Finishing QUDRA 2 Programme's EDP and Detergent Making Training Courses
“Training of Unemployed Young Women on Soap and Sanitizer Production and Entrepreneurship Skills to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic in Koya” is the title of a joint project between Koya University (KOU) and The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the context of QUDRA 2 Programme.
The core of the programme is to train 20 unemployed young women on soap and sanitizer production including entrepreneurship-skills and the support of business star-ups in Koya University, Koya-KRI. In total for each part, 30 hrs of training should be delivered. The participants have to attend both courses. Approx. 50% of the training will be delivered theoretically and 50% practically.
Entrepreneurship Development Training Part
02. Nov. - 17. Nov. 2020
In Kurdistan Region the pressure on higher educational institutions to change is increasing. Mostly in the direction of filling the gap between academia and industry. Hence supplying the market with the skills needed and alleviate the unemployment problem are of substantial significance.
A new scheme of intervention originally proposed by Directorate of Career Services at Koya University is being put forward in the context of QUDRA 2 Programme. One of the facets that the proposal is concentrating on the introduction of the Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) via DCS at KOU inside KRI. This new but vital approach is in action at KOU since May 20th 2020 after signing a contract with GIZ. According to the articles of the contract; DCS has to arrange the recruitment process of the trainees; conduct EDP trainings; conduct technical training on liquid soap and sanitizer production, purchase raw materials and equipment for the trainees and facilitate the mentoring stage of the established cottage industries dedicated to manufacture products which ultimately contributes in the common fight against COVID19 pandemic.
02nd Nov. 2020 marked an exceptional date in 2020 academic year at KOU. A group of 20 unemployed young women from Host Community, Syrian Refugees and IDPs have joined Entrepreneurship Development Programme at the Central Library of Koya University. At the end of the training, each trainees has gained the best knowledge on the EDP and the essential elements of business plans and sustainable startups.
Detergent-Making Training Part
20. Nov. - 03. DEC. 2020
The goal for this part of the training program is to offer families a new source of income and distribute affordable liquid soap and sanitizers to communities in Koya during COVID19 pandemic. The hope is that those making soap will produce 5,000 bottles of liquid soap and 2500 bottles of sanitizers in the first batch.
In addition to the training on the Liquid Soap and Sanitizer production, and recognizing the fact that in order to make the new startups more successful and less reliant on temporary pandemics, DCS and in partnership with the Chemical Engineering Department at KOU have conducted the following trainings as well:
1. Production of different types of hard soaps
2. Production of liquid dishwashing detergents
At the end of the intensive trainings, each group of 4 trainees have collected their products for a planned exhibition by KOU.
In the next stage of this training, the director of DCS will design a portable small liquid soap-making facility and manufacture it in the local market. The idea is to provide the trainees with this equipment so that they can produce the soap at their homes while considering the hazardous nature of chemical materials. Finally, raw materials for the first batch of liquid soap and sanitizer production will be provided for each trainee.
About QUDRA 2:
QUDRA 2 is a Multi-donor Action jointly co-financed by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (EUTF Syria), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) to contribute to alleviating the impact of the Syrian and Iraqi crises on refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. The Action is jointly implemented by five European Implementing Partners: GIZ, AECID (Partner, EF (Partner), HIA (Grant beneficiary from GIZ) and ENABEL (Grant beneficiary from GIZ).