Tag: Scholarship
From NELGA Scholarship to a GIZ Advisor – Anthony’s Success Story
Working with GIZ allows me to give back to the organisation by using the skills and techniques I learned through the GIZ-assisted scholarship programme – Anthony Sarfo
One of the best things that happened to me in 2018 after finishing my undergraduate studies in Human Settlement Planning was being a part of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) In-country programme under the Strengthening Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) through the Network of Excellence in Land Governance in Africa (NELGA). The scholarship enabled me to research the contextualization of sustainable land use planning with incorporated geospatial technology tenets as input and precursor for land governance in small and intermediate urban areas.
This cumulated in a master’s degree and a position at The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
The NELGA Programme is adaptable and provides opportunities for professional and academic growth. A series of training and networking events were held to improve co-learning and scholar capacity in research approaches and methodologies, data collection, and science communication. I also attended a summer school at the Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main Training programme on the theme of Environmental and remote sensing data analyses via geospatial technologies in research and teaching. This enhanced my capacity in geospatial technologies, academic communication, support and guidance, and higher education didactics. I was able to enrol in two additional courses: digital image acquisition and processing at the geomatic department and spatial documentation of land rights at the land economy department at KNUST.
With the skills acquired, my initial publication during the scholarship programme was on corruption in the land governance in Ghana, titled “Towards Elimination of Corruption in the Land Sector: Incorporation of Geospatial Technologies in Land Governance at the Local Level” published in the African Journal on Land Policy and Geospatial Sciences. The paper advances a course for the incorporation of technology in land management as an indispensable endeavour to eliminate the bottlenecks and contribute to the fight against corruption in the land sector. Read More Here. Two other publications from my M.Phil. studies on the conceptualization of sustainable land use planning for land governance and the assessment of unsustainable spatial development of two intermediate towns through earth observation are in press. Further skills attained enabled me to undertake consultancy works on land use planning and adjunct lecturing roles at a prestigious university in Ghana.
I seek to contribute to methodologies for effective planning practices in Ghana in the purview of sustainability, earth observation, land governance, climate change, and gender. Presently, I am with the GIZ on the Resilient Against Climate Change (REACH) Project as a Technical Advisor (GIS and Remote Sensing). The project, being implemented in the Northern part of Ghana, works towards promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and increasing agricultural outcomes in rural communities of the Joint Programme Area (JPA). Additionally, envisage a point where planning at the community level is enhanced through participatory Community Action Plans (CAPS) and Community Land Use Plans (CLUP) in at least 200 communities in the JPA. I deem this an opportunity to use the skills and techniques acquired during my studies with GIZ assisted scholarship programme.
Fatima-Ezzarah’s Success Story – NELGA Alumni
It was the ultimate opportunity to discuss Africa’s challenges and how to address them – Fatima-Ezzarah Mohtich, NELGA Scholarship holder at IAV
I loved school as a child, and school loved me back. School allowed me to express myself, learn, make mistakes, succeed, and choose my path to excellence. I was receptive to discovering new things and very inquisitive. My parents regarded me favourably. Even though they only had a primary education and limited resources, my parents were willing to do anything to provide a better education for their three children. My grandparents gave me special treatment because I was their favourite granddaughter. My teachers encouraged me to pursue my goals, and I earned my baccalaureate degree with an honours in mathematical sciences, which led me to pursue engineering at the prestigious Hassan II Institute of Agronomy & Veterinary Medicine Rabat-Morocco.
When I enrolled in the preparatory year for agricultural studies at the institute, I lived away from my family for the first time and took my first steps towards independence. I wanted to demonstrate to those around me that a woman can perform miracles if given a chance. I qualified in the top thirty, securing my spot in the institute’s well ranked programme of study in geomatic sciences and surveying engineering. My education was multidisciplinary, combining legal, technical, and innovative aspects without excluding communication and management skills. Concurrently with my studies, I managed the training and cultural activities of the Moroccan association of surveying students. It was an opportunity to leave my comfort zone and take the initiative by developing solutions for the community through multiple projects related to real estate, precision agriculture and mobility.
The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa, funded by the German Development Cooperation, awarded me a scholarship of excellence to finance my senior thesis through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Thanks to the scholarship, I completed my final study project, which was especially helpful during the COVID-19 outbreak. Throughout this period, I acquired the necessary materials for the project, made frequent trips to the study site, took part in different seminars and met my daily housing and food needs. NELGA connected me to a global community that amplified my voice and ensured I count and matter. The Excellence in Africa (EXAF) pole of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne selected the project as the best master’s project dedicated to Digital technology for the urban environment in Africa. It was the best opportunity to discuss Africa’s challenges and how to address them, view my work through a diverse and global lens, network with professionals, and seek opportunities.
Today, I am a shareholder and manager of a surveying company in Tiflet – Morocco and a part-time PhD student at Hassan II Institute of Agronomy & Veterinary Medicine Rabat-Morocco. Through both career pathways, I support and mentor other young women. I show them that with courage and determination, the sky is the limit.
Call for applications for research fellowships under the “Network of Excellence for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA)” during the COVID-19 crisis.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has forced the world into action. The measures taken to contain the virus have impacted the whole of society, including the education sector, with research becoming more important than ever. To help investigating how COVID-19 and related measures potentially affect housing, land, and property rights in African countries, and to deliver high-quality research on the COVID 19 implications for land governance institutions and systems in the long-term, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers support for special research fellowships under the “Network of Excellence for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA)” in the form of desk studies.
Applications for the NELGA research fellowships may be submitted throughout the year. For this specialized call we invite you to apply before the 15th of June 2020. The fellowship will be awarded for August 2020.
Download Application proceedures in English or French for more details.
Call for applications for research fellowships under the “Network of Excellence for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA)†during the COVID-19 crisis.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has forced the world into action. The measures taken to contain the virus have impacted the whole of society, including the education sector, with research becoming more important than ever. To help investigating how COVID-19 and related measures potentially affect housing, land, and property rights in African countries, and to deliver high-quality research on the COVID 19 implications for land governance institutions and systems in the long-term, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers support for special research fellowships under the “Network of Excellence for Land Governance in Africa (NELGA)” in the form of desk studies.
Applications for the NELGA research fellowships may be submitted throughout the year. For this specialized call we invite you to apply before the 15th of June 2020. The fellowship will be awarded for August 2020.
Download Application proceedures in English or French for more details.