The SETF led by Purdue University was formed to identify student leaders from the member organizations and engage them throughout the year to develop the systems and structure for student engagement based on the needs identified by the students themselves. The student engagement task force was formed for one year to coordinate the discussions and tasks necessary to establish a student committee within CLCC. The aims of SETF are the identification of student leaders across the membership, seeking the consultation of similar student bodies, facilitating discussion, and advise on the student committee creation process. Currently, ten student members from four CLCC member organizations (BHER, InZone, Kepler, OUR) and five sites (Kakuma, Dadaab, Kuala Lumpur, Kigali, and Kiziba) have collaborated to fulfill the tasks of the SETF.
SETF in CLCC is a pipeline that is allowing for student representatives to engage, share ideas, views, and experiences on how we can contribute in the establishment of a good foundation to make access to higher education for marginalized people a reality. Also, by connecting with other sites helps us to improve our learning system. Through different meetings, conferences, trainings, and other events organized in the CLCC SETF context, it has provided us the opportunity to meet other colleagues, experts, donors, and other stakeholders. Through this opportunity, we learn from them, and share with them the realities of what we actually experience in our institutions for an effective planning and implementation of different projects for our learning advantage.
Students from other higher education contexts with similar expectations can join us in creating a strong student network through which we collectively represent our views and gain opportunities that are mutually beneficial.
Samuel Niyonkuru
