Erbil, KRI (May 20, 2022) – A set of trainings are currently being conducted for the staff of the General Directorate of Education in Erbil by Rwanga Foundation. The trainings are funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with UNDP as part of the ‘Supporting the General Directorate of Education (GDoE) in implementing the General Education Sector Plan (GESP)’ project.

The project has been designed based on a thorough study and strategic plan conducted by the GDoE in partnership with UNICEF, which is called Erbil Governorate Education Sector Plan (GESP) 2019-2022.

Rwanga foundation, during the implementation of the project, aims to provide a quality and relevant education that is consistent with the province's education sector. The plan’s main strategic priority is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, in order to meet the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4).

Three sessions out of six have been held so far. The complete trainings were: Written Communication, Propsal Writing and Networking. Different topics were discussed during each training to boost the knowledge of the participants as well as many activities to increase the engagement between the staff. The three remaining trainings will be: Advocacy and Fundraising, Monitoring and Evaluation, Fundraising  and Project Management.

10 staff members from GDoE are participating in the trainings including 6 males and 4 females. Each training is five days long.

"Three of the four training weeks have passed. We have gained so much knowledge, and it is having a significant impact on the educational system's plans and on ourselves. It’s facilitating for us as the Planning Department at the Directorate of Education in Erbil to plan for the future of the schools using the information we gained from these sessions of training," stated Rezan Mohammad Amin, Director of the Planning Department at the General Directorate of Education in Erbil and one of the participants.

"This course, which focused on the Networking subject, emphasized the importance of communication and public speaking skills in obtaining support and funding for projects. We managed to teach the staff in both practical and theoretical ways about each subject. The female participation rate was high and promising in terms of gender balance "stated Mahmoud Bashqali - Leaders' Dream Company Consultant and one of the training participants.

The ‘Supporting the General Directorate of Education (GDoE) in implementing the General Education Sector Plan (GESP) project is executed by Rwanga foundation, under local civil society dialogue component of the ‘Supporting Recovery and Stability in Iraq through Local Development’ programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, and funded by the European Union.