This document outlines a cooperation agreement between PROJECT-E (PE), Sunbird Tourism Ltd. (Sunbird), and the International Development Association (IDA) to establish the Phoenix Hospitality Institute for Women. PE will provide vocational training expertise and manage daily operations. Sunbird will fund 50% of costs and provide expertise and jobs. IDA will fund the other 50% through grants. The institute will provide hospitality training to young Malawian women, with a focus on those from rural areas, to help them enter the formal job sector.

1. Phoenix
Hospitality
Institute
for
Women
Cooperation
Agreement
Memorandum
of
Understanding
This
is
a
cooperation
arrangement
memorandum
of
understanding
between
PROJECT-­‐E
(PE),
Sunbird
Tourism
Ltd.
(Sunbird)
and
International
Development
Association
(IDA)
of
the
World
Bank
Group
is
dated
as
of
November
07,
2015.
PROJECT-­‐E
(PE)
is
an
Austrian-­‐German
NGO
founded
in
2007
with
the
goal
of
fighting
poverty
by
providing
vocational
training
to
young
women
without
access
to
education.
The
training
activities
are
planned
in
accordance
with
the
host
country’s
education
standards,
and
are
designed
to
meet
local
labor
market
demands.
In
the
past,
PE
designed
and
implemented
a
secretarial
science
college
and
hospitality
institute
in
Ethiopia
and
is
now
looking
to
expand
its
reach
to
Malawi.
PE
seeks
to
replicate
its
successful
hospitality
training
model
(with
necessary
contextual
and
cultural
adaptations)
in
order
to
help
young
Malawian
women
enter
the
formal
job
market
and
thus
lead
to
the
country’s
more
equitable
economic
growth.
Sunbird
Tourism
Ltd.
(Sunbird)
was
incorporated
in
1988
and
is
a
publicly
quoted
company
on
the
Malawi
Stock
exchange
–
the
general
public
makes
up
12.6
percent
of
stockholders.
The
company
owns
seven
hotels:
2
in
the
country’s
capital
(Lilongwe)
and
more
remotes
areas
of
Malawi
such
as
Zomba
Plateau,
Lake
Malawi,
Liwonde
National
Park,
and
others.
It
also
owns
a
large
meeting/convention
center
on
Lake
Malawi,
a
catering
company,
Sunbird
Catering
solutions,
and
a
related
banqueting
services
company.
Sunbird
Malawi
is
the
largest
hospitality
enterprise
in
the
country.
Its
vision,
shared
by
the
government
of
Malawi,
is
to
establish
Malawi
as
a
leading
ecotourism
destination
in
Africa,
as
well
as
expand
Sunbird’s
world-­‐class
facilities
and
services
to
meet
these
needs.
As
a
Malawian
company,
Sunbird
seeks
to
improve
the
economy
of
Malawi
and
the
wellbeing
of
the
Malawi
people.
International
Development
Association
(IDA)
is
the
part
of
the
World
Bank
Group
that
helps
the
world’s
poorest
countries.
Established
in
1960,
IDA
aims
to
reduce
poverty
by
providing
loans
(called
“credits”)
and
grants
for
programs
that
boost
economic
growth,
reduce
inequalities,
and
improve
people’s
living
conditions.
IDA
complements
the
World
Bank’s
original
lending
arm—the
International
Bank
for
Reconstruction
and
Development
(IBRD).
IBRD
was
established
to
function
as
a
self-­‐sustaining
business
and
provides
loans
and
advice
to
middle-­‐
income
and
credit-­‐worthy
poor
countries.
The
World
Bank
Group
actively
seeks
programs
that
complement
and
incorporate
one
of
the
seventeen
Sustainable
Development
Goals
of
2030.
PE,
Sunbird
and
IDA
have
jointly
identified
that
there
are
significant
points
of
intersection
of
their
respective
objectives
and
thus
decided
to
initiate
a
common
project
titled
Phoenix
Hospitality
Institute
for
Women
(henceforth
referred
to
as
‘the
Institute’).
The
Institute
shall
provide
high-­‐quality
vocational
training
in
the
hospitality
industry
to
young
(19-­‐25
year
old)
Malawian
women.
Preference
in
admissions
shall
be
awarded
to
women
living
in
rural
areas
and
earning
their
livelihoods
through
subsistence
agricultural
activities,
with
a
specific
focus
on

