UnityFusion

UnityFusion project aims to enhance capacity building between Visegrad countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland) and Western Africa (Mali, Cabo Verde, Ghana), focusing on leadership development, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship. It combines local and international engagement, empowering communities through relevant educational tools. Case studies and problem-based learning techniques are utilised at the global event in Hungary, while a networking conference is held in Slovakia. The project runs from 1 June  2025 to 31 March 2026, combining online tools, in-person events, and local actions to create real social impact across two continents.

UnityFusion is designed as a collaborative platform where educational institutions and civil society organisations from V4 and Western African countries work together to address shared challenges. The project integrates formal and non-formal educational tools, with a strong emphasis on real-world application through problem-based and case-based learning methods.

A key feature of the initiative is its emphasis on co-creation: African and European trainers jointly develop and deliver content, ensuring regional relevance and mutual engagement. The project also supports the implementation of locally tailored initiatives in each partner country, allowing communities to benefit directly from the skills and ideas developed during the international activities. In addition to the practical training, UnityFusion encourages dialogue and cooperation on policy level, contributing to long-term partnerships and structured knowledge exchange.

 

Objectives

• Establish meaningful cooperation between V4 and Western African countries.

• Enhance hard and soft skills through formal and non-formal education.

• Promote mutual knowledge exchange — not top-down training.

• Support leadership development, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.

• Implement practical, community-based local impact initiatives.

 

The partnership

The project brings together seven partner organisations from Europe and Africa:

• 🇭🇺 Institute for Cultural Relations Policy (Hungary) – Coordinator

• 🇨🇻 SIDS Youth AIS Hub (Cabo Verde)

• 🇲🇱 Institute of Cultural and Political Relations (Mali)

• 🇬🇭 Organisation for Strategic Development in Africa (Ghana)

• 🇨🇿 European Youth Centre Břeclav (Czech Republic)

• 🇵🇱 Senfineco Association (Poland)

• 🇸🇰 International and Cultural Relations SLOVAKOM (Slovakia)

Each partner is selected based on strong expertise in youth empowerment, civic education, or grassroots development, and all play equal roles in design, implementation, and dissemination.

 

Who benefits?

UnityFusion targets a wide range of participants:

• 21 representatives from the 7 partner organisations

• 140 participants involved in local impact initiatives

• 7 internal expert trainers (both V4 and African)

• 140 educators, policymakers, and institutional actors

Participants are selected based on motivation, leadership potential, and ability to drive change in their communities.

 

Main activities

1. Case-Based Learning Summit

🗓️ 20–25 September 2025
📍 Fonyod, Hungary

A 6-day intensive event where V4 and African representatives work in mixed teams to solve real-world challenges. African trainers lead sessions on community leadership and entrepreneurship, while V4 experts guide policy advocacy work. Outputs include:

• Prototypes of local initiatives

• Policy recommendations

• Strengthened networks

2. International Networking Conference

🗓️ 25–30 September 2025
📍 Senica, Slovakia

A high-level strategic event that builds on the summit’s outcomes. It includes:

• Thematic panel discussions and roundtables

• Showcasing and refining local initiatives

• Planning joint future projects and partnerships

• Publication of a final brochure with key insights

3. Local Impact Initiatives

🗓️ October 2025 – February 2026
📍 In all 7 partner countries

Each partner launches a local action tailored to their community’s needs. At least 140 people are engaged through workshops, mentorships, campaigns, and pilot projects. These initiatives turn training into action.

 

The experts

Key trainers and facilitators:

• Tetiana Kalko (Hungary) – Civic trainer and project developer

• Andras Lorincz (Hungary) – Project portfolio manager

• Tetiana Nikora (Hungary) – Project manager, facilitator

• Karolina Pyzik (Poland) – Psychologist and NFE trainer

• Antonio Palazuelos Prieto (Cabo Verde) – Youth training and development specialist

• Badra Aliou Doumbia (Mali) – Project manager, facilitator

• Manfred Tawiah (Ghana) – International business and social impact trainer

• Lea Komanderová (Slovakia) – Facilitator and youth project manager

• Jana Parolková (Czechia) – Professional trainer in intercultural collaboration

 

Dissemination and legacy

UnityFusion places strong emphasis on ensuring that its results are shared widely and contribute to future development work. All partners engage in multi-level dissemination using their institutional channels, websites, and social media platforms. In Africa, local media, universities, and community organisations will play a central role in communicating the project’s outcomes, helping reach rural and underserved populations.

A professionally designed final brochure will capture best practices, methodologies, and policy recommendations emerging from the project. This publication will be available in both digital and print formats and distributed at the international networking conference in Slovakia and beyond. A storytelling campaign featuring testimonials and success stories will further personalize the project’s impact and reach a broader audience.

Each partner will also organise local knowledge-sharing events, gathering civil society actors, policymakers, educators, and youth leaders to discuss findings and build on the project’s outcomes. By offering its methods and results as open-source resources, UnityFusion encourages replication and adaptation by other organisations working in similar contexts.

 

Expected results

UnityFusion is designed to deliver a broad spectrum of results that are both strategic and community-oriented. The project will foster stronger Africa–V4 knowledge exchange, where African and European experts collaboratively develop and deliver content. This two-way engagement enriches the learning process and ensures relevance in both regions.

Participants will gain enhanced leadership and entrepreneurial competencies, with the ability to tackle societal challenges using innovative tools and collaborative approaches. These skills will be directly applied in the implementation of seven local impact initiatives, one in each partner country. These initiatives will be designed during the project’s international events and executed locally, ensuring that knowledge transfer results in measurable community benefits.

In the longer term, UnityFusion aims to support the sustainable integration of project outcomes into the strategies of educational institutions, civil society organisations, and public agencies. The establishment of a cross-continental professional network will further extend the project’s legacy, enabling future collaboration and the development of new joint initiatives. By promoting institutional learning and building a solid foundation for Africa–V4 cooperation, UnityFusion ensures that its impact will endure well beyond the project’s formal timeline.

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UnityFusion is supported by the International Visegrad Fund (IVF), a regional grant-making institution founded by the governments of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The Fund promotes international cooperation and supports projects that strengthen regional ties and encourage knowledge sharing between the Visegrad countries and other parts of the world. Through its support, IVF enables initiatives like UnityFusion to connect communities, build skills, and foster meaningful collaboration across continents.