‘Now I have a job I love.’ Ragaa, Syrian business owner in Istanbul Get to know Ragaa and other businesspeople: Turkey has taken in more Syrian refugees than any other country in the world – over 3.6 million in total. The Promotion of Economic Prospects for Refugees and the Host Community in Turkey (PEP) programme is striving to create better prospects and new opportunities for all.

REPORT Digital chalk for all Strengthening schools in Lebanon p. 18 OVERVIE W Spreading knowledge Focus on education initiatives p. 22 ESSAY Learning for the future By Megan Lindow p. 24 INFOGR APHIC Light and shade Knowledge about knowledge p. 30 INTERVIE W ‘Children are eager to return to school’ With Alice Albright p. 32 BACKGROUND Learning from the pandemic By Michael Holländer p. 36 E X AMPLES OF GIZ’S WORK A key element of recovery Projects that facilitate learning p. 37 IN FOCUS: EDUCATION Showcased Good education for all is the foundation for sustainable development and inclusive societies. It gives societies the opportunity of a more peaceful future. L A I R O T I D E 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 NE WS What’s happening in the world News, facts and figures and GIZ’s most recent activities p. 6 REPORT Green is the colour of hope Investigating the area around the La Tigra Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica p. 10 . ) T F E L , 4 P ( H C S Z T N E R N A I L U J : N O I T A R T S U L L I , ) P O T , 4 P ( N O I S I V L A T I G I . D / S E G A M I Y T T E G : O T O H P 4 akzente 2/21

IN FIGURES 89 million This is the number of people able to use improved health services thanks to GIZ in 2020. The German Govern- ment’s Emergency COVID-19 Support Programme played a major part in this. About 165 million people, for instance, obtained better health insurance. 12 million In addition, 12 million people bene- fited from better schooling in 2020. 680,000 attended a professional up- skilling course. Over the last year, GIZ has expanded online learning services, in particular. 3 million Electricity savings of three million megawatt hours were also made. That is enough to power around one million German households. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, GIZ’s services reached a lot of people, achieved results, and thus helped realise the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. GIZ regularly evaluates the results of its projects across the company, and across project and national boundaries. The above figures are taken from the 2020 survey. Source: www.giz.de/en/mediacenter/96851.html News Spices for gourmets CAMBODIA Pepper from Kampot Province is highly sought after worldwide because of its characteristic aroma. Working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Develop- ment (BMZ), the Business Scouts for Development programme is helping producers of the gourmet spice gain better access to European markets in close cooperation with the Import Promotion Desk, a German import promotion scheme. Pro- ducers are becoming familiar with the requirements of the European market and are forging valuable contacts with importers. 6 akzente 2/21

