ECAS and the
Distance Calculator in order to get familiarised with them. What’s more, they were
taken through the four stages of project management and introduced to tools such
as SWOT analysis, the Canva Business Model and NAOMIE. Emphasis was put on the
choice of partners as well as the relevance, quality and sustainability criteria of
projects. Soft skills such as time management, pitching, communication and
presentation skills were also highlighted using various activities throughout the
training.
To practically use the knowledge imparted during the training, the participants were
divided into groups for project simulation. On the last day, each team pitched their
project and received useful feedback from the WE AfriHug project team. Moreover,
the participants were treated to a taste of the “Live Library” where Konstantinos and
Lina shared their experiences in an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree
programme. To mark the end of the training, participants were asked to reflect on
their most important take-aways and awarded with certificates.
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“WE AfriHug project has been
doing so many amazing
things, specifically here in
Ethiopia.”
Isaac Bezabih,
Youth Worker, Ethiopia
“I already have a lot of
knowledge about Erasmus+
and WE AfriHug and I met my
expectations during this
training seminar”.
Miriam Seble,
Youth Worker, Ethiopia
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Uganda
The second country of East-Africa was Uganda, where the team
implemented two Erasmus+ Training Seminars for HEIs at Kyambogo University
and Kampala International University. The team also implemented a training
seminar for CSOs, training youth workers from 10 Ugandan NGOs. The team
was hosted by Father Antonios, chairman of the partner NGO, “Love and
Hope Monde”.
Erasmus+ Training Seminar for HEIs Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda
On the 1st of March, the
project team had a
preparatory meeting with
university officials at the
Kyambogo University based
in Kampala, to formally
introduce themselves and to
finalise details of the training
seminars in the institution.
The meeting took place at
the premises of the International Relations Office of Kyambogo University.
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The first training seminar
began at the Kyambogo
University on the 4th – 6th of
March 2019, attracting 20
academic staff and 80
students. Separately, the two
groups of participants were
introduced to Erasmus+
programmes relevant to them
under KA1 and given
information about how to get involved. For the academic staff sessions, the
team focused on sharing information about several partnership opportunities
with European Universities while for the students’ sessions, the team
concentrated on the Erasmus Mundus scholarship opportunities and
conducted a capacity building workshop in order for the students to write
competitive applications for their masters.
Kampala International University, Kampala, Uganda
On the 8th of March 2019, the
project team had a
preparatory meeting with
university officials at Kampala
International University (KIU),
based in Kampala, to formally
introduce themselves and to
finalise details of the training
seminars in the institution. The
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Vice Rector of the University was also in attendance during this meeting to
ensure that the training seminars would be conducted smoothly.
There was an impressive
turnout of 75 academic staff
and 325 students for the
seminars held on 11th -13th of
March at KIU. Separately, the
two groups of participants
were introduced to Erasmus+
programmes relevant to
them under KA1 and given
information about how to get
involved. For the academic staff sessions, the team focused on sharing
information about several partnership opportunities with European Universities
while for the students’ sessions, the team concentrated on the Erasmus
Mundus scholarship
opportunities. and
conducted a capacity
building workshop for the
students to write
competitive applications
for their masters. Students
also attended “Live
Library” session, during
which Konstantinos, Lina
and Edwin Kamalha (Ambassador of WE AfriHug 2019 and EMA
Representative in Uganda) answered questions related to their masters and
PhD studies in the framework of European funded opportunities.
Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda
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The WE AfriHug team met the
Deputy Vice Chancellor and
members of the Board of the
University to discuss further about
the training seminar to be held at
the University. The team presented
the work that they have been
doing in Africa so far and about
the Erasmus+ programme. The
agenda of the training seminars was discussed and adapted to the needs of
the different target groups. Moreover, they discussed about all the logistics in
order to organize successful training seminars.
During the 3-day training seminar 115 people in total attended, including the
Board of the University,
academic staff and students of
Busitema University. During the
first day of the training seminar,
15 participants made up of
academic staff and the Board of
the University attended. The
participants got to know more
about Erasmus+, its history, how
to be part of the programme
and how to write a winning proposal under Erasmus+. The following 2 days
were dedicated to the 100 students who attended the training seminar. They
also got to know about Erasmus+, how they could be involved and finally,
they attended acapacity building workshop on how to submit strong
applications for their master degrees.
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“I learnt so many things
through this training. I did not
know that there are so many
opportunities.”
