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Learning Beyond the Workshop Room: Malawi Hosts the Skill Up! Annual Review Workshop
There Is Hope (TIH), in partnership with Welthungerhilfe (WHH), successfully hosted the 2026 Skill Up! Annual Review Workshop in Malawi, bringing together Skill Up! project heads and coordinators from Malawi, India, Kenya, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan and Uganda for a week of reflection, learning and knowledge exchange.
Taking the learning to the field
The week of learning was complemented by field visits, providing participants with an opportunity to connect programme discussions with the realities of implementation.
One of the highlights was a visit to the TIH Training Centre in Dzaleka, where the international team had an opportunity to see the work being undertaken through Skill Up! and engage with the local team and training environment.
The delegation also visited Skill Up! graduates within Dzaleka Refugee Camp and in Mponela. These engagements provided an opportunity to hear directly from graduates about their experiences, progress and how the skills gained through the programme are contributing to their livelihood journeys.
For the visiting teams, these interactions provided a practical dimension to the discussions taking place during the workshop. The experiences of trainees and graduates offered an opportunity to connect programme learning with the people and communities at the centre of Skill Up!
Learning across contexts
Throughout the workshop, participants reflected on successes, challenges and lessons from Skill Up! implementation across different contexts. The exchange of experiences allowed teams to consider approaches that could be adapted, strengthened or applied in other settings.
The field visits complemented this process by providing a space to observe, listen and learn directly from programme participants and graduates.
Together, the workshop sessions and field engagements reinforced an important principle: learning is most valuable when it informs action.
For TIH, hosting the annual review was also an opportunity to welcome colleagues from across the Skill Up! network, showcase work taking place in Malawi and contribute local experience to a wider programme learning process.
As the workshop concluded, participants carried forward new insights, shared experiences and ideas for the future.
The week was ultimately about more than reviewing a programme. It was about learning from one another, strengthening what works and finding better ways to ensure Skill Up! remains relevant to the young people it serves.
TIH is grateful to Welthungerhilfe, the international Skill Up! team and all participating colleagues for making the Malawi Annual Review Workshop a valuable week of learning, connection and collaboration.
From different countries and contexts, one shared goal: stronger learning, better programming and greater opportunities for young people.