"At the end of the project, the Nankumba area in Mangochi will have been fully covered, and twenty thousand new homes will have access to clean potable water in less than 500 meters away from the houses", says Stefan Jon Hafstein, ICEIDA Country Director in Malawi.  

"I am extremely pleased with the trust shown, when I was selected to be the next Director Generel for the Icelandic International Development Agency. Current times are both difficult and exciting for the agency. Massive budget cuts have of course been painful for both the operation and the staff, but we are confident that we will have reached the bottom this year," says Engilbert Gudmundsson, the new DG for ICEIDA.

Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson has submitted a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on a Strategy for Iceland's Development Cooperation 2011-2014. The strategic plan is presented in accordance with Act No 121/2008 on Iceland's International Development Cooperation. This is the first time that a comprehensive strategy and plan of action for Iceland's development cooperation is tabled in parliament.

This year, the Icelandic International Development Agency will finalises the development of a 5-year programme in public health in cooperations with the authorities in Mangochi district in Malawi.

The ICEIDA Country Office and the Embassy of Iceland in Uganda have recently shifted from the East African Development Bank building in the center of Kampala to new premises on Akii-Bua Road.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and ICEIDA (Icelandic International Development Agency) have introduced new guidelines for the allocation of grants to Icelandic NGOs involved in development cooperation or emergency and humanitarian assistance.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ossur Skarphedinsson, has appointed Mr. Engilbert Gudmundsson to the position of Director General for the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA).

A recent review of ICEIDA´s  Entrepreneurship Training Programme in Uganda carried out in collaboration with the University of Reykjavik and Uganda Investment Authority, reveals that the project has been a success and has created many new employment opportunities in the country.

“The joint projects undertaken by ICEIDA and the Ministry of Education over the past few years have created such a momentum of change that it will hardly be stopped. Already, responsibilities of many of the project components have been transferred to Namibian organisations and agencies,” said Dr Vilhjalmur Wiium ICEIDA's Country Director in Namibia at the end of a two days conference in Namibia that was organised to discuss educational matters and employment opportunities of the Deaf. He was asked asked whether progress in the education of the Deaf will stop after the closure of ICEIDA´s office in Namibia at the end of the year.

As of January next year, Sign Language education will be offered at the University of Namibia (UNAM). “Yes, this important milestone has now been confirmed by the University Senate,” says Davíð Bjarnason, Project Manager for social projects at ICEIDA´s Country Office in Namibia. One of the main objectives of ICEIDA´s support to Deaf education is the development and recognition of the Namibian Sign Language. Sign Language education at the University is therefore an acknowledgement of the importance of Sign Language in the education of deaf children in Namibian society, says Davíð.

ICEIDA has, for the last two years, supported Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Namibia. In this support the agency has emphasised the training of educarers for kindergartens. “Initially, the plan was to provide more extensive support to ECD, but following the economic collapse in Iceland, it became clear that only very limited funding would be available” says Davíð Bjarnason, Project Manager for Social Projects in Namibia.

In june, country directors were replaced in two of ICEIDA´s partner countries, Mozambique and Uganda. Ágústa Gísladóttir took over as country director in Mozambique and Gísli Pálsson in Uganda.

ICEIDA´s Annual Report for the year 2009 has been published. It is published both in Icelandic and English and covers in detail ICEIDA´s activities in Iceland's partner countries in bilateral development cooperation.

The drilling of the last seven boreholes for the Ovahimba has been completed. The Ovahimba are nomads who live in the northern part of Namibia and they are receiving 33 water points from Icelanders before ICEIDA will leave the country after twenty years of cooperation. The water points will be handed over later this year. Gunnar Salvarsson, ICIEDA´s PR Manager went with Davíð Bjarnason Project Manager in Namibia to a meeting with the Ovahimba and met with Kanjokatungu Tjiumbua, who is the acting chairman of the waterpoint-committee in Etara.

“Focused development cooperation is a part of Iceland's determined effort to regain trust and show in action that we have concerns for the poorest inhabitants of the world,” says Össur Skarphéðinsson Minister for Foreign Affairs.

“Iceland is surely one of the leading nations in regards to knowledge on utilising renewable energy resources - especially geothermal heat. However, it's in line with the arrogance of chauvinism, which brought on our collapse, to believe that we stand in front of other nations. Surely our knowledge and experience is extensive, but other nations, such as Japan, USA, New Zealand and Italy also possess great knowledge. Our opportunity to utilise our knowledge for world progress are infinite,” says Sighvatur Björgvinsson Director General of ICEIDA.

A new site with information on development finance has been opened: http://www.aiddata.org/. 

According to AidData, the site “attempts to capture the universe of development finance and foreign aid, increase the value of data by providing more descriptive information about development activities, provide data in an accessible format, and strengthen efforts to improve donor and recipient strategic planning and coordination.”

Around thirty students at the Windhoek College of Education have chosen Sign Language as an elective subject. This option was offered for the first time last year as a result of ICEIDA´s support to Namibian Sign Language, but ICEIDA´s largest project in Namibia is support to Deaf Education. Around fifteen students are in their first year and similar number in their second year.

“People who work within the development sector have the opportunity to be a part of improving changing peoples´ living standards and that is both an appealing concept and an amazing experience. Through your job you are able to see changes in peoples´ lives and it´s an incredibly good feeling to be a part of greater quality of life,” says Drífa Hrönn Kristjánsdóttir who is the project manager for ICEIDA´s largest project until now, the support to Kalangala District Development Plan in the islands in Lake Victoria in Uganda. The Project started in 2006 and will end in 2015.

Just over 50% of the inhabitants in some of the fishing villages in Ssese islands in Uganda are infected by HIV/AIDS and in general, the proportion of infected keeps rising, according to Dr. Hillary Mitakalamire, who manages health care in the district office in Buggala Island. The migrants´ way of life, moving from one place to the other, is the main reason for the spreading of HIV/AIDS. Because of the geographical position and transportation difficulties only few of the infected are receiving medical treatment, only one out of every ten.

Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, both in African sea and lakes, involve enormous foregone revenue for the poorest inhabitants of the continent. “ICEIDA´s and Norway's support to the Ministry of Fisheries in Mozambique includes actions against this exploitation” says Guðmundur Valur Stefánsson, ICEIDA´s Project Manager in Mozambique.

“For the few months I have been with ICEIDA, I have noticed that this is a development arm that is so much focused on results and accountability. With a dedicated team that goes an extra mile to achieve grass root results from the remotest areas of the country,” says Leah Sepuya Office Coordinator at ICEIDA´s country office in Kampala, but she took over the job late last year. "I think we are doing a great job concerning development in Uganda,” she says.

Local project officers have increasingly been employed at ICEIDA in Uganda. Only one Icelandic project manager, Geir Oddsson, works at ICEIDA´s country office in Kampala, but Drífa H. Kristjánsdóttir is the project manager in ICEIDA´s support to the Kalangala District Development Programme. Both Drífa and Geir tend to supervision and follow-up rather than implementation.

Newly elected parliamentarian for the Monkey Bay constituency in Mangochi district in Malawi, Ralph Jooma, recently visited ICEIDA staff in the area and introduced himself with the development projects implemented in cooperation with local inhabitants. He said he detected great enjoyment among locals with ICEIDA activities which he considered not only visible but also very beneficial for development in Monkey Bay.

The projects include a health project, water and sanitation project and social projects with special emphasis on adult education and literacy. Just over 110 thousand people inhabit the area.

ICEIDA´s support to Uganda’s Functional Adult Literacy Programme in the island districts on Lake Victoria was mentioned as an example of effective cooperation on a yearly convention on community development in Uganda held in November. According to Geir Oddsson, ICEIDA´s Project Manager in Kampala, Ugandan government is changing their emphasis in adult education, putting increased emphasis on integrating the education to the various sectors of the community.