Owiny Hakiim,
Student at K.I.U., Uganda
"I want to say that WE
AfriHug is doing a
wonderful job & I want to
encourage them to keep
doing this because they
are transforming Africa
with this."
Prisca Adaeze Nenger,
Communications Officer,
K.I.U, Uganda
"For the first time I want to say
'thank you' to WE AfriHug for
giving us an opportunity that
we have never had before."
Dr. Wardah, Director of
Research, Innovations,
Internationalization and
Extension, K.I.U., Uganda
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Erasmus+ Training Seminar for CSOs
First Training Seminar for CSOs
The first CSO Ttraining
seminar in Uganda
was targeted at 40
youth workers from 10
different CSOs within
Kampala area. This
training was
particularly special as
it included
participants from
various interest groups including youth and children; single women and
orphaned children; people with disabilities, social and health workers from
different fields; and policy makers. The seminar took place at the premises of
the International Office of Kyambogo University.
Due to this variety, the
training was both
educative and
interactive with the
different groups sharing
challenges and
experiences from their
projects. This meant that
the participants
represented different age
groups, special mention
to Mama Maria Nabatanzi, an advocate against child marriages and
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teenage pregnancy in Namataba Village, who happily kept up with the
engaging activities throughout the seminar! In addition, children and youth
from Mwana wa Gwanga (A Child of the Nation in the local Luganda
language), an NGO oriented to the care and welfare of vulnerable children
in Uganda, surprised the participants with dance performances on the third
and fourth day of the training.
The agenda included:
Project Management;
introduction to
Erasmus+ and its
platforms such as
ECAS and the
Distance Calculator;
networking and
“getting to know each
other” activities;
crowd-funding; Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees and break-out sessions
for skills such as budgeting, pitching and communication. At the end of the
theoretical training, participants were divided into groups based on their
interests and line of work for project simulation. On the last day, each group
presented its project and received useful feedback from the WE AfriHug
project team. To mark the end of the training, participants thought about
what they learnt during the training and were awarded with certificates in a
colourful outdoor ceremony.
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Second Training Seminar for CSOs
The second CSO
training seminar
was targeted at 40
youth workers from
33 different CSOs
within Kampala
area. This training
seminar was co-
organized by the
Ugandan NGO,
MenEngage,
based in Kampala.
MenEngage invited youth workers from several organizations around Uganda
in order to train more people who would act as multipliers of the knowledge
gained during the training seminar. Participants came from various interest
groups including child protection; domestic violence, social and health
workers from different fields; and policy makers. The seminar took place at
the premises of the Uganda Museum, located at the Centre of Kampala.
Due to this variety,
participants had several
experiences to share with their
colleagues regarding
submission of successful and
unsuccessful proposals. The
seminar was both educative
and interactive with the
different groups sharing
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challenges and experiences from their projects. Participants came from
different parts of Uganda, representing their organizations while bringing a
different perspective and expertise.
Experts from the WE AfriHug and MenEngage teamed up to deliver the
sessions of the training seminar. WE AfriHug team experts focused on Project
Management including
an explanation about all
the phases of the project
life cycle, networking
and “getting to know
each other” activities;
online crowd-funding
campaigns and
guidance on how to
write winning proposals,
sharing some tips and tricks from their experience. Experts from MenEngage
contributed with their wide range of expertise and experience in various
fields. Mr. Francis Nfukiraani, expert in the field for the last 16 years, shared his
expertise about the Logical Frame Work Approach: Understanding the Theory
of Change, writing strategies and activities. Participants also learnt about the
procedure of registering their organization and establishing their legal entity
from Mr. Hassan Sekajoolo, a member of MenEngage. Mr. Brian Nadduli,
activist and member of MenEngage explained about how participants could
appreciate monitoring, evaluation & learning not only in the preparation
phase but also during the implementation phase of their projects.
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“It was amazing! All these things
are so applicable at my job! I
really loved every bit of this!”
Morren Winfred, Member of
ADRIVUYO, Advocacy for Rights
of Vulnerable Youth Uganda,
“This project helped us to
learn so many things, how
to manage our projects
and how to search for
funding”
Maria Nabatanzi, Youth
Worker, Uganda
“It is the second year that we
collaborate with WE AfriHug
team and enjoyed and learnt
so many things, looking
forward for next year!”
