Latest / The Refrigeration Mentor Podcast / Episode 211. Refrigeration Awareness: Promoting Change in Africa and Around the World with Madi Sakande

Transcript

Episode 211. Refrigeration Awareness: Promoting Change in Africa and Around the World with Madi Sakande · The Refrigeration Mentor Podcast

• 0:00
  Trevor: Welcome to the refrigeration mentor podcast. I'm your host, Trevor Matthews. And I want to thank you once again, for taking the time to come and listen each week learn a little bit, grow a little bit, always have amazing and fascinating guests. My next guest I met actually at the 2024 AHR with one of my good friends, Steve Gill, who's the founder of Whirl Refrigeration.
• 0:01
  And we had a good conversation during lunch, kind of learning a little bit about The what's going on in Africa, refrigeration there, how he's helping develop and train with lots of trainers from around the world to really uplift the refrigeration industry, Maddy Sikandi. And I've been seeing a more and more in LinkedIn, his passion for refrigeration.
• 0:02
  And I really want to get them on here to talk about his journey, what he sees refrigeration on the other side of the world to me, and really get a conversation going with them. Maddy, welcome to the refrigeration mentor podcast. How are you doing?
• 0:03
  Madi: Nice to see you again. Thank you.
• 0:04
  Trevor: That's super great to see you.
• 0:05
  And I really want to learn more about what is going on in your world of refrigeration. You're very passionate about refrigeration. You're helping train thousands and thousands of refrigeration professionals around Africa and different parts of the world. I'd love to dive into a little bit what's going on in your world.
• 0:06
  Yeah, what's going on?
• 0:07
  Madi: We have a lot of, a lot of change as you can see around the world because of the climate change. We have a new technology coming out. We have new refrigerant. We've a lot of new equipment are coming out in our sector. And particularly in Africa, where I'm trying to, to rise up with skills and awareness on refrigeration cycle, first to unify the technician, to come up all the technician in the country.
• 0:08
  This is a mini. The reason why in 2020, in the middle of COVID 19, I tried to unify the National Association, so creating U3AC, U3AC that right now the chairman, U3AC means Union of Association of African Actors in Refrigeration. We are working to raise awareness among the technician to upskill them through the training, the webinar training we are doing.
• 0:09
  And also we are sharing, in this case, information we are making a campaign of awareness. To the policy makers to understand that refrigeration is too much important for our modern life because without refrigeration, we cannot preserve our faithful full stuff. We cannot have a medicine. We cannot preserve it.
• 0:10
  We cannot have a telecommunication. A lot of things of a modern life cannot be able to be done without a refrigeration sector. And mainly in Africa, where we are losing up to 70 percent of the foodstuff because of a lack of a quotient. So that's mean refrigeration for African mean life. So, and we need in our way to unify the technician to be ready to support the needs in the country, because when the policymaker or politician will understand that refrigeration is a main sector to invest, one of the main sector to invest.
• 0:11
  Of course, we would like to have technicians, we don't have a factory yet in Africa to produce, but we need a technician for the installation, for the maintaining, and of course, to, to, to, to also to, to train the end users, because you know, in the cold chain, you cannot only buy refrigeration equipment has a freezer or domestic refrigerator.
• 0:12
  A cool room, you need to understand how it's work, you need to understand how to storage your product and to get profit. A lot of these things we are doing in African level, as you say, I have my company here right now in the office in Bologna, in Italy, where Nucosystem, my company, we are doing work in refrigeration sector, 360 degree, I can say, because we start from the training, certification regarding F gas regulation, and also, make R& D, the research and development to, to, to produce new equipment for our customers.
• 0:13
  We come to Hassel because, of course, of Our background of knowledge, knowledge and awareness in this sector, and we are now also going ahead in Europe with FGAS 3. 0. As you know, the European Union has just already changed the FGAS regulation. We are already in force from March 11 of this year. We will have a new regulation taking in consideration with flammable refrigerant that are coming out.
• 0:14
  After the HFC that we are already phasing down, I can say even phase out in Europe. So all of the team together, I'm in, and we try to, to, to make everything go ahead while I'm working also as a one of the expert of United Nation. And also a unit where I'm one of air talk committee, air talk mean refrigeration and conditioning and a pump technology, a technical option committee.
• 0:15
  This is a, a group of I can say sometime 43 international experts. We are working freely for United Nations to, of course, solve a lot of issues that we are facing now regarding the climate change, because these activities are related to UNEP, United Nations Environmental Programme, I mean.
• 0:16
  Trevor: And that's amazing.
