Swedish partner: Region Gotland

Gotland-Berislav

The collaboration focuses on the reconstruction of Berislav after the war, with Gotland offering support to strengthen the administration and democratic institutions. The partnership also includes helping Berislav meet EU requirements for future membership, particularly in terms of institutional capacity and anti-corruption efforts. Youth engagement is key to both the reconstruction and EU integration.

Project Area

Local economic development, innovation and livelihoods

Sustainable Development Goals

8 - Decent work and economic growth

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Berislav

Region Gotland och Kibaha, Tanzania

The partnership between Region Gotland and Kibaha Town Council in Tanzania have successfully been working on several projects targeting different aspects such as gender equality, Sustainable Development Goals, and Gender based violence. The new Inclusive Youth Participation in Democracy project addresses the problem of low consideration of youth opinions in all development aspects at Kibaha Town Council and therefore the main objective of the project is to increase youth inclusion and participation in the municipality. Student leaders, local politicians, and youth committees will be involved in the project implementation to raise awareness on the importance of inclusive youth participation.

Sustainable Development Goals

10 - Reduced inequalities16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions4 - Quality education5 - Gender equality

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Region Gotland and Kibaha Town Council

Project: Together against Gender Based Violence

The project focuses on tackling gender-based violence (GBV) in Kibaha and Region Gotland with a specific focus on societal cooperation to address this urgent concern. It aims to enhance knowledge and implementation of national strategies, identifying gaps in gender desks and administrative levels at the village level in Kibaha. Key steps include developing a GBV training manual and educating residents on reporting incidents and accessing support.

The recent data from Tanzania highlights concerning rates of violence against girls and women, with nearly 30% of girls experiencing sexual violence before the age of 18. The National Five-Year Development Plan of Tanzania aims to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC) across 184 councils, including Kibaha Town Council (KTC). In KTC, data from 2020/21 to 2022/23 reveals a significant increase in GBV cases, including physical violence, psychological abuse, sexual assaults, and child abandonment. Instances of psychological abuse rose from 270 (2020) to 460 (2022), while reported sexual and gender-based violence cases increased from 92 (2020) to 300 (2022). Child abandonment cases also surged from 165 (2020) to 218 (2022). These alarming statistics signify a grave violation of human and child rights as outlined in international covenants.

In response, KTC and the Kibaha Education Centre (KEC) propose an awareness campaign titled “An Awareness Campaign to fight Gender Based Violence across Kibaha Town Council.” The initiative aims to address and mitigate the escalating GBV issues within Kibaha, aligning with national efforts outlined in Tanzania’s development plan.

Project Area

Inclusive leadership and governance

Sustainable Development Goals

5 - Gender equality

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Region Gotland and Kibaha, Tanzania

Together Towards Sustainable Development Goals

The project aim is to create awareness and engagement on the Global Goals among students and stakeholders in secondary schools in Kibaha and on Gotland. The method will be to analyse strengths and weaknesses together in a dialogue based process in both organisations. Then an action plan on how to implement the work towards Sustainable Development Goals in teaching in two schools in Kibaha and Wisbygymnasiet. By creating awareness among students of the connection between local and global, the contribution from schools in the work toward SDG:s will increase.

Project Area

Education

Topic

Child rights and youth participation

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Gotland and Kibaha, Tanzania

Project: Gender Equity project

This project’s aims at reducing gender inequality in decision making bodies in Kibaha Education Center and Kibaha Town Council.

Through the problem analysis a high level of gender inequality was revealed. The definition of Decision-making bodies in this application is politicians and management at different levels from street leaders all the way up to full council. Some of the causes of this this problem consists of lack of awareness in Decision-making bodies on gender equality, lack och self-confidence among women, absence of gender-based budgeting at local level and ineffective implementation of gender mainstreaming policy at a local level.

The intermediate objectives of this project are: Decision-making bodies awareness and education on gender balance enhanced, self confidence among women boosted, gender education among men enhanced, policy on gender mainstreaming at local level effectively implemented, experts of gender education and gender mainstreaming produced, gender based budgeting at Kibaha Town Council enhanced.

Some of the indicators to capture these intermediate objectives are: number of gender awareness workshops conducted, percentage of women empowered for self-confidence (self assessment), the amount of budget allocated for gender activities at the municipal level. This project is planned to run for three years from 2019 until 2022.

Project Area

Inclusive leadership and governance

Sustainable Development Goals

5 - Gender equality

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Zmijivka – Pilot village in a period of transition 2017 – 2020

The background is that in 1930 Gotland receive the majority of the returning Swedes from Gammalsvenskbyn in Ukraine, after they arrived in Sweden in 1929. The Swedish villagers have been a very substantial part of Gotland since. After Ukraine’s liberation in 1991 written a twinning agreement between the Municipality of Gotland and Gammalsvenskby 2001. Since July 1, 2016 are two ongoing ICLD funded projects focusing on democracy and agriculture.

In the Ukrainian village called Zmijivka now, it has about 2,400 inhabitants today. Most live on self-agricultural. The standard of living equivalent to about 50 years behind in development compared to Gotland. Tourism is alongside agriculture is the dominant economic sector. It has since Ukraine’s liberation from and to have been a pretty important source of income for the village.

The main objective of the project is to Zmijivka begin the journey towards becoming a pilot-village in times of change within the community. It should be done by bysovjeten working actively to develop both the democratic decision-making bodies/processes and local businesses.