Joseph Kirk Malinga &
Douglas Kakekwa, Founders
of Vijana Kwa Afrika
Dissemination video Uganda
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Impact of WE AfriHug
Educational activities
Universities in a
nutshell
3 Erasmus+ training
seminars were
implemented in HEIs in
Uganda for a total of
620 board members,
academic staff and
students. The project
facilitated 5 partnerships
between AU and EU
HEIs, i.e.: University of West Attica in Greece with Kampala International
University and Busitema University; and University of Piraeus in Greece with
Kampala International University, Busitema University and Kyambogo
University.
Academic Mobilities of WE AfriHug
Following the three mobilities that already took
place in the framework of WE AfriHug 2018, a new
mobility is taking place for the period March – May
2019.
Joseph, a master’s student at the Department of
Tourism at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, is the first
student who will spend his exchange semester in
Greece at the University of Piraeus thanks to the
partnership that has been facilitated between the
two Universities. Joseph will spend 3 months in
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Greece, attending courses at the MBA of Tourism of the Department of
Tourism in the University of Piraeus.
WE AfriHug Buddies System
A new system was created by WE
AfriHug in order to facilitate the stay of
the students arriving in Greece, the “WE
AfriHug Buddies” System. Volunteers of
WE AfriHug welcome the students in
Greece, when they arrive for their
academic mobility. The WE AfriHug
buddies are responsible for: introducing the students to the Greek culture,
facilitating the stay of the students and assisting in their orientation around
the University.
Sotiris and Stefanos, Greek students
at the University of Piraeus and
Julien, a Congolese student at the
University of West Attica are the first
WE AfriHug buddies and have
already welcomed Joseph in
Greece.
Mobility during education constitutes, without a doubt, the most positively
transformative and impactful experience for any youth. Being outside of the
comfort zone and exposed to a multicultural and international environment is
a great opportunity for personal development and growth. The human and
social capital that is being built through the process of being abroad is being
utilized during the post-phase of the mobility, in order to bring a positive
change in the society. Experience and knowledge sharing are key for
development during the process of empowerment not only for an individual
but also for the community that the individual is active in.
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Why it matters?
✓ Higher Education Institutions, Academic Staff and Students get
informed about Erasmus+ mobility opportunities.
By getting informed about
Erasmus+ mobility opportunities,
more Higher Education Institutions
become a part of the Erasmus+
programme. The academic staff
and the students get several
benefits from their participation in
the Erasmus+. Through Erasmus+
students gain numerous skills and
improve their international competences which allow them to access the
labour market. Furthermore, their self-assessment is increased through
participation in Erasmus+ mobility programmes. Students also gain soft skills
like intercultural awareness, adaptability, problem solving, critical thinking,
team working and communication. Through Erasmus+, academic staff enrich
their knowledge, gain experience in an international level, create synergies,
and have opportunities for further academic research in an international
field. The project aimed at strengthening the links between European and
African universities by connecting the offices of international relations in
specific universities. Memoranda of Understanding are expected to be
signed and collaborations to start, so that mobility between Africa and
Europe will take place in the coming years.
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✓ Direct and Indirect impact in the Local Community
Through participation in
Erasmus+ programmes,
students and academic staff
transmit their experiences and
gained knowledge to their
local community, once back
home. By being ambassadors
of Erasmus+ they transfer the
Erasmus+ spirit in their local
community. Acting as multipliers, they raise awareness and interest for
more people to apply and take advantage of the mobility opportunities.
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CSOs in a nutshell
Why it matters?
✓ Youth workers from Civil Society Organizations get informed about
Erasmus+ Opportunities and create Capacity Building on Project
Management
By getting informed about
Erasmus+ mobility
opportunities, more CSOs will
become a part of the
Erasmus+ programme. Youth
workers and CSOs will benefit
from participation in Erasmus+
in various ways. Youth workers
will gain soft skills and improve their international competences which are
helpful to access the labour and business markets. These soft skills include:
intercultural awareness, adaptability, problem solving, critical thinking,
teamwork and effective communication. The project aims at strengthening
the links between African and European CSOs.
✓ Direct and Indirect impact in the local community
Through the participation in
Erasmus+ programmes, youth
workers and CSOs will transfer
their experience and gained
knowledge to their local
community, once back
home. Youth workers will
have an impact on the local
communities as they already
implement activities to support them. By getting empowered through the
Erasmus+ programme, they will also empower the local communities.
