About SABAA

Support and coaching for projects and individuals in the field of education, culture, sustainability, and creative industries. Product generation for education / training that recognizes and meets the needs of people and companies as well as local organizations and institutions lies at the heart of SABAA`s undertakings and efforts.

Focussing on the creative industries, the creative economy as well as social entrepreneurship and media, music, arts.

A sensible system of micro-skills will provide effective, flexible, and relevant solutions. Those micro-courses will be thought and offered online combined with blended learning-situations.

Besides creating and producing educational content, SABAA.education focusses on networking and the productive connection of relevant actors in Germany, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

For more on building blocks of on-demand training and the connection to the ideas of an Education for the 21st Century, please see under „On Education: Some Background“.

Question: First of all – why?

Answer: Well, I think that WE, MANKIND, at the very moment are taking a further big and decisive step into an unknown and different terrain. This new world we are already in, is signified by a process of acceleration, WE have not experienced before. Digitization, Globalization as well as Climate Change are metaphors to describe that huge transformation taking place right now. The Covid-19-Pandemic, that now hits, frightens, changes and moves all of us on this planet, forces the society and each and every one of us into new operational modes. And WE need to manage that somehow. I think that we are obliged to look for good tools and results – so that all members of MANKIND have a fair chance to reach a good life here on this only planet we have.

Q: And Education?

A: Education is a very valid and resourceful path, a powerful tool, a good means to that end. Yet it has to be education for the 21t Century. Education has to leave at least some of its traditional ways and structures behind. The roads to education will and have to be manifold. Informal learning and knowledge and skills gathering will be more important - many of us do have knowledge beyond the statement of whatever kind of standardized and regulated proof. Here, a great potential is hidden to react in a flexible way, to open up chances and act less bureaucratic, to mainly foster self efficacy and self-responsibility.

Q: Really? Why?

A: Because the challenges ahead are different from yesterday’s. All involved – instructors, industry, governments, students, parents, … – need to think, to cooperate and give each other feedback on what is really needed and helpful. The old structures (seen form a German perspective) of primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education are worn out. Lifelong learning, blending online and offline learning as Blended Learning, looking for skills rather than solely theoretical knowledge, and lots of other issues are changing education along with the needs and wants of all its diverse stakeholders. Plus, there are the chances, digitization offers, applying it to education – and the shortcomings of it. This means Education for the 21st Century: a profound response to the changes and challenges ahead. Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, Cultural Awareness (or the local and trans-cultural), and Critical Thinking plus Acting accordingly (thus turning knowledge into a competency or skill) are key factors in this approach.

Q: And SABAA?

A: Well. SABAA, I hope, can play a role as a provider of ideas, concepts, and solutions or products on the forefront of education; especially in close contact with the creative industries It can act as a moderator and an applicant bringing together money and ideas and people. It can produce and challenge.

Q: So, why Sub-Saharan Africa?

A: Well. Because relevant education is needed very direly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because good education can change a lot. Because the intelligent and hardworking people deserve a fair chance. Because reciprocity means a balance of give and take. So Germany, Europe, in return will gain; MANKIND can gain.

Q: Is that all?

A: No – Sub-Saharan Africa is a fascinating place to me and it seems to be a terroir of the future. It sometimes feels, that Europe is a terrain of a certain past. And all the people living in Sub-Sahara Africa – with all those diverse and different cultures existing on this magnificent continent – are to be reckoned with. „Africa“ is one of the spots where the future is happening. As the cradle of MANKIND, it stands for the start-up of human culture and I am looking forward to its further contributions, big and small.

Q: No personal connection?

A: Oh yes - when I was an exchange student, 21 years old, at a university in Illinois, USA, I lived in International House. There you shared a room with two other males, and these were a small chap from Ghana and a big guy from Nigeria. We had a good time for one year and I learned a lot about these countries, Africa, and intercultural issues. Another good friend of mine at theatre and later was South-African, and again I learned a lot from this kind man. So my interest was kept alive by encounters with fine people. And the music. I encountered some African music when I was 16 years, and from that time on I loved it. The sounds, the rhythms, the polyphonic voices. From Nigerian High-Life music to Sudanese wedding music to the Super Rail Band of the Buffet Hotel del la Gare de Bamako, Mali, to Hugh Masekela or Dollar Brand, to Le Zagazougou or Baaba Maal and electronic dance music from Africa: I love it.

Q: I understand that SABAA is not about donations?

A: Yes and no. SABAA, being a non-profit organization, will take donations .And no: donations with out strategy, plan, and working at eye-level plus reciprocity don´t solve anything. Sustainability (meaning durability, efficiency, and watching out for circular economy solution and zero-waste to me) is an important factor. Too many non-sustainable projects just end when the easy flow and intake of money dries up. SABAA is a non-profit company, acquiring and making money to then distribute these means to relevant causes. Pure donations I believe, only lead to shame and dependance. For both involved: the taker and the giver. Social Business solutions are on SABAA`s mind, they are a better way to solve problems. Those who profit from SABAA`s offers should – right sway, or in their time when they profit – give back. That is the deal and contract. I see it like an inter-generational and inter-continental contract: if you profit, give back. That applies to both sides.

Beyond supporting all 17 agenda goals of the United Nations SABAA strives to strongly work on #4: Quality Education, #5: Gender Equality, #10: Reduced Inequalities - all these related to each other and all these to be moved towards a positive outcome for those affected. Education for Sustainable Development for the good of planet earth and its inhabitants rests in SABAA`s mind and moves its soul.

SABAA would like to point out some resources in the field of learning / training / ideas in general / inspiration, which for us seem to be relevant and nourishing:

• Read along and think ahead - interesting, relevant insights curated by our partner Manager ohne Grenzen: https://managerohnegrenzen.de/mitlesen-und-weiterdenken/
• P21 – Partnership for 21st Century Learning: http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework
• OECD has scanned ideas and methods on 21st century learning. Here is their white paper: http://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=EDU/WKP(2018)2&docLanguage=En
• UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning: http://uil.unesco.org/
• Competencies for the Future: http://curriculumredesign.org/our-work/four-dimensional-21st-century-education-learning-competencies-future-2030/
• re:publica Berlin (the most inspiring festival for the digital society) 2018 in Ghana: https://re-publica.com/en/session/republica-goes-africa
• Early learning at scale: http://www.eidu.com/
• Genesis Institute for Social Innovation and Impact Strategies, a think tank promoting change: http://www.genisis-institute.org/
• Yunus Social Business, ideas and incentives how to change things bit by bit: http://www.yunussb.com/
• Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO program): https://www.bne-portal.de/en/education-sustainable-development-germany
• Center for Curriculum Redesign: https://curriculumredesign.org/
• Speeches by Horst Köhler, former German Federal President, https://www.horstkoehler.de/en/speeches-texts/) - some in English, some in German:

More stuff, that we think is good to know in the context of SABAA, you find in SABAA´s Facebook account: