Kontaktperson   Urban Lundin

E-postadress    urban.lundin.asa(at)folkbildning.net

Åsa folkhögskola har (tyvärr) inga långa kurser med internationell inriktning. Vi skulle gärna vilja starta sådana, menn vi har inget ledigt utrymme.

Land/länder    Tanzania

Projektansvariga        MAFDA (förening som driver vänskolesamarbetet med Mamtukuna FDC)

Tidsperiod      2007-2008

Projektbeskrivning på engelska

Level A. Widening of perspectives and increase of mutual understanding

The objective is

? to give two groups of 7-8 people from Tanzania and Sweden respectively a fair understanding of the societies and their cultural credos. In choosing people from the staff, priority should be given to people who have not previously visited the sister college.

Level B. Educational efforts.

The objectives are:

? to make participants and people from local community aware of the legislation on gender issues.

? to give a broad overview of legislation and practical implementation of the laws on gender in the two countries.

? to establish contact with organisations in both Sweden and Tanzania dealing with Fair Trade.

? to disseminate knowledge on HIV/Aids to students and local population at and around Mamtukuna

? to establish one functioning co-operative for enterprising young women from among the group of young single mothers studying (and having studied) at Mamtukuna.

? to establish a firm business platform for the group of ecological farmers nearby Mamtukuna.

? to facilitate provision of water to at least one village around Mamtukuna

Level C. Specific efforts on practical and technical level.

The objectives are

? to firmly establish the ecological cultivation at Mamtukuna

? to further improve the standard at Mamtukuna Home for Visitors

? to build two or more water tank for harvesting rain water

? to introduce a complete fuel saving programme at the school, with focus on fire wood

Tematisk inriktning

Ekonomi & försörjning

Folkbildning

Genus/jämställdhet

Hälsa

Mänskliga Rättigheter

Finansieringsform- Forum Syd

It is important to plan well, so that contacts with authorities and agencies run smoothly (visa, passports, tickets etc.). A possible negative side effect of the exchange is that some people find the cultural differences between the countries so huge, that they cannot assimilate them. We have learnt from previous experiences that study visits etc. must be planned in such a way, that experiences can be useful to the participants when they return home.

A successful outcome pre-supposes:

Legitimacy.

One has to have a good standing among the local population.

Engagement.

People involved in the project have to be committed and future-oriented, with a strong will to bring about change.

Knowledge.

To act on local level, the living conditions of the people must be well known by those who carry out the project. This knowledge is at hand on the part of Mamtukuna, but on the Swedish side it is important to learn well how the local culture works, in order to avoid offending social rules. It is likewise important that the Tanzanians have a pre-understanding of Swedish social codes, in order to benefit from study visits planned.

Social skills.

All people involved need to be mature and socially trained, ready to listen to people and ready to change the plans according to experiences made down the project road.

Humbleness.

Owning a project is not the same as owning the truth. We must realise that change takes time, and cultural habits have an inborn inertia.

Timing.

The proposed activities must fit in with the calendars decided by seasons, school terms, vegetation cycles etc.

Co-operation.

Both sides must shoulder the responsibility of planning, monitoring and evaluating together.

Wrong approaches might jeopardize the whole programme. It is of utmost importance that SVEO and LEO design the programme is such a way, that they do not turn people against it. Typical Swedish approaches might be counter -productive. We have to emphasise on activities, which people can clearly conceive of as win-win situations . In order to do that, one needs to have a very close understanding of the local culture on the part of SVEO.

Land/länder    Tanzania

Projektansvariga        MAFDA (vänskoleförening)

Tidsperiod      2010-2011

W hope to win the support of Forum Syd for a project aiming at starting two new courses at Mamtukuna FDC. Target groups are previous and prospective students at Mamtukuna FDC. We expect that the courses can start in January 2011.

Weaving input from Sweden, since it is relatively little known in Tanzania. Basketry will bank on people from local women groups, where basketry is one source of income. The vision is to introduce courses (trades) which can rely on local resources to a very large extent. This goes hand in hand with Forum Syd's objective to improve peoples' living standard, to support sustainable use of natural resources and to alleviate poverty. It also improves the possibilities of the participants to stand on their own two feet, and to be independent citizens of the Tanzanian society.

We have co-operated with many organisations and agents depending on the needs within the project. We have been especially concerned with the co-operation and support of some the women groups around the college.

Demokrati

Ekonomi & försörjning

Folkrörelser & civilsamhälle

Genus/jämställdhet

Miljö

Mänskliga Rättigheter

Finansieringsform - Forum Syd