ELA Newsletter # 1

ELA News 1 - April 1, 2009
This is an electronic newsletter of the Empowerment and Local Action (ELA) team, Women in Europe for a Common Future. Please, contact Tetyana Penteado for questions, news to be included and all other information.

Contents of this issue:

1. Introduction to this newsletter.
2. ELA Program over view.
3. ELA Team.
4. ELA beyond 2009: Funding perspectives.
5. Upcoming events.

1. Introduction to Newsletter
Dear partners,

You are reading the first newsletter of the WECF Empowerment and Local Action program. The program started in 2007 with three preparatory meetings in Moldova, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. Since then, the new program has developed, has assumed shape and found mechanisms. Participating organizations have become acquainted with it. Some have found their place; some are still searching for it. Nevertheless, the ELA program, as on a whole - being new - will develop further to come to its own. This newsletter has the aim of supporting this process, enhancing the exchange of information, giving ELA a voice. The ELA newsletter will be published on an irregular basis. It will always contain an update of events in ELA, provide information important for all ELA members. It is also designed to inform all participants about selected projects. Please feel free to submit such information on your projects, so that it could be distributed among all ELA partners. This first newsletter will describe the program and the ELA support team of the WECF secretariat. Please, let us know how you like it and what you would like to read about so that the newsletter could develop into a tool serving your interests as ELA partners.

Gero Fedtke (ELA Programme coordinator)

2. Introduction of ELA Program

Dear partners of the ELA program,

In 2008, WECF launched the Empowerment and Local Action (ELA) Program with 29 partners from most EECCA countries and Afghanistan. Through trainings, knowledge exchange, and in cooperation with universities and partner organizations, the ELA program is designed to build the capacity of rural communities as well as of local NGOs, private sector and authorities to understand, apply, and promote technologies in the four thematic areas, enhancing the capacity available in the WECF network at the same time. The four key thematic areas of the ELA program are drinking water supply, sanitation (e.g. urine diverting dry toilets), sustainable agriculture, and energy saving and renewable energies. The aim of ELA is to integrate these areas as the basic thematic components of a sustainable rural development. Together, we research, test, improve, and demonstrate affordable solutions best suited to address local needs and solve or mitigate local problems. Communities and NGOs are empowered to act on their local levels towards a sustainable future for themselves. Members of the WECF network make the voices of the local communities heard, and lobby politicians on the regional, national, and international level to include the integrated approaches in their policies.

It has been a new challenge for WECF to coordinate a program of that size, trying to make a difference, also in ways, which are different from the usual. Many of you cooperated for the first time within the WECF network. We at the WECF secretariat are very happy to see the results of the first year. It is amazing what all of you accomplished together.

To single out the sanitation part, you have constructed many good dry urine diverting toilets, although many learned about the technology for the first time. Urine Diverting Dry Toilets (UDDT) have been constructed for 2545 people in households, and 6414 pupils and teachers in schools (preliminary data). A lot of knowledge has been passed on and awareness raised. More than 12000 people have been informed about hygiene, sanitation, UDDT proper operation and maintenance, 1456 people have been trained to build such toilets, and 669 to be trainers on sanitation.
The partner organizations of the ELA program have learned from each other during exchange visits, study tours, trainings, and conferences. All together has enhanced the knowledge and experience available in the WECF network!

And you have achieved all these results under difficult circumstances: we all are experiencing the world’s economic crisis; the prices’ rise has made the previous calculations obsolete. Energy supply has been cut frequently - neither computers nor heating systems worked. Many of you have experienced hardships caused by politics, pressure from mistrusting officials, even bloodshed caused by interstate conflict. The more respect you deserve for carrying on with your work.

The ELA program has now started its second year. Let us continue striving for opening perspectives for a sustainable future.
I wish us all a fruitful 2009 year.

3. Introduction of ELA Team
Gero Fedtke
Coordinator of the ELA program. Joined WECF in 2005. Studied Russian and Soviet History at Cologne University. Married, 3 children. The world of the former Soviet Union opened up for me when the Iron Curtain was lifted. Studying countries, and their histories, I discovered a fascinating world to which I feel very connected and to which I owe very much. With my work, I hope to be able to give something back and contribute positively to the present and future.

Toos van Oers
Together with Gero I coordinate the ELA program, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. I focus mainly on the managerial aspects of coordinating the program and the agricultural activities. I studied at the Agricultural University in Wageningen, the Netherlands. After my studies I lived and worked in several African and Asian countries. The countries of the former Soviet Union form a whole new world for me, but it is fascinating to work with all of you. I am married and have 2 children.

