ESTDEV Launches 11 New Projects in Africa, with its Estonian Partners
The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has unveiled 11 projects that have been awarded funding – totalling €300,000 – in a call for proposals for the African region.
The aim of the call was to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, and Botswana while focusing on education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The chosen activities are in line with Estonia’s international development cooperation priorities and foster a team spirit in ongoing initiatives.
The call for proposals sought activities that correspond with the following goals:
- The Twin Transition: supporting the green and digital transitions
- Digital Skills and Entrepreneurship: supporting the implementation of recently-launched education reforms, the introduction of modern teaching methods, and the development of digital skills amongst the populace
- Digital Services and Good Governance: supporting human-centred e-solutions and the introduction of good governance
“We are pleased to know that Estonia’s private and third sectors’ interest in operating in our African partner countries has been growing. Interest in the open call for project proposals exceeded all of our expectations – both in the number and the quality of project ideas. We wish the best of luck to the funded projects, all of which contribute to the development of our partner countries, strengthen partnerships, and bring home important experiences,” said Nelli Maria Timm, ESTDEV’s Regional Advisor for Africa.
About the Winning Projects
NGO Mondo‘s project empowers the West Nile Education Cluster in their development of Ugandan teachers’ digital competences. These competences will provide teachers with better skills and knowledge for implementing modern teaching methods and will support the improvement of students’ digital skills, which in turn will increase the employability of both pupils and teachers.
The project from BCS Koolitus helps to establish initial project plans for priority areas in Namibia, which will dedicate up to five years to developing digital competences in local companies. This project will include a more detailed action plan and pilot training on the ground in one specific area of digital skills. Also included in the project will be master classes and workshops targeted toward small and mid-sized Namibian companies, where such project plans for digital skills will be developed.
The objective of the Foundation for Technology Education Promotion’s project is to support the implementation of education reforms launched in Kenya, the introduction of modern teaching methods, and the development of digital skills among the population. A curriculum promoting digital literacy in schools will be developed for school administrators, educational technologists, and teachers.
The Digital Nation OÜ project seeks to create a comprehensive digital roadmap for Namibia, with a realistic timetable and priorities.
NGO Latitude59’s project will create a more transparent and coherent business ecosystem in Kenya, based on Estonian success stories and best practices. The pivotal activity, and result of the project, will be a satellite event of the startup technology conference Latitude59 in Nairobi, which brought international success in Estonia.
The aim of NGO Creative Estonia’s project is to raise awareness about heritage-based and creative entrepreneurship in Namibia, all while applying digital technologies and engaging young people. Young people participating in the programme will gain knowledge about product development, entrepreneurship, the circular economy, and digital technologies.
The Cybernetica AS project supports the Namibian government in putting the Nam-X data exchange platform into action, including strengthening cooperation between related organisations as they implement the platform and conduct supporting activities.
Tallinn University of Technology’s project will carry out a best practices seminar and training programme, called “Entrepreneurial Minds”, in Namibia, where achievement of the SDGs in the fields of green technology and the circular economy will be introduced.
Garage48’s project builds on the experience of its “Empowering the Startup Community” workshops and hackathons and aims to foster collaboration and innovation between support organisations in the startup ecosystem in Kenya.
Based on Estonia’s long-term experience in the development of green technologies and the digital sector, the NGO Cleantech ForEst project establishes a foundation for the development of Kenya’s green and digital economy, a communication system to foster further interaction, and sustainable communication links with the Estonian ecosystem.
The project presented by the Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol Foundation raises awareness regarding environmental and climate issues in Namibia and applies the principles of entrepreneurship and the circular economy by implementing a pre-accession programme to foster a local start-up ecosystem.
Estonian development cooperation support is aimed at fulfilling foreign policy goals. The organisation of the call for proposals and open calls, as well as the target countries and goals, is agreed upon in the agreement between ESTDEV and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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