Former GRÓ fellows meet in Malawi
A total of 59 fellows from Malawi have graduated from the four training programmes run by GRÓ International Centre for Capacity Development – Sustainable use of Natural Resources and Societal Change. The Embassy of Iceland in Lilongwe had the honour of hosting GRÓ alumni from Malawi last week. "It was wonderful to hear about their experiences in Iceland during the course of their programme and how it has contributed to their work in Malawi," says Inga Dóra Pétursdóttir, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland in Lilongwe. The GRÓ Centre runs four training programmes in Iceland that focus on gender equality, land restoration, geothermal energy and sustainable fisheries. All programmes have received a number of fellows from Malawi.
According to Inga, it is important for the Embassy to meet GRÓ alumni as well as to connect them to Iceland‘s development interventions and partners in the country, as Iceland has been working in Malawi for over 30 years. One former student in the Fisheries Training Programme has for example been involved in projects related to fish processing and economic empowerment of women in Mangochi District, supported by Iceland. "This cooperation is an excellent example of how different pillars of Iceland´s development cooperation intertwine with one another, with great results," says Kristjana Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Programme Director, at the Embassy of Iceland in Lilongwe.
The Embassy will continue the conversation with GRÓ alumni in Malawi to have a more formal discussion regarding possible cooperation and to connect the former fellows to Icelandic Development Cooperation projects in Malawi.
The four GRÓ programmes have for decades been one of the main pillars of Icelandic development cooperation. In line with government policy, the Icelandic development cooperation emphasizes fields where Icelandic expert knowledge can be utilized in efforts to fight poverty and to enhance the progress of the SDGs.