U-3ARC U-3ARC Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
U-3ARC Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

RACHP- Gender highlighted, when Africa inspires Europe

On the sidelines of the AREA Spring General Assembly, which takes place from Thursday 23 to Friday 24 May 2024 in Belfast, Charlotte Robinson, industrial refrigeration engineer at Catalent Pharma Solutions, working on two-stage freeze-drying equipment within of the pharmaceutical industry, 2022 World Refrigeration Skills finalist, won the Prize of the Second Edition of the Women in Cooling European Video Competition. A Trophy, awarded by WRD, similar to the Dr Charity Kpabep Award, reserved for African Refrigeration Technicians.

Daouda MBaye, Journalist

RACHP- Gender highlighted, when Africa inspires Europe

In Refrigeration Air Conditioning & Heat Pump (RACHP) sector, Africa continues to inspire Europe. This is the opinion of the president of U-3ARC, Madi Sakandé, who recalls that thanks to the support of the NGO WRD (World Refrigeration Day) which promotes women in the RACHP sector, the competitions which reward the work of the Refrigeration Technician have been started in Africa. Indeed, Dr Charity Kpabep Award competition, reserved for African Women Refrigeration Technicians, which was first organized there, is in its 3rd edition. In the setting of the Titanic Historical Museum in Belfast, on the sidelines of the AREA Spring General Assembly, an important step in the European Women in Cooling initiative was reached. Stephen Gill, Founder of WRD, was delighted to announce that Charlotte Robinson has been officially crowned the winner of the 2nd Edition of the Women in Cooling European Video Competition.

A wink to Ladies to embrace a vital sector for development

We learned that this year's competition showcased the impressive talents of 08 qualified professionals from across Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, UK), in terms of practical and design skills. For the Founder of WRD, these skills are crucial for maintaining and optimizing refrigeration systems and were brilliantly demonstrated by all participants. In the opinion of the judges, Charlotte’s exceptional performance was in expertly troubleshooting a compressor, showcasing her exceptional technical skills and problem-solving prowess, essential in the RACHP field.

Thanks to this victory, the winner of this competition, inspired by the Dr Charity Kpabep Award, will pocket a check for €1,000, offered by the NGO WRD, an AREA winners' Trophy. He added that for the gala evening, his travel and accommodation expenses were covered by AREA. The NGO, which he heads, would continue to sponsor this competition and work with AREA to explore how the two organizations could expand this initiative, he concluded.

As for Coen van de Sande, President of AREA, he praised the exceptional quality of this year's applications which, he believes, will undoubtedly encourage more women to enter the field of refrigeration technology. He said AREA looks forward to continuing to support and promote initiatives, such as the Women in Cooling competition, which highlight the attractiveness of the RACHP sector.