News Thinking outside the box ECUADOR Some people seek unusual solu- tions to problems, have new ideas, or just have a completely different perspective. Their creative approaches set them apart from the mainstream. But how can we find these problem-solvers and learn from them? Big data offers a way – by analysing huge volumes of data, we can save time and mon- ey in identifying people who achieve new milestones by taking a very different ap- proach, also known as positive deviance. And they do so using the same resources that are available to everyone else. One example is deforestation, which is a massive problem in Ecuador. Every year, hundreds of hectares of rainforest are lost, almost always for graz- ing land. Everything that can be done to re- duce this loss is a step in the right direction. Since 2020, GIZ has been working with the United Nations Development Programme, the University of Manchester, the UNDP Accelerator Labs and the GIZ Data Lab to prevent forest loss. They use big data to find cattle breeders who are farming successfully on the fringes of the rainforest, causing less deforestation than others in the process. In- terviews on the ground supplement the anal- ysis of digital data and satellite imagery. The data from Ecuador are currently being evalu- ated. The data-powered positive deviance ap- proach is also being used in Mexico, Niger and Somalia to identify visionaries and pio- neers and to learn from them. The method helps harness ideas that have emerged locally and been adapted, rather than importing solutions from elsewhere. www.blog-datalab.com Down the river IN COMPARISON Rivers are one of the main sources of the plastic waste found in our oceans. By far the largest percentage of plastic waste carried by rivers to the world’s oceans comes from Asian countries. The River Pasig in the Philippines is the top polluter. AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC 0.1% EUROPE 2.0% NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA 4.5% SOUTH AMERICA 5.5% AFRICA 8.2% ASIA 79.7% p u n a e l C n a e c O e h T / a t s i t a t S : e c r u o S Valuable Water JORDAN A growing population, immigra- tion and rising temperatures caused by climate change are some of the reasons why Jordan’s water needs are rising. Even now, the country is using ground water three times as quickly as it can be replenished. It is anticipated that by 2040, Jordan will only be able to meet one third of its drinking water require- ments from conventional sources. One possible solution is the desalination of seawater and brackish water. There are already several small-scale desalination plants, and there are plans for further large-scale and medium-scale plants. On behalf of BMZ, GIZ is helping Jordan to use desalination schemes more effec- tively. Currently, two different authorities are responsible, and staffing levels and capacities are still inadequate. Now the roles of the two institutions need to be clarified, and they need support so they can perform the tasks entrusted to them in the future. GIZ is providing support for the planning of desalination plants and is advising operators on how to manage them. This is GIZ’s first bilateral project in the field of desalination. 8 akzente 2/21

GREEN IS THE COLOUR OF HOPE An excursion to the area surrounding the La Tigra Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica illustrates how many people are working together in the interests of nature conservation – the private sector is also doing its bit for the green recovery. TEXT SANDRA WEISS PHOTOS SANDRA WEISS AND GIZ

Report A Although the nature trail behind José Miguel Herrera’s house is less than 50 metres long, you can easily spend several hours here in the middle of Costa Rica’s tropical rainforest. The flowers bloom in the most vivid hues and Herrera has fascinating stories to tell about the bees he keeps, while he goes from hive to hive and gives visitors a taste of his honey direct from the honeycomb. Costa Rica is home to more than 700 different bee species. Some of them are no bigger than a pinhead, while others are almost as large as one of the hummingbirds with which they share the flowers in Herrera’s garden. ‘Many of them are endangered,’ explains the 31-year-old while the bees swarm in and out constantly. But you can bare- ly hear them. Most bees in Costa Rica are quiet and placid – and have no sting. The honey that Herrera sells tastes fruity or slightly bitter, depending on the season. For a long time his venture was overshadowed by im- ported honey, but now his honey is becoming more and more pop- ular among tourists and locals, he tells us. ‘I sold a lot of honey and natural remedies like pollen and propolis during the pandemic, both at the farm itself and online.’ Until a few years ago Herrera, from Valle Azul, still worked as a waiter. Now he has his own small business called Euglossin – named after a bee species – with his own logo, sales stand and Facebook page. He launched his company under a GIZ pilot project. Conser- vation and sustainable economic promotion go hand in hand. Costa Rica is considered a shining light internationally when it comes to conservation and eco-tourism. So far, however, most ven- tures have come from state initiatives. The country aims to become carbon neutral this year. Conservation regions account for one quarter of its surface area. But this is also a financial burden for the state. And the COVID-19 pandemic was a harsh setback for the country since tourism is its main source of foreign exchange. The budget deficit is growing; Costa Rica’s foreign debt now totals around USD 30 billion. That is one reason why the government wants to involve the private sector more in conservation. 12 akzente 2/21 No fear of bees: At José Miguel Herrera’s beehives, visitors get to taste the honey straight from the honeycomb. Most bee species in Costa Rica have no sting. The beekeeper has created a nature trail in the tropical rainforest where visitors can learn about these incredibly useful insects. Herrera and his small enterprise are helping preserve biodiversity in his home country. The project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Every tree counts. Adolfo Quesada plants a tree with a tourist. Maricel Vargas is also there. She is replanting the rainforest around her small guest house, providing a habitat for birds like the collared aracari.