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Representatives of the governments of Mozambique, Norway and Iceland renewed an agreement on co-operation in the fisheries sector for the next four years. The agreement involves Iceland’s first co-financed project in development cooperation, but both Norway and Iceland have supported the fisheries sector in Mozambique for quite some time through technical and financial support. Sighvatur Björgvinsson, Director General of ICEIDA, signed the agreement on behalf of Iceland in Maputo.

13.11.2009

This week, ICEIDA handed over to the local authorities of Ohangwena-county in Namibia three new classrooms for a new primary school for Deaf children. The classrooms are the first ones in the Usko Nghaamwa School in the town of Eenhana.

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Deaf theatre, The Dream Workshop, recently produced two plays in Namibia, in cooperation with the Department of Drama in Windhoek’s Art School and the National Theatre in Namibia. Showing the pieces were a part of ICEIDA´s Sign Language Project in Namibia, but one of the project’s objectives is to raise awareness of the culture and status of the Deaf in the country. For primary school children the play Bring on the Clowns was staged and for adults the piece Deaf Stories. Both of the performances were very well accepted.

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Jo Tore Berg has been hired as a Project Manager for Social Projects in Malawi and will commence his duties in May. Jo has a Bachelors´ degree in Anthropology and a Masters´ degree in Anthropology and Development Studies. His Thesis “We are on Development” builds on his field work in Malawi in 2006 and addresses debates and experiences of participants in the ICEIDA supported Adult Literacy Project in Monkey Bay. Jo worked in ICEIDA´s Head Office in 2008 and before that he was an intern in Malawi. Jo has also worked as a part-time teacher at the University of Iceland and taught a course on theories in development studies.

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The general idea is to change attitudes and secure quality assurance of fish products for consumption in Uganda and for export with a new project which was undersigned recently by ICEIDA and the Government of Uganda. According to Gunnar Þórðarson, Project Manager in Fisheries in Uganda, the support includes re-organising quality assurance and training of inspectors who will be responsible for surveillance and training in the fishing communities and the Beach Management Units by Lake Victoria, Lake Albert and Koyoga. Close cooperation will be with district authorities and fishermen associations.

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Sidik Mia, the Minister of water in Malawi believes that the Icelandic water and sanitation project in Mangochi District can be a pioneer for similar projects in other areas in the future. Recently, the minister familiarised himself with the project’s effect on local daily life and talked to ICEIDA staff about the progress. The visit of the minister and his escorts was reported in Malawi’s second biggest newspaper.  

Belgian Development Cooperation (DGDC) has requested partnership in ICEIDA´s support to the Entrepreneurship Training Programs (ETP) in Uganda, which is carried out in partnership with Uganda’s investment office. Belgium will contribute 500 thousand euros towards the project. With increased budget, the project period can be extended until 2011, the number of training courses increased and more entrepreneurs will be able to get training.

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“It is far from easy to get support to go to university and this is an opportunity of which I will take full advantage. The school opens up my eyes to different issues, improves my chances of finding work and last but not least, the university studies have maturing effects on me,” says Moses Thomas, a young Malawian, who is the first student from the Namazizi-school who was chosen by the state to study at university level.

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A new adult educational project has begun in Mozambique’s poorest county, Inhambane. Representatives from ICEIDA and the Ministry of Education and Culture in Mozambique signed a partnership contract at the end of March and the official launch of the project was celebrated recently with festivities in Jangamo-district. The project is set for four years and the main purpose is to assist the educational authorities to improve adult education in the county.

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“When you see it black and white that our work is effective you cannot be anything but pleased,” says Stella Samúelsdóttir, ICEIDA’s Project Manager for social projects in Malawi. It is confirmed in a new report from the district authorities in Mangochi that the educational policy that ICEIDA and the heads of the municipality in Monkey Bay have upheld has resulted in better education, increased school attendance and more teachers than in other parts of the district.

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Curriculum for practical English has recently been published with the support of ICEIDA in Uganda and it will be a part of the adult education in the country which Icelanders support. Instructors will be trained in the near future and the plan is to start using the new curriculum in the middle of the year. Lilja Dóra Kolbeinsdóttir, ICEIDA’s Project Manager in Uganda, estimates that in the beginning ten thousand people will benefit from the new curriculum.