• 0:17
  So I know when we were talking back in February that there's a lot of different skill levels across Africa and there's a lot of skill level across the different skill levels, like different, different other countries and continents where you have pockets of really high skill levels and a lower skill level.
• 0:18
  Do you want to talk about that around the continent and how, how that looks to you? Yeah, sure. This is a reality. As you
• 0:19
  Madi: say, we, Africa is very hard. You know, we are more than 1 billion people expecting from the next 15 year to be more than 2 billion people in Africa. And also the development of the d the country are of, of course, differently.
• 0:20
  We have some country where do you have training school we have, for example, Algeria while you can find up to close to 300 training school vocational training school in our sector, and we have also country where you are only one I've been in Zambia, two years ago, there are only one training center vocational training center in our sector only one.
• 0:21
  For all the country. So and also we are a lot of the country that we have training center, but without the right equipment without even the curricula for the training. So there is a lot of challenges, but why we have this because there is a lack of understanding of refrigeration. What does it mean refrigeration?
• 0:22
  Because we used to take a refrigeration as a luxury, because as you know, electricity is not for everyone in Africa. So the very few of the population who are able to have electricity, the conventional electricity, I mean, have a home. Very few of them have a refrigerator or freezer at home. A very few of them also have air conditioner, even if there is a continent where it is very warm, that way air conditioner cannot be taken by as a luxury.
• 0:23
  But this is a reality. At the end of the day, if you have, you are a policymaker, seeing this situation, you cannot take a refrigeration or his equipment has something has a necessity. You see, it's only for very few people. We cannot as a poor country. Taken our time energy to talk about something that is helpful for very few people.
• 0:24
  So even in terms of taxation of refrigeration equipment, they put the tax very high because you have to be rich before be able to buy the refrigeration equipment. Then we will stop any investment in in refrigeration sector, making a big mistake because meanwhile, the refrigeration is called luxury in the same country.
• 0:25
  We are losing 70 percent of the production because we don't have cooling facilities. So this is a lot that we are working and working to, to, to, to, to make them understand to, to make what can I say? A campaign of awareness. Because we are taking a wrong decision, but because also we are not aware about the cable of refrigeration.
• 0:26
  So we need to explain them, and those who are understanding, ah, okay, you are right. We understand now what does it mean, refrigeration. Because up to nowaday, no one is taking consideration of refrigeration sector as a priority. They take it as luxury. And saying we have a poor people. How can we talk about something looks for luxury.
• 0:27
  This is revision where they have up to yesterday. Now there's some of them are trying to understand. And of course, has is a change a has a change a is not an event in this case is a process. It's a process. It will take time, but I think continue to go in this direction from 10 years to 10 years.
• 0:28
  Everything will change in Africa. We will put more focus on that because refrigeration, as you already know, is everywhere. Refrigeration is energy, environment, agri food, industry, telecommunication, whatever, health, employment, youth, whatever, social, whatever we want to do in our society. If you take a government, for example, every single government, every single ministry has an interest to develop a refrigeration sector.
• 0:29
  Yeah, I even talked to one ambassador
• 0:30
  last year here in Italy, in Rome. I met an African ambassador, I was talking to him, explaining water refrigeration. He said, oh, Mr. Stachowiak, you are talking with a patient. I said, yes. But I will tell you also, Excellency, you know, even refrigeration has a key role to play in your, in your, in your ministry.
• 0:31
  He said, I hear. How can diplomacy, refrigeration have impact in diplomacy? I told him, Excellency, if in your country you are able to produce, you are able to produce and preserve your foodstuff, To transform me, to eat, to give employment, to give jobs to our youth, eh, to transform, and selling to other country, and sometimes to make even a gift to someone who probably have some trouble due to some, eh, climate issue, whatever, you can make some container of gift or food.
• 0:32
  If you go to that country, excellency, they welcome you in the biggest airport with, eh, all the honors with the real campus and whatever. But if you are the one who are nothing in your country, you go all the way to beg for help, and if you go to visit in that country, we will receive you in a smaller airport.
• 0:33
  And the one who will come to welcome you is the one who has nothing to do in that day in his office. So, so, you say, you say, ah, you are probably right. So, this is a, what you say, how refrigeration can involve all sectors in our life. Unfortunately, very few of us are aware about that. And this is what also what we have to, we as a technician, a refrigeration actors, we need to do something on this.
• 0:34
  Sorry, I'm too long, but I know you,
• 0:35
  Trevor: you're passionate about it, which is good. Like what, what, what, how did you get into refrigeration to become so passionate about it? Because this is when we talk every time you, you get really, Emotional about talking about refrigeration, which is great. You know, you don't meet many people that really care about the impact it makes on the world and our daily lives.