IN FOCUS EDUCATION Education is the cornerstone of sustainable development and inclusive societies and creates opportunities for a more peaceful future. So now, more than ever, it is important to fight for a good education for all.

In focus: Education Nawras Al Fayad (top) and his sister Masira (left, wearing a headscarf) enjoy learning with the digital platform Tabshoura. The development team was led by Nayla Zreik Fahed at the NGO Lebanese Alternative Learning. 18 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education plosion tore through the port area of Beirut. The blast killed 200 people and injured thousands. Faced with charges of negli- gence, the Lebanese Government resigned, and a transitional government is now lead- ing the country through the pandemic. ‘The situation in 2020 was so desperate at so many levels that things just ground to a halt in the public sector, especially in state schools,’ explains GIZ project manager Ismael Nouns. Learning platform more popular than ever One solution that has emerged to help tackle this educational crisis is Tabshoura. Tabshoura is the Arabic word for chalk. This open-source digital platform was de- veloped by a 60-plus-strong team from LAL and the illustrators’ collective Waraq, which means paper in English. Demand for the platform rocketed. ‘Before the coro- navirus, the platform had around 8,000 us- ers. That figure has now risen to 40,000. We’ve never had so many visits,’ says Nayla Zreik Fahed, LAL’s Chief Executive Of- ficer. Fourteen-year-old Lama is just one of these enthusiastic users. ‘I’m not worried any more. If we stick to the online learning programme, we can find out everything we need to know,’ she says. The platform is at- tractively designed and provides interactive tasks to make the learning process more ex- citing. It encourages younger children and teenagers to work independently. The pro- gramme, which is now officially recognised and recommended by the Lebanese Minis- try of Education, promotes learning through play and fun, combining curricu- lar and extracurricular content. This means that Tabshoura can be adapted to every child’s own level, making it ideal for use alongside face-to-face teaching and other online courses. Ensuring that girls receive an education, too For Loreen Obeid, that flexibility is par- ticularly valuable. Loreen teaches technol- ogy at the Malaak Centre in the northern Lebanese city of Akkar, which is close to the border with Syria and now hosts many of Syria’s refugees. The Malaak Centre also provides lessons outside school for Syrian children between the ages of four and eighteen. Many of the children live in refu- gee camps where there may not be an inter- net connection. Here, in one of the poorest parts of the country, many families cannot afford a computer and often share a single device with others. The lack of computer equipment and unfamiliarity with the on- line world are not the only obstacles. ‘The children want to learn, but their parents can’t help them. This makes it particularly hard for the younger ones because they need support.’ There are also fears that the pandemic could make things worse for older pupils. ‘Some parents don’t encourage their chil- dren to learn or go to school, so the Centre has a lot of work to do in terms of persuad- ing people,’ says Loreen Obeid. ‘That ap- plies to girls above all. Often, they leave school at the age of fourteen, sometimes to get married.’ The Centre has equipped all With Tabshoura installed on her tablet, 14-year-old Lama Al Zein can work though all the course material she needs in preparation for her final exams. She has found it particularly helpful during lockdown, especially for maths. 20 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education Spreading knowledge Education is the key to a fulfilling life. A host of small and larger initiatives have been set up alongside the public education system to ensure that everyone benefits. Their mission is to provide help where it is most needed – often using very creative methods. We would like to present some of those initiatives here. Boosting prospects for women in rural areas BAREFOOT COLLEGE What opportunities are available to women in rural areas? In many countries around the world, they are pretty much at the bottom of the ladder in terms of education. Yet it is vital they have access to further general and technical education so that their families, villages and societies can devel- op. The courses provided by Barefoot College are designed specifically for this target group. The College was originally set up in India but now works across the globe with the goal of enabling poor women to acquire the knowledge they need in order to improve their social position. Many have learned how to install basic solar panels, thus earning themselves the affectionate title of ‘solar ma- mas’. Energy is still a scarce resource, particularly in some rural areas. They al- so learn about clean water and new business models. The College’s motto is ‘Learning by doing. Doing by learning’. Barefoot has now established further ed- ucation programmes in 93 of the world’s poorest countries and has already equipped two million girls and women in rural areas with the knowledge and skills they need to help drive change. — Supporting and integrating deaf children DEAF LINK Deaf people in Uganda face widespread prejudice and are often socially marginalised. Most are unable to attend school and gain qualifications. As a result, they have little control over their future and cannot lead a productive adult life. The NGO Deaf Link Uganda (DLU) was set up in 2007 to try and improve their situation. Its aim is to ensure that deaf children of all ages have access to training programmes so that they have the same opportunities as others and can live a fulfilling life. The programme includes school materi- als developed specifically for deaf children, funding to help them attend school and regular advice and sup- port. Support is also available to the children’s fami- lies, for example to help them learn sign language. DLU is working to meet the needs of those who previously faced discrimination – and to give them hope of a bet- ter life. — . ) 2 2 P ( E G E L L O C T O O F E R A B : O T O H P 22 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education 24 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education high-tech economy. In the 1970s, just 10 per cent of South Korea’s population en- tered higher education, compared to 87 per cent of young South Koreans today. Mean- while, Viet Nam has a shorter track record but has followed a similar trajectory to achieve impressive growth in higher educa- tion in the past 20 years. Even before COVID-19, however, global progress on education targets was stalling. For example, some 97 million chil- dren across sub-Saharan Africa were already out of school, their absence a symptom of wider pressures on families and communi- ties resulting from climate