Anna Samwel
My function in the ELA team is to keep in touch with the ELA partners in Eastern Europe and Caucasus. I have an overview about what is going on in the project regions, and can act as a bridge between different actors in our network. Practically, this includes organizing trainings around the knowledge demands of partners, identifying and discussing opportunities and problems, initiating contacts and new cooperation's and sometimes reporting. I enjoy my work because of the inspiring contact with our partners, villagers and other people I meet on my travels. I learn every day because of the diverse nature of my life with WECF.

Fedde Jorritsma
Since my childhood I wanted to see something of the world. I studied water ecology and international land & water management because water always had interested me. It is the basic of live! In Kenya I did a research about sand-dams, in Suriname I lived with the interiors to see how they manage their lands. For two years, I have been working with WECF. Most of my working time I spent in Central Asia, being a link between our target countries and the offices in the Netherlands and Germany. Peoples’ warm mentality and the beautiful nature makes Central Asia a second home for me. WECF makes it possible to make people environmentally aware, share experiences and bring this to politics. I hope to contribute towards sustainable, ecological and innovative changes in Central Asia. I see my role in this process as facilitator by giving workshops, consultations and creating a platform for knowledge exchange.

Farida Shorukova
Project assistant for Central Asia region in ELA program. I studied Environmental Engineering in Jalalabat, Kyrgyzstan and then did a master study in Germany in the same area. I started in WECF with internship in November 2006. I am very happy to be a part of WECF. My role in ELA team is to keep track of all documentation and communicate with partners, especially Central Asian partners, to support other ELA team members. I enjoy my work very much because I work with strong people, I learn to see things from different points, and I learn that we can do a lot of good things with less means.

Olga Plekhanova
I am a project assistant and share my responsibilities with Farida. I am responsible for South Caucasus and Eastern Europe regions. I did my Bachelor study in German language and foreign literature in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 2005-2007 I studied at the Master Program "Central Asian and Caucasus studies" at the Humboldt University in Berlin. During my study (summer 2007) I got an opportunity to do my internship with WECF: Together with three other colleagues (Tamar, Guzel and Ketevan) we were collecting base-line studies in the regions for the ELA program. After that I participated at the start-up meeting in Kyrgyzstan. In October 2007 I moved to the Netherlands and started working for the ELA. I very much enjoy working with so many enthusiastic and dedicated people, who are "moving people to the world in balance". Thanks to all of you!!!

4. ELA Beyond 2009: Funding Perspectives

Dear Partners,

The ELA Program has been designed for duration of three years at the beginning. Funding for these first three years had partially been provided by the Dutch Government, but WECF had to raise additional funding to cover the expenditure originally planned. WECF has been writing many applications to several donors for an overall amount of 7 Mio EUR in 2008. Unfortunately, most proposals were not accepted by donors. This puts limitations on ELA for 2010. At the moment, we have almost no money available for projects for 2010 unless we can secure more cofunding. We will try our best to make funds available for at least monitoring and supporting the demonstration objects of 2008 and 2009.

We will continue to try and raise additional funding, and we invite all partners of the ELA program to join this effort. Concrete perspectives so far are limited either to certain regions or countries (mostly Central Asia) and / or to certain topics. An additional problem is that our fundraiser Gemma is on baby-leave, and that we have not been able to find a replacement of the same calibre. Gemma will be back in October 2009.

The topics with the best perspectives are currently climate change, energy saving and renewable energies. In the sphere of water and sanitation, the Water and Health Protocol opens perspectives. It is also possible to make links between these topics, e.g. biogas can make the link between sanitation and energy, but also with agriculture.

At the World Water Forum in Istanbul, participating ELA partners discussed the funding possibilities and what every ELA partner can do to help continuing the ELA program. All partners are invited to send their ideas, and share information with all other ELA partners, especially about those donor countries and programs who are the main donors for their countries. We agreed that it would be useful to share a database of existing donors of the ELA program (short and simple; Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation, Foundation Ensemble France, German Ministry of Environment) and potential donors. Important is also the link to businesses, both to businessmen and women who could provide co-funding, as well as to involving business into projects, providing real income generations perspectives. At the same time, with business we need to have criteria, for example, WECF cannot accept funds from companies involved in chemicals and pesticides, weapons and nuclear, and this list of criteria might have to be extended.

We are pleased that at the WWF5 in Istanbul we have been able to present your and our work to several potential new donors, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Finland and Germany, and we are also in discussion with the European Commission exterior relations, so all is not entirely grim for 2010, and we will keep all of you informed.

Sascha Gabizon, WECF Executive Director

5. Upcoming Events
• April 6-9th, Osh, Kyrgyzstan: Participatory Hygiene and Ecological Sanitation Transformation (PHAEST). For more information please contact Fedde Jorritsma.
• April 21-25th, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Advanced Course on Sustainable Sanitation. For more information please contact Fedde Jorritsma.
• April 28-30th, Osh/Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Ecosan & Farmer(groups). For more information please contact Fedde Jorritsma.

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