UB Champions Indigenous Knowledge and Collaboration to Empower Marginalised Communities
University of Botswana (UB), Centre for Continuing Education (CCE), Acting Director Research, Mr Bolobilwe Olebile, has said the Pan-African Indigenous Evaluation Consortium Education Workshop was a clear reflection of UB's dedication to establishing new partnerships that foster innovative approaches in teaching, research and knowledge sharing.
Mr Olebile was speaking at the Pan- African Indigenous Evaluation Consortium workshop themed, “Co- Creating African – Rooted Evaluation Approaches” held in Gaborone on the 17th of September 2024. The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to collaboratively develop and refine frameworks, tools and protocols designed to address power imbalances and amplify the voices of marginalised communities. The aim was to further promote strategic alignment, enhance capacity building as well as integrate indigenous knowledge into evaluation practices to drive impactful change across various sectors.
Mr Olebile noted that the workshop sought to address current evaluation frameworks that often lacked cultural connectivity and responsiveness to meet community needs. He said the workshop was in line with the African Union (AU) Agenda to develop evaluation framework practices that would ensure government accountability, citizen ownership and equitable
distribution of developmental benefits. Mr Olebile encouraged the participants to work collaboratively to adapt and co-create African rooted evaluation frameworks that would address power asymmetries and elevate the voices of the marginalised.
MasterCard Foundation Director of Impact and Evaluation, Mr Sajilu Kamwendo, said the vision of the foundation was to create opportunities for all to learn and prosper. Mr Kamwendo stated that the foundation’s goal was to establish and operate programmes and services that supported children and youth in accessing education, mastering technology as well as developing the skills required to thrive in a diverse and global workforce. He also emphasised that the foundation valued co-creation to achieve the best outcomes to ensure a results-oriented approach.