change, conflict, natural disaster, illness, gender inequality and household poverty. One in four chil- dren lives in a region impacted by crisis. In the years up to 2019, more than 2,000 schools across west and central Africa were closed as a result of conflict and insecurity, affecting around two million children and 44,000 teachers. And many other young people around the world missed school as a result of disease and food insecurity caused by the effects of climate change. The pandemic will have only height- ened such vulnerabilities, undoing years of hard-won progress. Loss of livelihoods in poor families, for example, is expected to put pressure on millions of children to enter the workforce or, especially in the case of girls, get married instead of returning to the classroom. Studies of previous crises that disrupted schooling, such as Sierra Leone’s Ebola outbreak in 2014, show that girls are more likely than boys to stay out of school permanently once their education has been interrupted. They also face higher risks of gender violence and early pregnancy. In COVID-19 times, priority must be given to helping girls return to schools once they reopen. Girls’ education has been called ‘the smartest investment in the world’. Evidence shows it to be one of the single most powerful interventions to break cycles of poverty, improve health and development outcomes, foster female leadership, combat climate change and create positive ripple ef- fects in society for generations to come. An educated woman is more than twice as likely to send her own children to school, and UNESCO has found that if all girls were to ‘According to UNESCO, for every US dollar spent on educa- tion, between 10 and 15 USD are generated in economic growth.’ ties are targeting the barriers that prevent the most vulnerable from accessing educa- tion while also weaving new thinking and innovations into curricula to make learning more attuned and responsive to 21st centu- ry challenges. The smartest investment in the world The aim of UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 is to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’ For good rea- son, education is enshrined as a human right and a cornerstone of development, and underpins other SDGs including pov- erty, health, gender equality, decent work, innovation, inequality and peace. According to UNESCO, for every US dollar spent on education, between 10 and 15 USD are generated in economic growth. In wealthy and poor families alike, edu- cation is seen as the gateway to a better fu- ture. Solid investment at the secondary and tertiary education levels, meanwhile, under- pins economic success stories in countries like South Korea and Viet Nam. South Ko- rea, for example, rapidly expanded its higher and vocational education systems in con- junction with policies to build a skilled workforce and create a sophisticated and 26 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education ‘Insights gained from the COVID-19 crisis could lead to improvements in education overall.’ world’s youngest and fastest-growing popu- lation. And as the continent’s population is set almost to double to two billion by 2050, sub-Saharan Africa will soon be home to the world’s largest concentration of young peo- ple. This will create unprecedented new de- mands on capacity in institutions that are already bursting at the seams. Enrolment in secondary schools, for example, is expected to double by 2030 – and already, there is space for only one third of those wishing to enrol. By one estimate, some 90 per cent of children in low-income countries lack basic secondary-level skills as opposed to 30 per cent of children in high-income countries. The scarcity of space in schools is one reason for such weak outcomes, but the figures also illustrate the need to improve the quality of curricula and teaching. With some 75 per cent of the workforce currently considered to be in ‘vulnerable’ employment, Africa urgently needs to up- skill its young people to succeed in employ- ment or entrepreneurship and to make the most of its demographic boom. It cannot do this simply by replicating existing learn- ing methods. Rapid innovation is needed, as are fresh new ways to help young people develop the full depth and breadth of the practical, technical, critical thinking, crea- tive, social and emo- tional skills demanded by the job market. Educate! is a Ugan- dan NGO working direct- ly in secondary schools helping 470,000 young people in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to develop these skills and business acumen. When COVID-19 struck, the organisation had to piv- ot rapidly from face- to-face interaction to distance learning. As it introduced new teaching methods using ra- dio broadcasts, conference calls and text messaging, the organisa- tion also carefully gathered and analysed feedback from learners about the impact these measures were having, which helped it fine-tune its efforts as it went along. According to Hawah Nabbuye and Sa- rah Kayondo, of the Educate! management committee, the process showed that, while such supplementary distance learning can- not replace face-to-face quality teaching, it can – if sensitively and appropriately de- signed – provide resilient and flexible ways of helping young people (especially those who are marginalised) to keep up their learning momentum under challenging cir- cumstances. Such new innovations and insights arising from responses to the COVID-19 crisis could be harnessed to provide lasting resources to help improve education as a whole. In general, better learning out- comes can be achieved by focusing on a few basics – the quality of teaching and an 28 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education Light and shade In the years before COVID-19, the global community made great strides in education. Some of that progress is now at risk. We take a closer look. More children are going to school Worldwide, there is now a greater appreciation of the importance of education. In 1950, half of the global population had no formal education at all. In 1980, 30 per cent had still never been in a classroom. By 2017, it was just nine per cent of children of primary school age that had never attended school. Sources: OECD, UNESCO More and more young people are studying Around the world, the proportion of young adults attending technical colleges, universities or vocational schools rose from 19 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2017. The share of young women in tertiary education exceeded that of young men by four percentage points. Source: UNESCO The number of school leavers is rising In 2018, about 72 per cent of young people globally completed lower secondary education, while 48 per cent finished higher secondary schooling. Prior to COVID-19, it was expected that by 2030, an average of 81 per cent of the world’s youth would complete middle school and 58 per cent would graduate from higher secondary school. Source: UNESCO