• 0:36
  And you're a lot of the countries that you're in, this is something that is still new, that some of them don't even have electricity, you know, and now you're moving into more of. More of that development, a development world. And this is something that's going to really impact them. What, where did, where did this all start for you?
• 0:37
  Refrigeration and all this passion that you have for it.
• 0:38
  Madi: This started years ago, almost 24 years ago, because I have start this activity here in Italy because my first activity has been in the, in the refrigeration sector, the, the, my, my boss. Took me from a remote industry. I was working in Fendi has a merchandising in Fendi.
• 0:39
  Fendi is a clothes and whatever brand name in luxury, but I have a technical background in African Burkina Faso where I'm coming from. And when I start to work in refrigeration industry, I start has a. Well, also keep up. Okay. I started to manage the warehouse in the small company here in the Bologna where I supposed to care about the goods who are coming, the material are coming from our suppliers and to prepare it to resell.
• 0:40
  To, to listen to our client. But when I get to my first day, something interesting that the, I, I have a, I have a, the, the speech with my, my, my boss in that period two weeks early, but he told me, okay, you will come to start the job, but you will start Monday. The person who are supposed to replace. I suppose finish on Friday.
• 0:41
  So I never had even an opportunity to meet the guy that I was supposed to replace to, to get information or to get any training. So I have to learn everything by myself. And something strange on our system and I would share them. We order to our supplier. We have a item called X, X, X, and when we receive his item code.
• 0:42
  Why, why, why? But it's the same product, but the item, the item cause a difference. So to say that is the same product because we are not the same code. You need to learn the item himself. You need to know what, how, what, how is the product, how is work or whatever. And so we are, we are talking about spare parts.
• 0:43
  We are talking about vans. We are talking about everything. I use a solenoid valve. We are talking about carpet. We are talking about tools. We are about whatever we need in refrigeration sector. And this is someone who need to take care about it, but never had any experience in the research of it.
• 0:44
  Imagine that my first three or six months I was sleeping with a catalogue because I had to read all the catalogue to understand, but I'm happy because I have a, my background, a scientist training because I'm graduating in biology. So I know that I know a lot of things regarding how refrigeration, how refrigerant are made.
• 0:45
  I know the application of refrigeration, refrigeration application. This is me, me, chemical, physical, and mathematics. So, I will really prepare technically to So, I start from that period. To train myself and after to pay to get more training. So to, to give in the institutions, to learn more while I'm working.
• 0:46
  And this story, I would like to tell you that the first time I seen a training you know, in the internet, I print the page of the offer and to present, I present it to my boss. I say, I see this training is for two weeks. I would like to get this training. Can you pay for me to get this training it, take my training and put it and throw it in the spa, in the basket and say, you can learn more.
• 0:47
  Being here. Done more than get there. So three months late three months later, I, I seen the same, the same training. Okay, what I did I take my money from my pocket. I paid for that training and I'm going to tell him Sir, I would like to have two weeks holidays. Where do you go? You want to go in africa with two?
• 0:48
  You know, I don't go in africa. I just need two weeks to to have a two weeks holidays, I have to do some things. So vacation of two days, two weeks, I took two weeks. I paid from my pocket and go to get a training and and I'm successful at the hand of the training. And I come back with my certificate.
• 0:49
  And then when I come back, because he's so confident with me. So where are you going? Because I'm talking about this thing happened 26 years ago. So where are you when I was younger? So you say, well, you go for two weeks and I show him the certificate I got from her training. Of course it can't, it changed completely his faith because he was not expecting that I took my time, my money, and to get to, to get training to come and to work for him because at the end of the day I give value to what we are, I'm doing in his factory.
• 0:50
  And from that period I continue up to get a, a, a, a master's degree in in technical food preservation. So I continue and since nine, 2010 now 14 year, I start to rule my own company from this experience, but before I leave this area, I was a technical commercial of the company. And when I left. 80 percent 80 percent of all the world in my hand because I was managing mostly the company in terms of some other reason I left this company and I start to run my own company in 2010.
• 0:51
  And I'm growing, continuing to grow in my skills to learning more because in this sector, as you already know, every day there is a new thing to learn. So, so I'm happy to learn. And I'm also happy to share because I think that the only thing you can share with somebody and getting more is the knowledge.
• 0:52
  Because if I have one on the screen. And I share 50 skill with you. The total is 1 150 skill because I'll continue to have my five, my hundred skill and I share it with you. And you have 50. Your 50 in my, we are 150, but if I have hundred, any editing money, whatever I give you 50, I will have only the 50 because I give it 50 to you and don't have it.
