Finnish Edtech start-up and EU-SWITCH-Asia project launch a mobile course on sustainable consumption targeting 500,000 consumers in Vietnam
Mobile learning can impact sustainable development globally
Finnish Edtech start-up Funzi co-launched a free mobile course for half a million learners in Vietnam. The course aims to raise awareness of how the consumption of sustainable products can have a major impact globally and locally. Funzi and the partners of Eco-Fair "Promotion of supply and demand of Eco-Fair Agri-food processing products in Vietnam” -project published the course on November 24th, 2020. It is accessible to anyone with an internet-connected device and is expected to reach 500,000 consumers in Vietnam. It is by far one of the most impactful development aid projects with a Finnish organization as a solution provider.
Joining local and global efforts
The SWITCH-Asia Eco-Fair project is funded by the European Union and it is executed in partnership with local organizations. Funzi’s mobile courses are a critical part of the project. The project has two main targets. The first is to raise consumer awareness. The second is to engage MSMEs to learn about sustainable practices in food production while cutting production costs. All Eco-Fair courses are free for consumers and MSMEs.
Today’s food production is unsustainable and it's burdening our planet. Agriculture and food production create 26 % of the world's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The world is forced to reconsider how food is produced. Rapid changes are needed in consumer’s daily behavior for the planet to cope with the growing population.
The Funzi mobile course for consumers gives practical advice on how consumers can recognize sustainably produced products and what kind of daily activities can decrease, for example, the consumption of plastic. The mobile courses are an easy-to-scale and cost-efficient way to share information and raise knowledge. They provide useful and practical knowledge for both, consumers and MSMEs.
“Funzi’s contribution will help training, education and scaling the initiative with highly modern education tools”, Kari Kahiluoto, Ambassador of Finland in Vietnam, points out.
Mobile learning for a sustainable future
Funzi uses robust mobile technology to make courses accessible anywhere and anytime. The courses are made easy to learn and have an immediate impact on people’s lives. The unique Funzi mobile pedagogy is an innovative and scientifically-proven method to learn. To help learners to digest information, courses include learning in bite-sized portions as well as quizzes and final exams. The courses are not tied to deadlines and allow users to learn at their own pace.
The first course for MSMEs started in October 2020 and has already 200 organizations participating in Vietnam. The target is to get 1000 Vietnamese MSMEs to join the programme. The most motivated MSMEs will receive hands-on support and training from the partners of the Eco-Fair project. The opportunities include financing and practical business advice.
Funzi has formerly participated in building sustainable solutions. Funzi and East-West Seed launched a mobile course in Nigeria to create awareness and provide knowledge for farmers about sustainable agriculture. The course has had 5,000 users with a completion rate of 95% and it was free for participants. Funzi is actively engaged in creating solutions towards a sustainable world.
Funzilife Ltd.
Funzilife develops and operates a global mobile learning service funzi.mobi. Funzi was founded in 2014 in Espoo, Finland. We partner with global industry leaders including Pearson and Facebook. With joint efforts, we can deliver high-quality learning for billions of people. Our mission is to bring learning to 90% of the global population by using the power of mobile.
What is Funzi.mobi?
Funzi.mobi is a learning service with a focus on soft skills that are important for future success. Funzi is designed mobile-first. Courses on Funzi.mobi focus on personal development, career building, and sustainable development. Funzi courses have 4 to 9 times better completion rates than the industry average and more than 95 percent of our user feedback is positive.
Questions and additional information about Funzi
Juha Ruskola [email protected] +358408363198
More information about the project
The Eco-Fair project is led by Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI). It’s executed in partnership with the Center for Creativity and Sustainability (CCS) and Vietnam Cleaner Production Center Co.Ltd (VNCPC).
More information about SWITCH-Asia programme
The overall objective of the EU funded SWITCH-Asia programme is to promote sustainable and inclusive growth, contribute to the economic prosperity and poverty reduction in Asia and Central Asia and to a transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy. Launched in 2007, the programme has achieved more than a decade of progress on SCP in 24 countries in the region. This has been possible through the joint efforts of the three SWITCH-Asia components:
• The Regional Policy Advocacy Component (RPAC) – implemented by UN Environment.
• The Sustainable Consumption and Production Facility – implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and adelphi.
• The SWITCH-Asia Grants Programme – directly managed by the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission.
Learn more at: www.switch-asia.eu