ALICE ALBRIGHT The American has been Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partner- ship for Education since 2013. Previously, she served in the Obama Administration as Chief Operating Officer of the Export- Import Bank of the United States.

In focus: Education ‘In the long run, investing in education supports the development of peaceful and inclusive societies.’ ners. Only by working together can we achieve the objectives set out in SDG 4. What steps need to be taken as quickly as possible in order to get back on track? Governments need to ensure that the link to education and schooling remains intact. While schools are closed, children still need to be able to learn, and they should feel mo- tivated to return to school once they reopen. To help countries respond to the education needs brought about by COVID-19, the Global Partnership for Education provided more than half a billion USD in grants to 66 partner countries. Funds have been used to provide children with remote alternatives such as radio, television and paper-based learning materials, and to train teachers on new learning methodologies and equip schools to reopen safely. Everybody is talking about building back better after the pandemic. What role should education play in this? As countries develop and implement their COVID-19 recovery and response plans, education must stay at the top of the list. By reopening schools, countries can get back on track and provide children with a much-needed sense of normality. Investing in education helps lift communities out of poverty and protects the most vulnerable children from being left behind. Every child should have the opportunity to learn, and education is the single best investment we can make for a more sustainable, peaceful and resilient future. What could be done in this context to make education systems more resilient, al- so regarding future shocks? To bounce back from COVID-19, govern- ments must ensure education systems remain a political and financial priority. Domestic education budgets need to be protected as governments manage limited resources resulting from the economic consequences of the pandemic. It also involves ensuring schools integrate distance learning options 34 akzente 2/21

