End of the first term of the Online Executive Training
The Ban Ki-moon Centre launched a new Online Executive Training aiming to foster Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation in cooperation with the CARE Climate and Resilience Academy and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, supported by the Global Center on Adaptation.
Thirty outstanding young women from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe with diverse professional backgrounds were selected to embark on a unique learning journey together. During 20 weeks of training, the trainees strengthen their leadership skills, broaden their professional networks, and elevate their knowledge on gender-sensitive climate adaptation.
After a challenging and enriching nine weeks, the first term of the training came to an end. Before kicking off the second and final term, our trainees took some time to reflect on their experience being part of this journey.
We are delighted to share with you the reflections of Patience Sibanda, a 28-year-old Zimbabwean student and researcher in the field of climate-smart agriculture and resilience building at University of Fort Hare, South Africa.
Guest Blog by Patience Sibanda
Flawless, seamless, exceptional, informative, are the words that describe my experience as a trainee in the Online Executive Training. I gained priceless knowledge on climate crisis management, the nexus of gender, climate vulnerability, adaptation, resilience and advocacy and the pivotal role young women play in bringing attention to climate policy architecture.
Over and above, the structure and organization of the training is unique and didactic for two key reasons. Firstly, through the use of CLANED, a learning tool, I am able to study and visit any training material at my convenience, given that I come from a developing country, where the cost of the internet is exorbitant.
Secondly, the weekly live sessions’ by facilitators make the experience even more engaging through their ability to break down complex concepts that can be understood by beginners, such as the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (CVCA) tool. As an aficionado of climate adaptation and resilience, I studied the CVCA tool and the climate adaptation checklist with curiosity. I can safely say that I am ready to adopt the tool in my academic writing and community adaptation actions that I will pioneer.
Another interesting aspect of Term 1 was the career coaching module by Hesed Consulting CEO Vumile Msweli, which was life-changing for me. The key takeaways from this session were the 4Bs in career building: Bona (see), Buza (ask), uBuntu (humanness), Bhadalwa (get paid).
I learned a lot from other experienced professionals such as Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust CEO Angelique Pouponneau, University of Pretoria Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, African Development Bank Group Senior Regional Climate Change and Green Growth Expert for Central Africa Monique Motty and CIAT Senior Scientist & Global Leader Policies and Institutions Dr. Caroline Mwongera. The training is not just about having continuous lectures, but testing your knowledge and comprehension through assignments and quizzes.
I am overly grateful to the organizers’ continued support and BKMC Program Officer Viola Christian and her team. Thank you for making this training worthwhile. Looking forward to Term 2.