• 0:53
  So sharing the skill make you be, be more and more. And this is what I'm trying. I'm doing and this is what really appreciate because and somehow I know our sector and whatever I'm doing will impact the food generation because we are working. What we have today is the result of the yesterday.
• 0:54
  So when you what you plant the fruit you have here, not because you are, you, you make. You paint today and you get it because someone did it years ago. Now, if we want a better tomorrow, we have to start to work now. And this is also what I'm trying to do up to today.
• 0:55
  Trevor: I love that. And you know, it goes back to what you said that it still happens today where technicians and people who want to grow go to their boss and a lot of times are just like, ah, I don't think you can learn more on out in the field, but you went out of your way.
• 0:56
  And invested in yourself, took money out of your own pocket and trained yourself. Now that developed you so much where you, you start your own business. Now you're, you're pushing the limits of refrigeration across the world to, to get more people to know about it. And that's where your passion comes from, but you continue, I love what you said.
• 0:57
  You continue to invest in yourself, right? In your knowledge and share that knowledge. And I keep telling all my students in my community is like, this is how you grow. So when you teach someone something, you're learning it twice. Exactly. And then you really, you really grow from that because when you teach someone something, then you think about it, was that right?
• 0:58
  Or was that exactly right? Now I got to go look it up again, just to make sure. Even
• 0:59
  Madi: the way to, even the way to train, because you are learning also, because even the same thing you have to teach to different people. You will, according to the people you have to talk about, you have to find a way to make them understand what you are saying.
• 1:00
  So you learn something, even how to speak, how to make your speech understandable, how to make the lesson you want to hear understandable. So you learn somehow to be human, you learn to live with other people. And this is not a It will be given for warranty for those who are not sharing. So sharing is everything.
• 1:01
  Sharing in my sector for me is priceless. Because we are sharing, even you, you share for money or you are sharing for free, mostly I'm making for free for Africa because I know is a, this is a big challenge, but I used to make that you mentioned Steve Jill when we've been in Chicago. I told to Steve and to all our industry, we need to make more campaign of awareness to let people understand what is the refrigeration sector.
• 1:02
  This is the reason why I'm telling this to Steve and even I invite everyone from this year because on one month we will celebrate world refrigeration to stop talking to industry. Industry people have to get out from this. It's time to talk out of box. When we say, first of May, first of May is World Labor Day, okay?
• 1:03
  Everyone know in that day, nobody go to work, and they are talking about the challenges and also the, about the dis good thing from the jobs, okay? What refrigeration day is supposed to be laid at that? We cannot say, okay, nobody has to work that day because refrigeration day we need has every day, 24, 24, 7, 365
• 1:04
  per year we need has. Okay, we cannot stop, but we need to talk to people to understand what is the refrigeration sector. Last week I was in, I was in an area, General Assembly in Belfast, in North Ireland, where area is European Association, Technician Association has a Utrecht. What I'm asking in in this occasion, I ask to everyone in our sector, we have to give a value to the refrigeration technician.
• 1:05
  We need to have a dress code. If you see a doctor somewhere, he already with a dress code. the white blues, right? Why you don't have a dress code, a outfit for a refrigeration technician? It will give value because just put in front of you a refrigeration technician and a doctor. And you have a third person, and you sit and see how people cross, how they greet the doctor, and how they greet the refrigeration technician.
• 1:06
  The doctor has all the honors, and the refrigeration technician, no one knows who he is, no one respects him. But listen to me, because of refrigeration type of a doctor being at school, he studied in university. Because of him, he has food to eat. Because of him, he has some medicine. Because we have refrigeration equipment, we cannot prepare medicines.
• 1:07
  Because of him, he He have a good laboratory. He have a space to make a surgery. If a surgeon because of him, you can have a better way to, to, to, to, to, to care about his person and to make it to recover his speed because of the technician. Even at the day he will die. If they don't want to worry him the day after, we need refrigeration technician also to keep him fresh and well before getting the bulletin.
• 1:08
  So this is reality. So this is who of between a doctor and refrigeration technician, who is more important, but because the refrigeration technician don't give value, doesn't give value to himself. They don't show to the world how refrigeration is important to the man. How refrigeration is important to the mankind, and then the mankind have to take in consideration and give more respect to refrigeration.
• 1:09
  Now we are talking about climate change, we say refrigeration sector impact globally up to 20 percent, we are making new regulation, whatever, we are making refrigeration equipment to too much ecology with a lot of efficiency, plus, plus, plus infinity. But we don't, never, no one talked to the end of user how to use it.