In focus: Education Learning from the pandemic Using the crisis in education as an opportunity to rethink and modernise – that is the order of the day, and GIZ’s aim. By MICHAEL HOLLÄNDER T he widespread school closures due to COVID-19 have clearly left their mark: lost learning, a lack of social contact and no school meals are just some of the consequences. The impacts will also be lasting, because many children, es- pecially girls, will not return to school at all, even when they reopen fully one day. Young people are missing out on school- leaving qualifications and therefore oppor- tunities for the future, missed lessons are causing psychological and physical stress; and children at home are not being adequately protected. There are many factors that could result in a ‘lost generation’ unless action is taken and changes are made on a large scale. And yet many improvements in education had been made in recent years: school enrolment rates in developing countries rose from an average of 83 per cent in 2000 to 91 per cent in 2015, for instance. Thanks to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community then broad- ened expectations around education. Today, alongside access to education, the goal en- compasses ‘inclusive and equitable quality education’ and ‘lifelong learning opportuni- ties for all’. Measures taken following the adoption of the SDGs had begun to have an impact, too, with further progress made along the entire education chain in many countries. However, for at least a year now, the world (of education) has been changing dramatically. Some teaching has moved on- line, but not all children and adolescents have benefited equally. According to figures released by the United Nations (UN), digi- tal learning remained a pipe dream for at least 500 million children. To ensure that the crisis does not de- velop in the way currently feared, education must become an integral component of sus- But the technology has to be right. Hand out tablets at all costs without first having assessed the situation makes little sense, for example because there might be a shortage of electricity or lack of digital skills. Finally, it is important to strengthen the relationship between the private sector and those respon- sible for education, and to lay the founda- tion for cooperation based on trust. During the pandemic, it has primarily been tech companies and textbook publishers that have taken up the cause of distance learning. These connections should be maintained and expanded. GIZ will pursue its activities in this spirit and will continue working to tackle the education crisis. Even before the closure of schools due to COVID-19, we were in- volved mainly in strengthening education systems, in basic education and in vocation- al and higher education. For instance, in Tu- nisia, where we are promoting inter-compa- ny training activities with the private sector. Or in Malawi, where we are supporting the school system as a whole, for example through new curriculums, learning materi- als, teacher training and school meals. There is also the ‘Fit for School’ programme, which we are implementing in various Asian countries. This is about introducing hygiene standards in schools – standards that were already important before the pandemic, but which have gained new significance because of COVID-19. For us, there is no question that educa- tion should be an essential component of any recovery programme. If this is achieved in as many countries as possible, then the coronavirus crisis could provide the perfect opportunity to drive forward a long overdue modernisation of education systems and truly catapult them into the 21st century – and we must not miss this opportunity. — . ) 6 3 P ( H C S Z T N E R N A I L U J : N O I T A R T S U L L I MICHAEL HOLLÄNDER is the Director of GIZ’s Education Competence Centre. michael.hollaender@giz.de tainable recovery. From GIZ’s perspective, five things in particular are crucial. The fo- cus should remain on state schools: making them resilient and crisis-proof is a major task for the post-COVID-19 era, because private schools, which promote themselves strongly in developing countries, often only reach the privileged. Education must be broad-based and it should accommodate children of all ages, as is called for in the Declaration of Human Rights. That is why GIZ is committed to strong public school systems, supporting them not only with ad- visory services and training, but also through targeted investment in school buildings and contemporary teaching and learning materials. Hygiene measures in schools are anoth- er important factor, without which reopen- ing schools will always be a risk – not only in a pandemic. Well-qualified teachers are also crucial and are at the heart of all educational efforts. Empowering them and equipping them with the necessary tools to provide high-quality, increasingly digital teaching is another goal of GIZ in its advisory work. 36 akzente 2/21

