Social Impact &
Development Projects
In addition to business-oriented programmes, we implement projects with a social and development focus.
We carry out our projects worldwide.
COGNOS International
Social Impact & Development Projects
In addition to business-oriented programmes, we implement projects with a social and development focus. Together with international partners, we work on sustainable solutions in areas such as education, healthcare and institutional capacity building. Our aim is to create long-term positive impact for societies and economies.
The following examples illustrate some of our recent projects.
Projects Africa - COGNOS International
AFRICA
Digitalisation training for female agricultural entrepreneurs in Nigeria
In the summer of 2024, we designed and implemented a hybrid training programme for 40 female agricultural entrepreneurs in Nigeria on behalf of the AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation.
The training programme intends to empower the participants by giving them key digital skills and tools for improved access to resources, information, markets and networks. The goal of the course is to teach the participants to use digital platforms effectively.
To this end, it uses a multitude of interactive methods, such as social media, mobile apps, and working in groups. These tools facilitated the exchange of ideas, promoted community and provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of market intelligence and digital transformation strategies. The training programme emphasized the practical aspects of digital transformation and provided insights into targeting customer segments and developing business intelligence.
The course was attended by 40 women from different agricultural sectors and locations, with sessions conducted virtually by a trainer while participants met in two locations: Ibadan and Lagos. Each group completed three days of intensive training, comprising theoretical content, practical applications, discussion forums, practical exercises, as well as preparatory and wrap-up materials. The latter consisted of videos and detailed step-by-step instructions to ensure profound understanding and improved learning transfer.
During the live sessions, the participants showed a very high level of commitment and participation, and feedback after completion of the programme was excellent.
Project runtime: February – July 2024
During the live sessions, the participants showed a very high level of commitment and participation, and feedback after completion of the programme was excellent.
Project runtime: February – July 2024
Projects Africa - COGNOS International
AFRICA
Ghana Hospital Administration Training
Project for improving the physical and digital infrastructure of the health system in Ghana in coordination with the African German Health Association e.V. Following a gap analysis and extensive interviews, we carried out demand-oriented training courses in the field of hospital administration.
Project runtime: November 2021 – February 2022
Projects Europe - COGNOS International
Europe
Girls‘ Empowerment
Our STEM project goes on: On 25 and 26 January 2023, a STEM Empowerment Workshop on the topic "Green Energy" took place in the Fichte-Gymnasium High School in Hagen/Germany. This workshop was based on a pilot project at the ‘Heinrich-Heine-Gymnasium’ high school in the previous year. It was such a success that the Karl Kolle Foundation decided to offer it to other schools in the framework of female empowerment projects. These are intended to counteract the fact that to this day, women are underpresented in the STEM sector and that girls are less attracted to STEM projects than boys. The Karl Kolle Foundation took over the funding of this workshop while COGNOS International was responsible for its implementation.
In this workshop, tailored to female students of year 7 to year 9, the 17 participants used science kits to deal with the subject of regenerative energies in an entertaining hands-on approach. From water and wind power to solar energy:
the girls had the opportunity to set up several experiments and test their function. For example, a moving water wheel was made to light up an LED, and a small solar vehicle powered by radiant energy rolled through the classroom. Short videos and exciting quizzes rounded off the two workshop days, which were followed by a visit to the women's project laboratory at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences. At the end of the workshop, the three top achievers received a gift of a science kit each.
After the successful event in Hagen, five other workshops followed in 2023 and eight in 2024. In total, this project gave far more than 200 female students the opportunity to gather valuable experience in the STEM sector.
The response was enthusiastic, as can be seen from the following feedback of the schools:
- https://www.mgwat.de/girls-empowerment-maedchen-fuer-technik-begeistern/
- https://ruhr-gymnasium.de/2024/06/01/mint-empowerment-workshop-zum-thema-renewable-energies/
All participating schools now have science kits of their own – since 2024, extended for the additional subject of hydrogen technology – so that they can offer the workshop to a large number of other female and male students. We thank the KARL-KOLLE foundation for this wonderful, sustainable project which is scheduled to be continued in 2025 in eight other schools.
Project runtime: Since November 2021
Projects Africa - COGNOS International
AFRICA
Senegal Hospital Administration Trainings
In cooperation with the African German Health Association e.V., we carried out a two-year project in Senegal, aimed at optimising the infrastructure of the health sector in Senegal and securing or creating permanent jobs. Our focus was on the development and execution of a hybrid training programme for Senegalese hospital administrators.
The Hospital administration trainings consisted of the following 4 modules: Leadership, Quality Management, Human Resource Management, and Didactics. In September 2021, the kick-off sessions took place in 4 different regions in Senegal. The subsequent online trainings were held on an online training platform. Here, the participants could download content for self-study as well as the presentations from the online sessions and one multiple choice test for each module.
The trainings were held by local and international experts in the field. The sessions were interactive so that each participant could ask questions and contribute his/her experiences.
After 9 months with 4 training modules, almost 1,000 kilometres on the road, 10 training sessions in 4 cities, 7 additional online sessions, and over 130 participants from more than 40 hospitals and health organisations, we are very happy with the results we achieved.
Project runtime: June 2021 till July 2023
Projects Africa- COGNOS International
Burkina Faso
Female Empowerment
Quote Female Empowerment
Despite progressive changes to the law, women are still discriminated against in Burkina Faso. It is therefore important to empower women, regardless of their social role. This is the goal of our Empowerment Project in Burkina Faso.
„I learnt a lot about decision making, coping with stress, and delegating. I also learnt to identify my weak points and my improvement potential. We were presented with many tools for decision making. I am so happy that I got the chance to participate in this session. All the participants thank you very much!"
Dolores Neya, Burkina Institute of Technology
In the context of our project, we organise weekly Female Empowerment Sessions with 70 female students of the Burkina Institute of Technology. We meet in our hybrid classroom to exchange views on a wide range of topics (e.g. work-life balance, women in leadership decision making etc.). The programme offers various formats from group work over lectures and peer-to-peer learning to presentations given by other African girls and women. We counted a number of women’s rights activists among our guests and were proud to welcome the Ambassador of Lesotho, S.E. Senator Barbara Master. The training course is a joint project with the Stern Stewart Institute.
Project runtime: May 2021 till December 2023
COGNOS International
We are at home in the following industries:
Agriculture
Pharmaceuticals
Automotive
Chemical Industry
Energy
Education
Textile
Forestry
Health services
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