• 1:10
  If you make a plus plus plus air conditioner and we give to someone who make it run and open his windows and door and he run it, where is the efficiency of this air conditioner equipment? If you take the refrigerator on the freezer, you put it in your kitchen and close to the oven, far to the windows.
• 1:11
  Where is the efficiency of that equipment? But because they are not aware, but most of those who are bringing the new regulation, mainly here in Europe, they say you have to be ecological. We have to use new frame, new refrigerant,
• 1:12
  even to make it bumping ourself. We have to use it because they are green, whatever, but how they use it. At the end of the day, the efficiency are three level. The first level is the manufacturing. The second level is the installation, and the third level is the use. And the use is, the manufacturing is up to factory.
• 1:13
  The installation is up to technician, okay, but the use is up to end user, mean everyone. So if we don't teach to everyone how to use cooling equipment, we have to stop changing refrigerant because at one, one day we will arrive even to put water as a refrigerant. But we continue to pollute also because we continue to absorb energy and the energy inefficient equipment create pollution because at the end of the day To get to electricity, very few are coming from solar or, I don't know, nuclear energy.
• 1:14
  They are coming from fuel. So, they continue to somehow to pollute. So, we take it as a Green New Deal, as we used to say here in Europe. But we have to be clear. Stop, stress, refrigeration technician and refrigeration actor. Make people know about refrigeration. What is refrigeration? And we can use it.
• 1:15
  Refrigeration equipment efficiently, and then we can stop a climate change or mitigate climate change. Probably we cannot stop it, but we can mitigate it. So you see that the effect on this and take also in this in Africa, I'm coming back to Africa, why I'm promoting more refrigeration in Africa, you know, 70 percent of the foodstuff, we are losing it.
• 1:16
  Okay. 70 percent mostly because we don't have any refrigeration facility. All the crops that they are losing with post average loss
• 1:17
  is coming. CO2 also. So 70% of the product coming from the lab creating pollution. And what we'll do later on, they will come to back to someone to produce with his factory wide polluting and bring it to the polluting mean to them to give them topor twice. You gotta a point. So all these things happen. To be alerted and to let people understand what is the refrigeration sector and how refrigeration sector is more than and I told Steve and I take this occasion Matthew to thank you.
• 1:18
  I want to tell to all refrigeration actors. to stop make war refrigeration day the day of webinars talking to new about new compressor working with oil with water with coca cola whatever we have to stop that and to go to the a mainstream media go to cna go to fox go to wherever and to explain how to use the refrigerator and how is the work of refrigeration technician and then we will live better We have to stop every, every two, this, this year will be year number six, we celebrate World Refrigeration Day.
• 1:19
  You will see on one week or more than more or less than that, we will receive a program of events to celebrate world refrigeration day. It'll be event with between technicians or webinar or a meeting where also we talk to each other. It is like you and me, you are a technician. I'm talking to you. What change I will expect from you?
• 1:20
  I will never because the world's supposed to know our job. We're going not to take it. Why we say one rubble day, everyone got to talk about labor everywhere in the TV, wherever we are talking about work opportunity, also challenges. This is what we're supposed to do as a technician. Talk to each other and go to talk to them.
• 1:21
  Even they will be able to take the right decision to support our sector. Because sometimes you see those who are making regulation, those who are making rules. They are not even aware about the refrigeration sector. But why they say, okay, you're supposed to do this because you, but if you go to his home, when he sat with red conditioner, you see the windows are open.
• 1:22
  You see he or her has a refrigerator in the kitchen close to the oven. And you come to me, you tell me how to make efficient equipment. How do you use it? The pollution is not coming from the manufacturing. It's coming from how you use it. Because if I manufacture it and I keep it in my warehouse, nothing will happen.
• 1:23
  Because of your mishandling misuse of the days that we have a pollution.
• 1:24
  Trevor: The thing is, and I've talked about this for years, is like, how do we get more of the public to understand that? Because before I came into refrigeration, I didn't have a clue. I just, things were cold. I picked things out of the fridge and they were just cold.
• 1:25
  You know what I mean? So how do we, how do we teach or share with people? The people that don't understand what refrigeration is on a daily basis. Don't understand that because their cell phone, they're using their cell phone because of refrigeration. How do we, how do we get more people to understand the importance of refrigeration?
• 1:26
  Madi: And this is what we're supposed to do is up to us. He's have to has a technician is have to hassle people of refrigeration sector to do so, because no one will do that because they are not aware. We are aware. So, you cannot blame someone who take a wrong revision or something because he's not aware.
