On 12th-14th of April, 2022 Efektas Group team had an honor to host in Kaunas Learning Teaching Training Activity that occurred within KA2 project ‘Empowered Women For Rural Development’. The main objective was to exchange good practices on the situation with female rural involvement in Lithuania, to acquire knowledge about:
- Importance of personal development;
- Foundations of marketing;
- Personal branding and brand-identity;
- Best practice examples exchange of partner countries.
Briefly about EW4RD project
We would like to remind you that EW4RD project aims to educate educators and equip leaders in isolated and rural areas with skills and knowledge to address low economic and development activity in those areas; to provide them with good practices in partnering countries in order to learn how to develop economic activities and sustain it with regards to ecology, finances and other resources.
The reason behind carrying out of the current initiative is being proved with some undeniable statistics that gives an overview regarding situation with rural areas in all the partner countries of the current project. Turkey as a candidate for EU membership is compared with other EU countries and its women employment rates in rural area reach up to 46% of total labor force. Another astonishing fact is in Lithuania where majority of entire population (56%, Eurostats, 2016) lives in rural areas just as similar situation is in Hungary. Bulgaria seems facing challenge of poverty in rural areas just as Spain and Italy where employment rates in countrysides are less than 60%. These facts are not a problem, but symptoms of low activity and attention on rural areas sustainable development and innovation.
Consortium of EW4RD project consist out of 6 countries:
- Efektas Group (Lithuania);
- Promimpresa SRL (Italy);
- Innetica (Spain);
- BASD (Bulgaria);
- KOZEP-DUNANTULI REGIONALIS INNOVACIOS UGYNOKSEG NONPROFIT KFT (Hungary) – Coordinator;
- Konya University (Turkey).
LTTA overview and following activities within the project
Current training gathered 23 participants from all the partner countries. There were represented staff members of organizations, women, trainers, educators, members of NGOs, students that affiliate themselves with agricultural or environmental studies. All the activities took place in Lithuania. A majority of sessions were carried out in Kaunas. However, one should mention also that participants had a visit to the NGO ‘Vikingu Kaimas’ in Sirvintos district of Lithuania where everyone could see the real pattern of women entrepreneurship, get more information about it. Participants were able to experience different educational activities that tend to take place in the village, take literally part in them, taste some traditional food of the Vikings culture.
One of the most formal activities was a meeting with public authorities of Kaišiadorys municipality. Councilors of the mayor have presented the accomplishments of the local level regarding entrepreneurship, importance of women`s role in the small-inhabited areas. Representatives of the the municipality touched upon the national discourse of Lithuanian municipalities, how they support entrepreneurs and then talked already about Kaišiadorys case. One should mention that the area is decently developing and growing over last 5 years. Local authority managed to stop the exodus of people from the district. Moreover, over last period of time the locality getting more inhabitants due to it successfully-led policies.
Current training activity took place 3 days and all the participants were supported and equipped with knowledge, key competences and tools related to the concepts of
- Rural development;
- Personal development;
- NLP importance in the brand-identity;
- Increased awareness, sense of initiative on the marketing and personal branding;
- Importance of the local initiatives in the fostering of the issue of women entrepreneurship to the higher levels;
Every single participant had a chance to come into contact with real, grounded and successful entrepreneurs, and acquire understanding and experience of their realities, struggles and successes from a practical point of view.
Important to also mention a visit of the ‘Lokali’ – local business initiative that was established in Kaunas. Current entity tend to assemble different goods and products from local producers all around the Kaunas district and sell them in one particular place. This entity is also a sort of open space where everyone is welcomed for chatting, networking, spending time with other people. ‘Lokali’ was founded by the local women entrepreneurs who were not afraid and showed their courage on the way to something amazing!
Conclusion
Current learning activity demonstrated once again on the real patterns the importance and value of women entrepreneurship. And nor less significant pillar here – fostering of young people (females, in particular) to participate more actively within entrepreneurship activities. Participants were able to observe on the real examples how the local businesses are being led by women, to talk to such type of women (regards to Kaunas Chamber of Commerce), experience various localities of Lithuania and their peculiarities.
Efektas Group was working, involved currently and will keep up with an increasing of the interest of ordinary citizens towards rural areas, fostering of youth entrepreneurship spirit and encouraging females to be more active when it comes to the running of the business in order to contribute towards capacity-building of their own and society that is surround them.
