Staff Mobility: Europe – Africa
The staff of the Ikaslan center has visited their peer countries to discover the African centers, learn about their school programs and to start planning with them the African staff mobility and the student mobility. Sergio Fidalgo, International Projects Coordinator, talks here about their experience.
How did you prepare for the mobility? Have you already participated in any other SAAM mobility before?
We were in constant contact with those responsible for the programme in Cameroon, so we were able to agree on the work programme thoroughly.
Yes, we have taken part in a mobility to Sudan as well. The process prior to the trip was the same: we contacted the school that will host us and they detailed their curricula, school specialities and work schedule.
What was your main objective? What did you want to learn at the center you visited? Did you achieve it?
Our main objectives have been:
- To be with the scholarship holders to help them prepare for their trip to Europe.
- To be with the families of these young people in order to resolve any doubts or concerns they may have regarding their children’s stay in Europe.
- To get to know the capacities and needs of African schools in order to be able to adapt the training that will be given in Spain to African young people and teachers.
In Sudan, we were able to carry out the plan as it was only one school with which we collaborated, we were with family members, students and teaching staff. In Cameroon, as visas were repeatedly denied, the work with students could not be completed.
Define briefly the experience and the activities you carried out
In Cameroon we were accompanied by the association taking part in the project, we visited schools in the capital and north of the country. We had contact with the reality of their training, we met with the teaching staff of each school and we agreed on the work to be carried out in Spain by both the scholarship students and the teachers. We agreed not only on the didactic part but also on the complementary part, such as the promotion of self-employment.
In Sudan, the activities took place in one school. We spent, according to a planned programme, hours with each department of the school, sharing with teachers and students.
Did you find any obstacles (such as the language barrier)?
Language was no barrier as we were able to make ourselves understood because we organised the groups in such a way that there was always someone who could help us with translations. The biggest problem was getting visas.
How everything you have learned will help you with your work in the project?
The visits to the countries of the different partners have been important in order to understand their realities. We are now able to prepare the work programmes for the stays of the different groups in Spain, both students and teachers.
The possibility of having visited our partners has changed all the people around me.
In a more personal way, what has the experience of discovering your partner center meant for you?
The possibility of visit our partners has given us a glimpse of other realities. You really appreciate the work that is done.
What would you highlight about the mobility?
The possibility of having visited our partners has changed all the people around me. In general we are getting more involved in the project as we see that there is much more behind it than just a didactic project.