• 1:27
  This is a reality is somebody is not aware about something, he will talk all the way around decision, but if you you are aware. you need to advise him to make your awareness advise him tell him this it is this up to you to take the decision because the Matthew everyone in every human being you cannot take a decision on something you are not aware if something if someone tell you to make a decision All you know this, all you need an advisor to tell you how to do, and then you take the decision because the advisor told you something, but if we make it awareness, because if those who are taking rules, lawyers, politicians, whatever, who are making the regulation for us, We just need to inform them.
• 1:28
  We just need to tell them how, what is the refrigeration, how refrigeration equipment. I don't tell you to make them being technician because we need more skill to be technician. A technician is not a refrigeration technician is not only someone who put the refrigerant in the system. As you know, you need to have a lot of skill to be refrigeration technician.
• 1:29
  Lot of skills. You even need to have patience because if you don't have patience in our sector, you make one month and you leave because you never have stuff. Your brain is keeping working every day because you, you, you troubleshooting your head is a, a field of troubleshooting every day. You have to find a solution for some new challenge you are facing.
• 1:30
  And just making your brain working every day. So if you are with other people, you want to go somewhere for two or four hours and you get home to rest, you don't have to think about, you cannot walk in a refrigeration sector. Because even if you leave, you have something to think about after.
• 1:31
  Trevor: That's totally fair.
• 1:32
  So what do you have planned for World Refrigeration Day then?
• 1:33
  Madi: For World Refrigeration Day, as you know, U3AG we used to make a small celebration. We have our competition for ladies. We inspire even Europe for that, because we started three years ago. I started with my team to promote an award, an award for gender.
• 1:34
  Because, as you know, we need also ladies. We cannot talk about change and we forget 60 percent of the population. You have to remember that 60 percent of the population, what population are ladies. So we need also to involve them. So we decided three years ago. To make a, an award dedicate to our dear Dr.
• 1:35
  Charity. Dear Charity , she was a Nigerian ladies engineer, training in training, vocational training center. She worked hardly with me during the foundation of RIA and never had opportunity to meet, meet her physically because fortunately, she passed away in 2000 21st. And I decided in 2022 to create this award for ladies and dedicate to her.
• 1:36
  So our prize is Dr. She is she went to Nigeria. So every year we make a competition among African ladies and that will post a video with some criteria while they are in refrigeration and we promote and the best video. He's making the best practices and refrigeration. We give them an award. And last, the first year, very first year, a young girl from from Mali, went.
• 1:37
  And last year we decide to make it differently. We decide to make for two ladies, a couple of ladies, we have to talk to make this video together from different country and also to, to connect them between them to create a network. And the one of last year, we have two ladies who formed a couple, a trio, one from Senegal and one from Mali again.
• 1:38
  So last year there had been two winner, two winners. And this year we make it more stronger. We see three ladies from three different countries, probably even speaking a different languages, but we asked them to do what. We ask them to do. One will talk about recovering, the other will talk about vacuum.
• 1:39
  The other will talk about char. Okay? And they will make a video and post. And during the world refrigeration day, the day we say who is the winner. So up to tomorrow not tomorrow, but a day after tomorrow, May 31st. They will post the video. We already start to post the video in our social media. We will see we have a committee who will make a judgment and then we will give a result during the World Refrigeration Day and we'll compel them to participate to our General Assembly in in November.
• 1:40
  This year will be in Tunisia, November 7 to 9 and then we release them their certificate and also what we win. Steve Gilles who is We sponsor as well. Refrigeration day. To this event, come and give a certain amount of money to the winners. Like the first year where 500 last year being a 100, 1000 euro because there were two, so 50, 500 ish.
• 1:41
  And this year he promised 100 500, 1, 500, because there will be three Stevie how's your nose? He is a promoter of gender in refrigeration sector. I'm happy to work with him. Even three weeks ago, we had here people who come with three winners, been here in Italy to get FGAD certification. And also the program real alternative regarding the alternative refrigerant.
• 1:42
  They get to training here is about 10 thousand euro and steel has water refrigeration for also to sponsor the training here. So, this is what we are doing. I'm happy to say that because we inspire Europe, eh? To promote gender through this. And since last year also, Europe started to make a competition for ladies.
• 1:43
  And we did it last year and also this year, the young guy, Charlotte Robinson from from from England, she won. And last week I was in Belfast with them, where she received her prize in the hand of Of steel, and we remember that this idea is coming from Africa, so to say sometimes Africa is inspiring the world, but after all, it's not because they love humanity, it's supposed to inspire the world how to live, to live better and to promote gender or whatever.