YMER BERISHA The director of the Bylmeti dairy company in Kosovo can be proud of what he has achieved in life. Thanks to good training, plenty of energy and some helpful support when times were hard, he has built a prospering business. FROM HOMEMADE YOGHURT TO DAIRY DIRECTOR Ymer Berisha does not believe in giving up. Over the past 20 years he has overcome many obstacles to build one of Kosovo’s most successful milk-processing companies. He received support along the way, including from Germany. TEXT DAFINA HALILI PHOTOS ARBËRI KRASNIQI

Perspectives CUSTODIANS OF NATURAL TREASURES Algeria is rich in biological diversity. The coastal regions in the north are home to many rare delights. Rural women there show how sustainable management in protected areas can work, while strengthening their role in society. TEXT CLAUDIA ALTMANN PHOTOS GIZ

Perspectives ‘We learned how to protect nature, harvest crops sustainably and market the products.’ AMEL BENDJMIL (47), Chair of the Fleur de l’Edough (flower of the Edough Massif ) cooperative in north-eastern Algeria ‘I used to just stay at home all the time, taking care of my family and the household. Nobody was interested in us rural women. Life was very limited. When I saw women going to work, I started to ask myself why I couldn’t do that as well. Eventually, the project presented me with a unique opportunity. The people from GIZ came to our community, explained what it was all about and asked whether I would like to join in. With their help we learned how to protect nature, grow and harvest crops sustainably, run a cooperative and market the products. We sim- ply weren’t aware of the fantastic resources out there in our forests. Now we make essential oils out of wild pistachios, rosemary, laurel and eucalyptus. We produce aromatic waters, soaps and skin creams. Our income makes us financially independent and we don’t have to ask our husbands for money all the time. This gives us a completely different social status. In the early days people would talk, asking why my hus- band let me be out of the house all day and travel to other places. However, he and my family began to trust me more and more and actually encouraged me to do this work. In the end, we even had trips to trade fairs in Tunisia and Germany. Now I’m responsible for the house, my work and the women in the cooperative. I have to be there for them and motivate them, as well as dealing with marketing. We want our prod- ucts to be the best, and sell them in this country and abroad. Yes, we do have dreams. If a woman has help and support, she can do good things for herself and others. If you see women that way, you feel that you have a goal in life.’ — 44 akzente 2/21

Perspectives ‘Cooperatives are the driver of Algeria’s agri- culture sector.’ DJAMEL CHAÏB (40), owner of the Algerian company Biosource, which distributes plant-based oils, essential oils and hydrolates (aromatic waters) in Algeria and abroad ‘The zeal of the rural women inspired me – and the thought that I could do something for the development of these neglected, impoverished regions. That motivated me tremendously to be a link in this chain. I strongly believe that cooperatives are the driver of the agriculture sector. That’s why I supported the cooperatives with my expertise and technical equipment, for example a distiller. I also entered into a fair trade agreement with them, the very first of its kind in Algeria. Cooperating with them in this way is very advantageous for me economically. I’m well aware of the high value of their products and am willing to pay a suitably high price for that high quality. Another reason why I thought the project a good idea from the outset was that it has a certain underlying ethical spirit. That’s something that was always my aim: ethics at work. I feel very strongly about preserving anything that is rare and endemic, and giving it the value it deserves. The women harvest what they need with care and a lot of love. They know they are touching the soul of the plants. This is why I present their products for sale as the most exclusive in my entire range and enclose a brief outline of their story. This type of “storytelling” increases their worth even more, and above all speaks to those among my customers who value an ethically sound product. And, not to forget, I’m doing my bit to help improve living standards for these women.’ — 46 akzente 2/21

