In February, ROCA Mali successfully conducted two one-week Trainings for Trainers. Participants learned how to safely handle future-friendly natural refrigerants such as CO2, butane and propane and, more importantly, how to pass on their knowledge.
11 men and 3 women took part in the first training, while the second session had 11 men and 4 women. These workshops aimed to equip trainers with skills to handle natural refrigerants in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The project, co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, was implemented by GIZ in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and Cameroon.
Oumar Touré, the Coordinator of the ROCA project in Mali, emphasized the purpose of the training, stating, "The objective of our training today is to support training centers. We train trainers, who can then handle natural refrigerants such as CO2, butane, propane, or other natural gases, because these gases are generally flammable and safety measures are needed."
Aïssata Cisse, the Deputy National Director of Sanitation, Pollution, and Nuisance Control, highlighted the project's alignment with international frameworks such as the Montreal Protocol, stating, "This project is to allow Mali to have air conditioning to make it cold, but meanwhile respecting the new conditions, which is the protection of the environment and, in particular, the ozone layer."
Key stakeholders, including Brehima Timboliba, the Director of the Central School for Industry, Commerce, and Administration (ECICA), and Chaka Traore, the President of the Malian Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Operators (AMARC), expressed their support for the initiative.
Timboliba explained, "At the end of this training, these players will be able to handle the new refrigerants with respect for the environment because the aim is to protect the environment from pollution by these fluids, which we know were very pollutant in the past."
Traore acknowledged the contribution of GIZ, stating, "I would like to thank the GIZ for its ROCA project. We've been trained very well by GIZ."
The training sessions were also the subject of two reports on Malian television.