• 1:44
  Trevor: So I know I love that. We need more women in the industry. I've tons that come through my training programs and they're super smart. They're super hardworking and they, and they can do this. They can do this job. And it's a, it's an important. Career in in our industry Maddie, I love this conversation. I'm sure we could talk for a couple more hours on it How can people find out about more about you your organization how people can get involved?
• 1:45
  I know you're on linkedin but how can people get a hold of if they want to learn more about what you guys do how to get involved maybe in the The women in refrigeration and things like that So how can people
• 1:46
  Madi: get involved with first, we are a association of association. Okay, so people from our side, our side can be a partner has Steve, if there is an organization as you can see Steve, we have a name on you, we signed an MOU with Steve.
• 1:47
  On this, that the aim of the MOU is to make to, to, to, to, to support any initiative regarding gender promotion in refrigeration sector in Africa. We have also an MOU with ARIA. ARIA is our European pair in term of Union of Association in European NATO. We have also an MOU with IR, you know, International Institute of Refrigeration, you already know.
• 1:48
  Mostly we have
• 1:49
  Trevor: And what's the, sorry, what's an MOU again? An MOU? MOU,
• 1:50
  Madi: Memorandum of Understanding. So Okay. We make a MOU, this is a Memorandum of Understanding, a paper will be sent that we say, you three act and we are the organization. We decide to cooperate in this area in this condition. Okay. What you have to know, we are a nonprofit organization.
• 1:51
  Okay. Utrecht is nonprofit organization. We are not selling something. We are not buying something. Our aim is to promote refrigeration sector to upskill African technician and to make refrigeration a key for sustainable development in Africa. Okay, so whoever want to collaborate with us as an organization.
• 1:52
  In this way not expecting money from us and not also from our side expecting more than this organization can give to us. We agreed in the document and we work on this. Or you hire a manufacturer because after the day we don't have any sponsors. But we decide because our organization at the end of the day, the income are only the very few are getting from the membership and annual fee we are getting from the association.
• 1:53
  It's very few to organize, to give, to pay to webmaster, to pay to our journalists who make our every two month newsletter to, to prepare our general assembly every year, we need a small set of amount of money to, to cover it and even some missions. Up to now, some of traveling and has a chairman pay from my home pocket.
• 1:54
  It's supposed to be my, my visit to Belfast, for example, cost me around 1, 500 because I live in Europe, but it's coming from my home pocket. I don't take it from association because we don't have anything. Okay. But all the association, what we collect from the membership is to cover these taxes. So, the other side of collaboration also, for those who want to collaborate with us, is to be a sponsor.
• 1:55
  And to be a sponsor, we have pre liberal sponsorship. You can be platinum, you can be gold, and you can be silver. And different the different profiles, the different services you can get from Utrecht is different. We have also even a publication on our website regarding that. You want to be a partner, this will be a rule to follow, and what you can win from us in 54 countries.
• 1:56
  You can use our logo in your website, you can make webinars together, we can you can have your logo in our newsletter. You can use your logo in our social media. You can use our logo in your social media. You have a lot of, you can even in a certain amount of participation, you can participate in our general assembly and even create a side event during our general assembly.
• 1:57
  So there are a lot of benefits to be a sponsor of UTREAC. Of course, every package has a price to And when you pay this
• 1:58
  Then you will have a service for what you pay. Okay, this is what. So to make it short, we sign an MOU. Agreed on some things, mostly that you three have not to pay nothing. We do something together. Jointly, we just say we are my partner with this organization. And we him. The goals of this partnership is to do this, this, this thing together and we do it.
• 1:59
  And these things we do with organization. Of course, we don't have in economical profit. Okay. I told you what refrigeration day is any job we has, I told you, I is organizational has, has, I told you earlier is organization has, has, they are also nonprofit organization. So we can sign an MOU. For someone who want to get money from what he's doing, it cannot be an organization, and we cannot be the one who pay.
• 2:00
  So you want to use our network, you want to use our continent to sell your product, okay, you are welcome. This is the amount you have to pay, and you are responsible. Silver, gold, or platinum, and regarding what you pay, the amount of pay, this is the services you can get. And you can get also this information on, on our publication in UTREAC website.
• 2:01
  If you go there, you can see an article of some months ago, that we are talking about how to be a sponsor of UTREAC. You just need to follow. There is a, a form to fill. And then you decide which of the package you want, you pay. This is of course for technology manufacturers who want to be partners of Utrecht and to take profit of our network.