Info EDITOR’S Digital Picks Strong voices for education CAMPAIGN The Global Campaign for Education promotes and defends education as a basic human right. It runs large-scale campaigns to address pressing inadequacies and presents profiles of individuals and their education story in its blog. Its goal is free, high-quality, public education for everyone around the world. — campaignforeducation.org Global knowledge Female power PODCAST In TopClass, authors and researchers from the OECD deliver insights on education practices worldwide. Each episode focuses on a specific issue that is shaping the education landscape, such as mental health, artificial intelligence or consequences of the pandemic. — soundcloud.com/oecdtopclasspodcast DOSSIER Girls’ education is essential for sustainable development, including as a means of curbing child marriage. In 2017, more than 41,000 girls under the age of 18 got married every day. Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry so early as those children with little or no education. — www.worldbank.org/en/topic/girlseducation Let’s talk! Looking to the future FORUM Education is a controversial matter. on_education is an online journal that aims to stimulate public and academic debate on the theory and practice of education and to break up ‘echo chambers’. Each issue addresses a topic of current interest and includes a minimum of five short essays or opinion pieces by guest contributors. — OUTLOOK What will education look like in 20 years from now? Will we continue fine-tuning today’s concepts or break away completely from the system of schooling as we know it? And what role will technology play? Four scenarios show possible alternatives and help to develop agile and responsive systems. — www.oneducation.net weforum.org (search for: future of education) 48 akzente 2/21

Introducing 7:42 PM GIZ is always looking for experts for its projects. Why not visit our ‘Jobs and careers’ page: www.giz.de/careers. Today, 4:53 pm like you see in the pirate films. From: Janina Marie Laurent › To: all akzente readers An exceptional journey in exceptional times Iakwe from the Marshall Islands! That’s how you greet people here, 13,000 kilometres from Germany. Getting to my workplace was a real adventure. I travelled part of the way – from Hawaii to Majuro, the capital of the country – on a cargo sailing ship. During the pandemic, this was the only option; all flights to the island nation had been cancelled. The sailing ship was built in Bremen in 1952 and had been used as a ferry between Hawaii and Kiribati before now being deployed in the Marshall Islands. A proper two-master, The advantage of this traditional means of transport is that its greenhouse gas emissions are minimal. For the Marshall Islands, a state spread across more than 1,000 islands, it is an ideal way of getting around – for goods and for people. My job is to support the government in developing solutions for low-emission shipping. This country has the third-largest shipping register in the world. As in other regions of the globe, a cargo sailing ship can be a useful alternative to ships powered by The government is very interested in climate-friendly solutions because the land lies no more than two metres above sea level. Shoreline reinforcement has already had to be put in place to prevent damage from heavy rainfall, rising sea levels and ever more frequent flooding. GIZ is also supporting Marshall Islands’ presence at the International Maritime Organization. The country already has a reputation there as being a strong advocate for climate action. In addition, we are training canoe build- ers so that they can pass on their knowledge as trainers. They are carrying on the age-old tradition of canoe building while at the same time offering an excellent alter- native to motorised boats used for fishing and transportation between the islands. The only drawback of this location that I can think of is the lack of fresh fruit. Fruit doesn’t grow on the atoll – it has to be imported. The staple food is fish, which is cooked in very tasty ways. I’m really enjoying my work and living on the Marshall internal combustion engines. Islands. Best regards, Janina Marie Laurent 50 akzente 2/21

Education [ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ(ə)n] is a human right and the key to individual and social development. It enables people to develop their personalities and lead a fulfilled life. Education strengthens democracy and promotes tolerance and a cosmopolitan outlook. It is also a condition for sustainability. To develop its full potential, education must be inclusive, equitable and high quality. Source: UNESCO As a service provider with worldwide operations in the fields of inter- national cooperation for sustainable development and international education, GIZ works with its partners to develop effective solutions that offer people better prospects and sustainably improve their living conditions. GIZ is a public-benefit federal enterprise and supports the German Government and a host of public and private sector clients in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.