Berislav municipality, which consists of 29 villages which Zmijivka is one, is currently facing a local government. It can best be likened to large municipal reform in Sweden in 1952. The individual villages will be merged into three municipal centers, or will all power centralized in the only city that exists, Berislav.

Today there is no collaboration between business stakeholders in Zmijivka. There is also no democratic platform/agencies where business opportunities can be lifted. The lack of democratic work and capacity is palpable.

Project Area

Inclusive leadership and governance

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Zmijivka Mayor

Kibaha Cultural Information Project (KCIP) 2014-2016

The project will focus on finding a method for using music, dance and theater (also called story telling in Tanzania) for spreading information to school children and youth about important water, waste and environmental issues to improve the local awareness both in Gotland and in Kibaha.

Using cultural expressions when spreading important messages is well known in Tanzania and Gotland can learn a lot from this. The experience the School of Performing Arts in Region Gotland has with using music, dance and theatre when spreading information on different themes is also good in Gotland. But in this project it is a special type of information that needs a method in its concept.

Gotland has good examples to share with Kibaha. Information campaign through cultural expressions can give a very good support to the operative work the municipalities are doing in the water and waste areas. It will help the two parties to raise the local public awareness on issues like water, waste and environment. The project will focus on working in schools both in Kibaha and in Gotland. Teachers and local development officers will cooperate between the two municipalities how to develop a method which is applicable both in Kibaha and Gotland. This will also spread to the children’s families and others in the societies. There will be exchange activities in the school in Gotland and Kibaha.

Project Area

Education

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Kibaha Waste Project 2:0

The first waste project preparations started with Kibaha Town Council (KTC) and Kibaha Education Centre (KEC) with the pre-study in 2011 (ICLD 2011:0001). The first Kibaha Solid Waste Project started 2012 (ICLD 2011-0060) and ended 2014. Kibaha Waste Project 2:0 (period 2015-2017) is a Project between KTC/KEC and Region Gotland.

The overall objective: “Create a sustainable waste management by creating awareness and economical prerequisite with both citizens and organization in Kibaha, and continue the work with constant improvements in waste management on Gotland.” (in 15 years)

The project objective: “Kibaha Town Council has a more functioning solid waste management compared to 2014 with strengthened and empowered cleaning groups which are self-sufficient and thereby an incentive for others to follow in a democratic process.” (in 3 years)

The Immediate objectives:

The collection of waste and waste sorting has improved through the local Cleaning Groups (CBO: s) which are getting support (equipments) from the project and KTC organization year 1, 2 and 3.
A sustainable organization and economical situation for the Cleaning groups (balance between collection fees and municipal operations fees, investigate from where the Cleaning groups can get increase in revenue).
Investigation of the possibilities to start composting of organic waste to produce fertilizer in Kibaha has started year 1 and is completed year 2.
Investigation of Hazardous waste and methods for handling of hazardous waste in Kibaha has started year 2 and a first plan for implementing a management system is ready year 3.
Increase capacity building/knowledge in the waste area for both Kibaha and Gotland partners.
Increase the public awareness in waste management and handling, in Kibaha and on Gotland.
Both partners meet and work together and in each country every year.

Project Area

Technical Services and Infrastructure

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Kibaha Town Council

Zmejevka Agriculture 2016-2019

In 1930 Gotland received the majority of the returning Swedes from Gammalsvenskbyn in Ukraine that had arrived in Sweden the year before. These Swedish villagers have been a very substantial part of Gotland society ever since. The Ukraine was liberated in 1991 and in 2001 a sister cities’ agreement between the Municipality of Gotland and Gammalsvenskby 2001 was signed. The village Gammalsvenskby is now called Zmejevka. Currently Zmejevka has about 2 400 inhabitants. Most of them live off of small-scale farming. The standard of living in Zmejevka is comparable to the standard of living on Gotland 50 years ago.

An Inception Phase feasibility study was completed 2014-2015, ICLD 2014-0011. In that study we jointly concluded what mutual areas of needs we could use as a basis for a future collaboration. The greatest needs as identified in the Inception Phase study are in the development of democracy, tourism and agriculture.

The main problem is that today there is no real cooperation between the stakeholders in Zmejevka, especially around their main source of income, small-scale farming. There are no democratic platforms / agencies where agricultural development questions can be discussed. The lack of democratic work and capacity is obvious. There is also no knowledge exchange between the self sufficient farmers.

The main objective of the project is to set up an Agriculture Committee which will be an executive subgroup of Bysovjeten (the village council). This subgroup is meant to serve as a democratic platform where agricultural needs and opportunities can be actively discussed. The committee’s function contributes to positive economic development in Zmejevka.

Project Area

Inclusive leadership and governance

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Zmejevka Mayor

Women empowerment

This is a one-year project in the field of local democracy and local administration, resulting from the partnership between Gotland and Jhansi municipalities, focusing on the issues of women empowerment. The project is aimed at addressing issues that influence or affect women empowerment in one way or another. These include:

Issues of choice
Power and influence
Ownership of resources
Gender roles cast and classes
Education

The overall objective of this project is to come up with possible ways of addressing gender inequality. The main activities planned for revolve around capacity building and education; as these will boost morale and self awareness among the women and also give those skills and knowledge that will influence their ability to make informed choices.

It is hoped that from the trainings and capacity building exercises, the participants will become mentors to the entire municipality and in turn all the women living in the area will be reached in one way or another. Other expected results include; increased participation of women in decision making within the local authorities, perceived equality in the society and general improvements in democracy as a whole.

Project Area

Inclusive leadership and governance

Swedish partner

Region Gotland

International partner

Municipality of Jhansi