Empowering Data Innovators to Drive Sustainable Development Across Africa
The Africa Climate and Health Data Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN) is an initiative by the Global Partnership and data.org with support from the Wellcome Fund and GIZ to enhance data capacity in climate and health and foster collaboration amongst data professionals, social impact organizations (SIOs), and governmental agencies across Africa. By leveraging data science and analytics, CAN aims to address critical climate, health, and environmental challenges, promoting sustainable development and evidence-based decision-making.
The CAN initiative encompasses several key components, including a 3-month training on data analysis, stewardship, and ethics, the CAN Fellowship, capacity-building workshops, collaborative projects, and strategic partnerships. The program is dedicated to building a robust data ecosystem that empowers communities and drives impactful solutions for sustainable development. The initiative's primary objective is to build data capacity by strengthening the skills and capabilities of data professionals, enabling them to tackle pressing climate, environment, and health challenges.
The CAN training
The training is designed to provide the learners with a comprehensive and practical introduction to data science, covering data collection, analysis, visualization, machine learning, and ethics. The training is delivered through live sessions, recorded lectures, assignments, quizzes, and case studies. The learners are also mentored by experienced data scientists and instructors from our training provider. The training includes diverse learners from various government agencies (ministries, departments, and statistical offices), academia, the private sector, and civil society.
The CAN Fellowship
The CAN Fellowship is a transformative program that empowers African data professionals to leverage their skills in addressing some of the continent's most pressing challenges. By fostering innovation, collaboration, and capacity building, we are creating a network of change-makers who can drive sustainable development and improve lives through data-driven solutions.
Linet Kwamboka, Senior Programs Manager, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
The CAN Fellowship is central to the CAN program, providing data professionals with hands-on experience in tackling real-world challenges. Fellows collaborate with host institutions and mentors on projects to share their data skills, encourage innovative solutions, and build a network of data professionals committed to sustainable development. The fellowship includes practical project work, media training, and opportunities for fellows to present their work at local, regional, and international events.
Click here to meet Cohort 1 and learn more about the amazing work they are doing.
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Capacity building workshops
The CAN capacity-building workshops are designed to improve the skills of data practitioners and stakeholders. The workshops focus on developing skills in advanced data analytics, climate and health data applications, and effective communication strategies. The workshops provide technical training, promote best practices, and support ongoing learning among participants.
Collaborations and strategic partnerships
CAN facilitates collaborative projects bringing together data professionals, social impact organizations, and government agencies to address climate and health challenges. These projects promote interdisciplinary collaboration, develop scalable solutions, and demonstrate the impact of data-driven approaches. CAN aims to create synergy that drives advancements in sustainable development through strategic partnerships with academic institutions, NGOs, and private sector organizations. These partnerships strengthen the data ecosystem and amplify impact, contributing to the program's success.
The big picture
The CAN program aims to make significant strides in building data capacity and fostering innovation across Africa. These include the development of predictive models for climate resilience, the creation of data-driven health intervention strategies, leveraging the GEO-LDN toolbox to fight land degradation in Africa, and the successful implementation of collaborative projects with local and regional partners. Additionally, the program will empower a new generation of data professionals by showcasing the transformative power of data in addressing climate, environmental, and health challenges.
Get Involved
Support the CAN program and contribute to developing data-driven solutions for sustainable development in Africa. Whether you are a data practitioner, organization, or donor, your involvement can make a significant impact. Reach out to amwagiru@data4sdgs.org and lkwamboka@data4sdgs.org to learn how you could be a part of this initiative. Sign up for our newsletter for updates about the initiative.