• 2:02
  Trevor: And we'll have all this in the show notes, these links here, how to connect with Maddy, how to connect with with their association. Last question. What is one piece of advice you can give, or would you'd like to give the technicians out there now to help inspire them to get more involved in refrigeration or even one, one technical tip?
• 2:03
  Madi: I think the refrigeration sector is the job of today and the future for sure. Refrigeration technician. I don't speak often to the youth. I say refrigeration sector is a sector. You will never you will never say I'm lazy today. I don't want to do something because we're Lot of stimulation from in refrigeration sector.
• 2:04
  So if you like to have a job that can give you added value to your own person and to be sure that you can be a fool to, to, to, to the humanity is refrigeration sector. Those who are coming. Even you, you get to training to be a technician and in the training center, after you can walk by yourself, you just need a, to have a tools and equipment.
• 2:05
  You can open your horn or your home company. You don't need to be. Always in the company of someone who tell you to do because we're youth. Although nowadays we say, I want to be my own boss. I want to be my own boss. So this, this can be a reality in the refrigeration sector. Really, if you come in refrigeration sector, you get training in the vocational training center for three, four years.
• 2:06
  You get, of course to make somewhere a training some company to learn how to move in the, in the, in the field. After you can be your own boss. Because you can make your own company and work for yourself. This is what refrigeration sector is offering. And as the climate is changing, as we have, we understand that we need refrigeration equipment everywhere.
• 2:07
  We will, you will always have something to do. We can refrigeration sector is a sector the world we never had a stop. Even during the COVID 19, we as a refrigeration technician, we need to work to keep everything working. So that's meaning your job is timeless. Of course, is a motivating job. So I tell the youth to come in.
• 2:08
  Of course, we need also we actors, the whole actors, I can say we need to make effort to communicate with you to make all our events. Interesting event to interest it, to communicate, to make a short video, to publish in social media, because we use the YouTube on TikTok, Facebook, or whatever, and there we can see, ah, this is where, as a technician, we have some glamour moments.
• 2:09
  Sometime we have a general assembly, we have some moment where we, we enjoy our life with ties or whatever, and we go to nice places, and we are only between house without any video without any professional, we will take video and make a short video of two or three minutes to post later on. The youth will say, ah, this guy will come into our home to repair the freezer.
• 2:10
  Is him here? And all of them are, oh, okay. We like one day to live like that. I don't know that this guy will come here, dirty clothes, whatever. Sometimes they, they're looking nice like that. I want to like them, so I will, this is what we supposed to do because we need to talk to the people. If we, in our sector, you used to say, nowadays in Europe there is a very big issue to find the technicians.
• 2:11
  The technician are becoming more and more less and the need is coming more and more when there is a more and more needs, but we don't have any technician because the youth, the youth doesn't want to be a technician, but they doesn't want because they don't know even what is a refrigeration sector and how sweet is to be in refrigeration sector and how independence you can get being in refrigeration sector.
• 2:12
  And this is the thing that those who are already in need to share to with them to let them see okay you during the day you can be busy your phone had to be on always because they can even call you because of cooling facility cold room something are working you got you need to get there if there is a stop or billions of values will be lost.
• 2:13
  But also you have some glamour moment where you can get out somewhere to pay a visit to some nice place. We've been in, in, in Belfast last week. Last week on, on, on, on Tuesday afternoon, we visited Titanium Museum, Titanic Museum. A nice museum to see, but we don't have nobody to visit. To make video and to show that the refrigeration guys in Europe, sometimes they'll have nice moment to see that is this thing is really important communication and not just only in Europe.
• 2:14
  Even in us whatever we make. I don't never seen in my general international or meeting, see that we are working in communication, and we need to change on that we need to understand that if you want you, you need to talk the language also. So this is my call from the youth and also from the industry.
• 2:15
  Yeah,
• 2:16
  Trevor: I think that is great. If every refrigeration technician out there talk to someone that wasn't in the industry about how great it is, we'd have more people understanding what refrigeration is, Maddie. I want to thank you so much for taking the time to come on the refrigeration mentor podcast, share some of your story, some of your passion about refrigeration, and we'll see all the next refrigeration mentor podcast.
• 2:17
  Thank you so much.
• 2:18
  Madi: Thank you to you for having me. It's been a pleasure to share this Interesting meeting minutes with you. I hope those who will take time to follow us. We'll find some input to make refrigeration the sector of the future because I believe strongly that refrigeration can make the world better.
• 2:19
  We need just to believe and to work together. Thank you to everyone.