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Visibility on the media
Press clip
a/a Media Category Type Link Date
1 Live Media Website Press Release Link 14/02/2019
2 Erasmus Mundus
Association
Website Press Release Link 15/02/2019
3 Erasmus Mundus
Association
Website Press Release Link 19/03/2019
4 Live Media Website Press Release Link 19/03/2019
5 Facebook Erasmus
Mundus
Association
Website Post Link 23/03/2019
6 Erasmus Mundus
Association
Website Press Release Link 10/04/2019
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Awards EMA Social Impact
Konstantinos Maragkos, EMA Representative
for Greece and Coordinator of the project
WE AfriHug 2019 – East Africa was awarded
the title “EMA Social Impact” from the
Erasmus Mundus Association for the Social
impact of the work he is doing through the
project WE AfriHug 2019.
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Evaluation Results
Evaluation from students from Higher Education Institutions
A Likert-Scale, open-ended questions as well as a simple questionnaire were
distributed to the students and academic staff during the Erasmus+ training
seminars, to analyse the impact of WE AfriHug 2019 and to identify the
educational need for mobility in HEIs.
A percentage of 73,6 % of the participants stated that they have never heard about
Erasmus+ before the training.
95,4% of the participants stated that this was their first time to participate in this type of
training.
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An impressive percentage of 98,9 %, stated that they found the training useful.
96,6 % of the participants stated that the content of the training was interesting.
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An impressive percentage of 97.7% of the participants stated that the presentations during
the training were useful.
An impressive percentage of 97.7% of the participants stated that they learnt something new
during the training seminar.
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An impressive percentage of 97.7% of the participants stated that the trainers were good.
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A percentage of 92% of the participants stated that they are thinking to apply for Erasmus+.
An impressive percentage of 94,3 % of the participants stated that the organization of the
training seminar was good.
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All the participants stated that they want more editions of WE AfriHug.
Evaluation from youth workers from CSOs A Likert-Scale, open-ended questions as well as a simple questionnaire were
distributed to the youth workers during the training seminars, to analyse the
impact of WE AfriHug and to identify the need for submission of proposals for
European funds.
A percentage of 48,8 % of the participants stated that they have heard before about
Erasmus+.
69,8% of the participants stated that this was the first time participating in this type of training.
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100% of the participants found the training seminar useful.
A significant percentage of 95,3 % found the content of the traininginteresting.
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95,4% of the participants stated that the activities of the training seminar were useful for
them.
95,4% of the participants learnt something new during the training seminar.
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95,4% of the participants stated that the trainers were good.
93% of the participants stated that they are thinking to apply for Erasmus+ programme.
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97,7% of the participants found the organization of the training seminars good.
All the participants stated that they want more editions of WE AfriHug.
Sustainability of WE AfriHug project
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1. Mobilities between Africa and Europe
The mobilities between the HEIs and CSOs constitute the tangible result and
the feasible impact that WE AfriHug provides. Impact can be assessed from
the number of applications submitted, from the number of applications
accepted and from the number of the mobilities that take place from Africa
to Europe and vice versa. Progress can be monitored by keeping in touch
continuously with beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries. A mentoring
system will be created after a considerable number of beneficiaries, so that
the multiplier effect will lead to greater progress and more beneficiaries.
2. Establishment of a legal entity
WE AfriHug team members decided to establish a legal entity, the
“Youthmakers Hub” in order to continue the activities of WE AfriHug and
receive European and international grants and awards. The new legal entity
will be established in Greece and the main reason for its establishment is the
participation in European and international projects in the field of education,
youth empowerment, mobilities, culture, volunteerism, sports and
entrepreneurship. The team is determined to contribute to the 17 SDGs and to
promote EU values and opportunities not only to EU citizens but also globally.
The vision of the new organization is to make youth “be the change they
want to see in the world.” WE AfriHug will be one of the projects of the new
civil society organization and will continue its activities in Europe and Africa.
3. Development of more documentaries to showcase
the impact from the African perspective
The team is already preparing a new documentary which will take account
of people’s perspective about WE AfriHug and its impact in Africa. The
ambassadors of the project, academic staff, students and the local partners
will express their opinion about their involvement and participation and
showcase the effect of the project in their lives. This documentary aims to
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raise awareness about the activities of the project and the impact on local
communities. The documentary will be disseminated in Europe and Africa.
4. Financial sustainability
Our objective is clear, we would like to continue running the WE AfriHug
project and to accelerate the impact in more countries in Africa and Europe.
Our ultimater goal is to receive financial awards, sponsorships, grants,
European and international funds to continue implementing the project. We
aim at doing more versions of WE AfriHug (ex. WE AfriHug 2020 etc.) and to
increase the number of Erasmus+ beneficiaries. We aspire to spread this
initiative further so that it will continue changing lives and making the world
better.
