SAAM held a public session during the first international meeting in Nairobi where the Spanish Ambassador in Kenya was invited as well as the European Union and African Union representatives
On Friday 4th of June, the last official day of the international meeting in Nairobi, the SAAM partners celebrated a public session where the main institutions related to the project participated. Being an EU funded pilot, the project staff always takes the point of view of the institutions into consideration. It was an event held after the working sessions concluded and it was dedicated to let the representatives talk about the basis of SAAM and its impact on VET international mobility.
The Spanish Ambassador in Kenya was one of the formal guests due to the fact that SAAM was written in Spain and it is coordinated and promoted by two Spanish entities. Mr. Javier García de Viedma Bernaldo de Quirós shared with those present that Spain had bet for Africa and that this was very much connected to the European Union policies: “The idea of what Africa needs has changed. Sometimes we can be patronizing and arrogant. It is not time for patronizing it is time for partnership”.
In the same vein, Mr. Hubert Perr, Head of Development Cooperation and Acting Ambassador of the EU delegation to Kenya, said: “These are days of cooperation. We moved from aids into partnership. And this is what SAAM is about”. The EU representative also focused on the importance of the youth, digitalisation and the green transition.
“Education connects head, heart and hands”
Regarding the African Union, Mr. Nicholas Ouma, Senior Youth Advisor, Human Resources, Science & Technology Department of the AU, was invited. He expressed that it was imperative for those who are in charge to collaborate for a better future for young people: “It is our hope that through the mobilities partnerships participants learn from each other”.
Fr. Patrick Anthonyraj Alexander, representing CNOS-FAP (Italy), ended the session by stating that “education connects head, heart and hands”.
Claire Challande from SEPR (France) and Father Chris from JOBITECH (Nigeria), both SAAM partners, were also invited to talk and share their thoughts on the experience in Nairobi. This encounter leads to the next phase of the project and, as Claire and Father Chris explained, it will be remembered as the official coming together of the partners.
The public session was the perfect ending for the working week and the meeting concluded with the symbolic act of planting a tree. The SAAM seeds have already been planted and now it is time to see the project grow.
