Year: 2021
UCM partnership with SEKEB focuses on education and workforce development
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IzMYvrSYpQ”][vc_column_text]
The University of Central Missouri is partnering with the Government of Makueni County-Kenya, a member of the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB), and Global Classroom Exchange (GCE) to enhance international workforce development and education opportunities.
The unique collaboration includes UCM, the Government of Makueni County-Kenya, the Economic Bloc and Global Classroom Exchange. The partnership officially launched at a Jan. 8, 2021, virtual signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding. MOU signers included the Governor of Makueni County, H.E. Professor Kivutha Kibwana; Dr. Phil Bridgmon, UCM provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Dr. Laurel Hogue, vice provost for UCM Extended Studies; and John Musau, founder and CEO of Global Classroom Exchange.
Through the partnership, UCM Extended Studies will work with the university’s Kenyan peers on education, entrepreneurship and workforce development. The partners are leveraging technology to foster global collaboration in resolving local challenges. These organizations are working together to develop real-world sustainable solutions for students and adults. Students from Kenya and the United States will also gain hands-on experiences in areas such as Internet of Things, virtual reality, telehealth and entrepreneurship while working on industry-recognized certifications and accelerated degree programs.
The partnership’s foundation began in 2019 with Summit Technology Academy (Lee’s Summit R-7 School District) meeting virtually with students in Kenya to become acquainted and begin planning their combined efforts. During fall 2019, Kenya Governor Kivutha Kibwana and a delegation from Kenya visited Lee’s Summit to tour the Missouri Innovation Campus and meet with officials from UCM and Summit Technology Academy.
This new partnership has benefited significantly from the involvement of Digloso Ltd, a company focusing on providing emerging populations with technological infrastructure and modular application platforms. Digloso is headquartered in Kenya.
Want to become involved?
Business, individuals and organizations have the opportunity to collaborate in the project, which is actively seeking partners to help with solutions. For more information, contact Joe Mullins at jmullins@ucmo.edu or Dr. Laurel Hogue at lhogue@ucmo.edu.
Components of the partnership
- Leveraging technology to enhance academic learning
- Developing career pathways with joint workforce programs for global markets
- Establishing UCM dual credit and concurrent programs with Makueni County-Kenya
- Providing students with opportunities to gain hands-on experiences in areas such as Internet of Things, virtual reality, telehealth and entrepreneurship while also working on industry-recognized certifications and accelerated degree programs
- Focusing on meaningful collaboration and project-based learning.
What the partners are saying
“The Makueni Innovation Centre will provide an avenue for young people within the County, the SEKEB Region and beyond to develop skills and innovations that are necessary in creating an economic ecosystem,” said said the governor of Makueni County, Hon. Professor Kivutha Kibwana. “Unemployment is a major challenge in Kenya, especially among the youth, and I believe the experience they will receive through this partnership will create employment opportunities for them.”
“Today is the result of a lot of work and collaboration, and we are really excited about the work ahead,” said Dr. Laurel Hogue, vice provost for UCM Extended Studies, during the virtual MOU signing.
“We talk about having borders, and we talk about creating opportunities and sometimes those two don’t go hand-in-hand,” said John Musau, founder and CEO of Global Classroom Exchange. “I feel this is one opportunity for us to make a difference.”
“This is an important engagement in workforce development that will provide career pathways in an area that is growing and emerging,” said Dr. Phil Bridgmon, UCM provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
About the partners
- The University of Central Missouri operates campuses in Lee’s Summit and Warrensburg, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as certificate programs, professional education courses and customized corporate curriculum. UCM and Summit Technology Academy have shared space and resources in the award-winning Missouri Innovation Campus facility since its opening in fall 2017.
- The South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc includes three counties: Kitui, Machakos and Makueni with a combined estimated population of 4.7 million. The Bloc was created to provide social and economic development for its citizens.
- Global Classroom Exchange is the CSR arm of Digloso, a company focusing on providing emerging populations with technological infrastructure and modular applications platforms. Digloso’s founder and CEO John Musau is a native of Kenya with the company’s headquarters located in Machakos, Kenya.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Makueni eyes solar energy to power its installations
Makueni County has entered into a partnership agreement with GIGAWATT Global, a developer and supplier of renewable energy installations, to install solar power generators at agreed upon facilities.
The goal of this project, governor Kivutha Kibwana says, is to provide cheap, reliable and clean energy to power public installations and later markets and villages not connected to the national power grid.
Ultimately, the collaboration will lead to development of a 40MW solar project to bridge the energy supply gap in the county.
Governor Kibwana was upbeat that this will revamp the local economy and create great opportunities especially for young people.
Some of the institutions targeted for connectivity include: Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, Makindu Grain Processing Plant, health facilities, learning institutions as well as water distributions points.
The agreement was signed by Governor Kibwana and the Chief Executive Officer GIGAWATT GLOBAL Mr. Josef Abramowitz in Nairobi on Tuesday.
SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY
This Policy seeks to provide the administrative and institutional framework for the provision of Social Protection and inclusion to all persons in Makueni County. Article 43 of the Constitution guarantees all Kenyans economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights, including rights to health, education, food, and decent livelihoods. It asserts the right “of every person…to social security” and binds the State to “provide appropriate social security to persons who are unable to support themselves and their dependants.” The County Government will endeavour to offer social protection in its totality i.e. social assistance; social security; Livelihood support and health insurance.
MAKUENI HEALTH POLICY
The policy focuses on ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare services and embraces the principles of protection of the rights and fundamental freedoms of persons of special groups in the communities such as the right to health of children, persons with disabilities, youth, and older members of the society, in accordance with the 2010 Constitution. The policy also provides direction to support successes already achieved so as to improve the performance of the Makueni Healthcare system.
MAKUENI COUNTY SGBV POLICY
This policy will create a framework for a holistic response to incidences of SGBV with the intention of minimizing its scourge within Makueni County. Upon full implementation of the policy, it is expected that it shall benefit the entire society in combating SGBV and create conducive environment free from violence for all.
MAKUENI COUNTY ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE POLICY
This County Arts, Culture and Heritage policy is timely and addresses rich areas of our cultural and natural heritage that has been handed down from time immemorial. The policy presents the rich and vast endowments of the County in its cultural and natural heritage and outlines ways in which we can harness these for the socio-economic development of our people. We are convinced that working with partners such as the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) with whom we signed a memorandum of understanding recently, we will make progress in this endeavour.
GENDER POLICY
The policy provides direction on coordinating gender mainstreaming at both departmental levels of the County Government as well as the wider Makueni County by creating a framework for stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships, gender policy prioritisation for recruitment, training, promotion, procurement opportunities, good governance and overall development.
FIREFIGHTING, EMERGENCIES AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICY
Makueni County Government seeks to prioritize Disaster Risk Management as it also pursues citizen empowerment within its borders. To this end, Makueni County Government shall employ a bottom-up approach focusing on the village level for Disaster preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation programmes. Building capacities of people living in disaster prone areas and improvement of their capabilities in order to cope with all hazards is therefore a central and critical aspiration and intention of Makueni County Government.