2. the
Zomba
district.
The
dual
mode
classroom-­‐
and
internship-­‐based
program
will
extend
over
a
period
of
two
years,
with
a
third
year
devoted
strictly
to
practical
training
activities,
during
which
the
students
shall
have
the
option
of
becoming
employees
at
Sunbird.
In
order
to
realize
the
potential
of
the
Institute,
cooperation
between
Sunbird,
PE
and
IDA
will
include,
among
other
commitments:
● Growing
local
economies
through
increasing
tourism
and
hospitality
industry
alongside
national
government
efforts
to
expand
this
industry
● Increasing
Malawian
women’s
participation
in
the
formal
sector
workforce
and
their
access
to
secondary
and
tertiary
education
● Building
facilities
for
educating
young
women
and
assisting
them
in
seeking
employment
in
hospitality
and
tourism
industry
● Utilizing
existing
management
at
Sunbird
Tourism
Ltd.
and
certified
teachers
to
instruct
classes
in
management
and
operations,
languages,
eco-­‐tourism
etc.
● Providing
career
advising,
internships
and
job
opportunities
for
graduates
of
the
Institute
Within
the
collaboration,
roles
and
responsibilities
of
the
respective
partners
shall
be
as
follows:
PE
shall
provide
the
technical
expertise,
vocational
training,
and
manage
daily
operations
of
the
Institute.
Sunbird
shall
provide
fifty
percent
of
the
funding
for
the
operational
costs
of
the
project,
brand
specific
expertise,
and
job
opportunities
to
students
of
the
Institute.
IDA,
as
a
member
of
the
World
Bank
Group,
will
provide
fifty
percent
of
the
funding
for
the
project
through
grants
to
the
project.
In
order
to
maintain
fair
labor
practices
while
ensuring
the
financial
sustainability
of
the
program,
students
entering
the
program
shall
receive
a
loan
to
cover
their
tuition
expenses,
as
well
as
free
accommodation
and
a
living
stipend
for
the
duration
of
their
participation
in
the
program.
In
order
to
aid
graduates
in
the
repayment
of
the
tuition
loan
and
jumpstart
their
careers
in
the
hospitality
industry,
Sunbird
shall
offer
all
graduates
the
opportunity
to
become
its
employees,
contingent
upon
their
completion
of
the
classroom-­‐
and
internship-­‐based
portion
of
the
Institute’s
training.
After
a
one-­‐year
employment
with
Sunbird
(during
which
graduates
shall
receive
a
living
stipend),
the
tuition
loan
shall
be
considered
repaid.
Alternatively,
the
Institute’s
graduates
have
the
option
to
undertake
employment
elsewhere
and
repay
the
tuition
loan
provided
within
an
agreed-­‐upon
time
period.
To
prevent
overburdening
a
single
partner
with
the
operational
costs
of
the
Institute
and
ensure
greater
financial
stability
of
the
partnership
regardless
of
market
fluctuations,
IDA
and
Sunbird
shall
each
provide
fifty
percent
of
funding
for
the
project.
PE
and
Sunbird
understand
that
a
rigorous
and
constant
monitoring
and
evaluation
process
will
be
implemented
by
both
partners
in
order
to
ensure
efficiency
and
effectiveness
of
the
program,
as
well
as
adherence
to
all
Malawian
laws
and
guidelines.
Each
party
aims
to
maintain
a
positive
reputation
within
the
Malawi
community,
as
well
as
with
organizational
peers
and
donors.
In
order
to
mitigate
concerns
in
this
respect,
each
partner
will

3. diligently
pursue
its
share
of
program
monitoring.
This
ongoing
process
should
include
monitoring
of
finances
and
expenditures,
quality
of
educational
programming,
working
conditions
for
the
students
and
employees,
and
other
aspects
that
measure
efficiency,
effectiveness
and
success
of
the
partnership.
The
IDA
will
significantly
contribute
its
expertise
and
experience
to
this
facet
of
the
program.
PE
shall
retain
its
intellectual
property
rights
in
regards
to
the
organizational
design
of
the
training
program
and
its
curriculum.
In
order
to
accomplish
this,
PE
will
license
the
education
and
training
materials
out
to
the
program.
Any
employee
of
PE,
Sunbird
or
IDA
may
not
seek
employment
within
another
partnering
organization
for
a
period
of
one
year,
unless
written
exception
is
made
between
the
partners.
PE,
Sunbird
and
IDA
have
agreed
to
the
provisions
included
in
this
cooperation
agreement.
If
a
party
breaches
any
provision
stated
above
and
the
issue
is
not
fixed
by
a
date
and
through
a
procedure
agreed
upon
by
all
three
parties,
this
partnership
shall
be
terminated.
PE,
Sunbird
or
IDA
may
also
terminate
the
cooperation
agreement
described
above
on
prior
written
notice.
Any
work
in
progress
during
the
time
of
termination
must
be
completed
by
terminating
party
and
partners
in
accordance
with
PE,
Sunbird
and
IDA
intentions
and
understanding.