Humanitarians globally are working to respond to crisis to make this world a better place for all. While these efforts are sometimes met with difficulty, hostility or attack, especially in a conflict situation, many humanitarians remain resolute, their resolve made stronger by the challenges they face.
Sometimes difficulty comes in the form of a gap in knowledge or resources to access life-saving knowledge such as around Personal Safety and Security in conflict settings, Safeguarding, International Law, Conflict Sensitivity, Humanitarian Standards and more.
Kaya, the free digital learning platform provided by the HLA is removing this difficulty globally one humanitarian at a time. Kaya is helping humanitarians feel valued and give value to the humanitarian system starting with their local communities.
This article features our interview with Neba Ambe Azinui, a global humanitarian whose dream is a world where the lives and education of children are no longer interrupted by conflict or disasters.
Neba’s journey begins in Bamenda, located in northwestern Cameroon – an area rich in history and culture – contributing to education, healthcare and community engagement in the region.
In 2020, due to conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon when students and teachers were targeted, and schools were destroyed across these regions; Neba lost his job after over 7 years as a secondary school teacher. This conflict situation was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neba began seeking new opportunities including volunteering. This led him to volunteer at a local NGO (GRACARO) in Cameroon promoting access to education for vulnerable children affected by the conflict and the pandemic.
This marked the beginning of a very fulfilling journey for Neba. As someone new to volunteering and the development sector, Neba was highly motivated by the impact of the local NGO in his community. He soon realised there were opportunities to upskill in his knowledge and began searching for ways to achieve this.
“I felt like I had stumbled on a gold mine of knowledge resources on humanitarian and development, as I explored the different courses available on Kaya.” – Neba
Neba’s search led him to Kaya, HLA’s free digital learning platform. He says: “I started looking for specialised courses to improve my skills and capacity to work more effectively and contribute to the work of my team.”
“On the 2nd of April 2021, I completed my first two courses on Kaya: Wellness and Resilience for Frontline Workers and Managers and the IRC Personal Safety and Security Courses which were free, self-paced and very easy to follow. Since then, Kaya has been my one-stop-shop for all knowledge and skill-enhancement courses on humanitarian and development work and so far, I have completed over 28 specialised courses on Kaya with several courses still ongoing.”
Neba’s thirst for knowledge and drive to become a better humanitarian further led him to making positive impact as a Project Coordinator in a local NGO in Cameroon. There, he developed and facilitated education programmes that supported children affected by conflict and persons living with disabilities to have access to education in the conflict-affected Northwest region of Cameroon.
Kaya has been my one-stop-shop for all knowledge and skill-enhancement courses on humanitarian and development work and so far, I have completed over 28 specialised courses on Kaya with several courses still ongoing.”
Greater heights in a humanitarian’s learning and development
“Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardour and attended with diligence.” — Abigail Adams, former first lady of the United States
By 2023, Neba’s educational and academic journey had taken a significant turn leading him to apply for and get accepted to pursue a Master of Arts in Education, International Development, and Social Justice at St. Mary’s University London.
Neba says: “Courses on Kaya have been crucial in equipping me as a development and humanitarian practitioner. I sometimes tell myself that I have earned a Distance Learning Bachelor’s degree in Humanitarian and Development Studies from Kaya and the HLA.”
“These courses have been crucial in qualifying me for admission to study for my MA in Education and International Development in the United Kingdom as well as a fully funded Commonwealth Scholarship by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UKFCDO) to pursue the masters.”
Aside from pursuing professional academic knowledge, Neba is meticulously aligned to understanding as many facets of working in development as possible – bringing him full circle to Save the Children and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.
On a leisurely walk in London, Neba discovered a Save the Children charity shop and wasted no time to enquire about volunteering. Neba signed up to become a charity shop and fundraising volunteer with Save the Children UK – serving two crucial purposes – to give back to an organisation that facilitated his learning and to lean into another learning opportunity.
Looking ahead and beyond
With his career path now more clearly defined, thanks to courses and certifications gained on Kaya, Neba says: “I am well-grounded and more confident in my understanding of humanitarian work given that most of the courses on Kaya are developed and offered by leading humanitarian and development organisations like UNHCR, UNICEF, Save the Children, ICRC, OXFAM, PM4NGOs, CRS, Street Child, Plan International, World Vision, and others. I look forward to new opportunities that will allow me to continue making relevant and meaningful contributions to improving access to education for children, even in emergencies.”
“My journey on Kaya also continues. As I now advocate and encourage people to take advantage of the learning opportunities and resources freely available on Kaya.”
Learn more about the HLA
The Humanitarian Leadership Academy is a global learning initiative from Save the Children UK. We strengthen people’s skills and capabilities through our digital learning platform – Kaya and global face-to-face opportunities; working with people in the humanitarian sector and beyond to prepare for and respond to crises in their contexts. Learn more about the Humanitarian Leadership Academy – https://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/
Learn more about Kaya
Kaya is a global learning platform hosted by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy where learners will find both online and in-person learning opportunities, which are completely free to access. Reaching over 800,000 humanitarians across the world, a high concentration of learners are from countries facing access issues to training. Kaya has over 500 free courses available in up to 12 languages to help learners improve their understanding of humanitarian responses. Sign up for free kayaconnect.org