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The time for assessment and re-evaluation of Iceland’s development cooperation is upon us according to Sigurbjörg Sigurgeirsdóttir, administration consultant. Her exposition and recommendations to the Minister for Foreign Affairs have been published regarding the organisation of Iceland’s development cooperation within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Sigurbjörg recommends, among other things, that a third sector will be established within the Ministry, a development cooperation sector. She also suggests that the role of ICEIDA as a specialised agency should be enhanced and that ICEIDA should operate as a special institution which belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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A maternal house built for Icelandic development contribution, was recently opened in the village La Cruz de Rio Grande in Nicaragua. Gísli Pálsson, ICEIDA’s Country Director in the country, handed over the house and gave a speech at the opening. The maternal house in La Cruz is the fifth and last house in this phase that is built for Icelandic funds.

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In four out of ICEIDA’s six partner countries the Country Director will be replaced this year. Three new Country Directors will start working, Geir Oddsson in Nicaragua, Stefán Jón Hafstein in Malawi and Tumi Tómasson who goes to Sri Lanka. Two Country Directors take positions and ICEIDA’s headquarters in Reykjavík, Ágústa Gísladóttir and Gísli Pálsson.

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Ágústa Gísladóttir, ICEIDA’s Country Director in Uganda, recently handed-over the first floor of the administrative building in Mukono District. Icelanders’ contribution to the building is one of the many parts of ICEIDA’s adult education project in the district which covers two island clusters on Lake Victoria.

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Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, the Minister for Foreign Affair, presented a new bill today regarding Iceland’s international development cooperation. According to the bill, the position and role of ICEIDA will be unchanged but a special law concerning the agency from 1981 will be revoked.

Deaf sign language teachers graduated for the first time after a three month course which was held under the auspices of the Communications Centre for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired as well as ICEIDA. The Icelandic institutions work together on a three year development project which is called “The Signs Talk” in collaboration with educational authorities in Namibia.

A health centre which the Red Cross and ICEIDA built together in Mozambique has been officially opened and handed over to the health authorities in Mozambique to run.

ICEIDA has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Fisheries in Mozambique on two new fisheries projects. One project pertains to further cooperation with IIP, Fisheries Research Institute, concerning research on the reservoir in Cahora Bassa in northern Mozambique. The other project pertains to establishing fish processing and fish quality program at the Fishing school in Matola.

Talks with the Government of Nicaragua about development cooperation concerning energy affairs are about to begin in the capital Managua. According to Gísli Pálsson, Country Director for ICEIDA, the new Sandinistas government is interested to speed up development and implementation of energy affairs and get Icelandic companies to collaborate.

ICEIDA plans to allocate about 280 million Icelandic kronur (ISK) to development projects in Malawi in the fiscal year 2007. Amounting to about a quarter of the approved budget for 2007. In a operating budget for 2007, recently approved by the Board of ICEIDA, the cost for approved projects in 2007 will be over 1,200 million ISK.

Icelandic International Development Agency, (ICEIDA) has, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Security, the University of Iceland and the Primary Health Care Organisation of Reykjavík Capital Area, organised a conference on health services in low-income countries, Friday, 29 September, in Reykjavik. Its main objective is to stimulate discussion and understanding in Iceland of the challenges health services face in poor countries. It also aims to present and discuss the support of ICEIDA to the health services in the Monkey Bay area in Malawi, one of Iceland's partner countries.

Thirteen represtentavies from governmental development aid agencies in all the Nordic countries met in Reykjavik for a two day coordination meeting on fisheries development aid. Main trends and advances in fisheries development worldwide were the top subjects in addition to an exchange of information on current and potential Nordic fisheries development aid projects.

Gunnar Salvarsson has joined ICEIDA as a Public Relations Officer at ICEIDA´s head office in Reykjavik.

Maria Luiz Fernandez, veterinarian from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique and the head of one of three Fish Inspection Laboratories in the country, defended her M.Sc.-thesis in microbiology at the University of Iceland last monday