Smallingerland and Gobabis, and Even More So on Improving the Situation of the Most Deprived and the Oldest Namibian - Netherlands Vulnerable Groups, E.G

Smallingerland and Gobabis, and even more so on improving the situation of the most deprived and The oldest Namibian - Netherlands vulnerable groups, e.g. assisting the municipal partnership is between Gobabis Epako Old Age Home and street kids. In and Smallingerland. Gobabis, situated the project named ‘Sida Sores’ (‘Our some 200 km’s east of Windhoek, is the House in the Sun’) day care is provided to main service centre of the semi-desert handicapped children. Smallingerland is Omaheke Region. It has some 16 000 very proud of this project, in which parents formal residents and in addition an are expected to be involved as well, not estimated number of 10 000 informal only in the daily tasks but also in inhabitants. Smallingerland, in the workshops and courses to enhance their northern Dutch province of Friesland, with knowledge and skills in raising their over 54 000 residents, consists of children. The housing in traditional Drachten, its largest community, and rondavels offers warmth in wintertime and several surrounding villages. coolness in summer.

In the late 1980’s Smallingerland Also the private initiative working groups in formulated a policy plan on foreign aid in both Gobabis (Gobabis Working Group) conjunction with a counterpart town in a and Smallingerland (Werkgroep developing country. The aim was to Ontwikkelingssamenwerking develop a strong personal relation with a Smallingerland (WOS) initiate activities. municipality in the South. Friendship, The extensive and solid community basis, instead of only a formal programme, formed by the commitment of inhabitants, should contribute to raise the community’s schools, students, housing associations, awareness on global issues. old people’s homes and other sectors, is a Smallingerland had actively supported the source of pride to everyone involved. The anti-apartheid struggle and it made sense WOS, which has 17 board members, uses to keep up assistance in southern Africa in the projects to inform the public. the post-apartheid era by inviting a town from this region for this partnership. Annually, at least 10 volunteers/ students Gobabis, which has several similarities from Smallingerland go to Gobabis for with Smallingerland, came in sight as a practical work and to assist in various partner through a personal projects. To celebrate the first decade of recommendation. the signing of the agreement in October 2005 over 40 Smallingerland residents The first phase of the co-operation was travelled to Gobabis. Meanwhile a high characterised by getting acquainted, to number of Gobabis representatives have become friends, to establish reciprocity. A visited the Netherlands to participate in process with ups and downs. On a municipal training programmes on various municipal level Gobabis was assisted in topics such as waste management, civic exchange of information on democratic participation, social housing. Exchange processes. Se of its officials visited the programmes between participating Netherlands. Gradually some project churches in Gobabis and Smallingerland priorities were formulated. It was only after lead to visits to and from of pastors and five years, in 1995, that the first official church leaders. visit from Smallingerland to Gobabis took place and a more official relation was As for the planned focus on HIV/AIDS established, with the signing of a activities in town twinning programmes, Friendship Treaty. Gobabis mayor, Mr. the WOS will concentrate on awareness Pijoo Nganate typified this treaty as “Do raising by small-scale projects. not give us fish, but teach us how to fish”. Furthermore, in order to assist vulnerable Since then initiatives to co-operate with people obtaining a sense of perspective, Gobabis and its people accelerated. support will be given to income generating Projects focus on municipal organisation, projects.