Finnish delegation from Raseborg arrived to Grahamstown this Tuesday to reflect on the ongoing cooperation between the municipalities of Makana and Raseborg and discuss the future initiatives in the fields of education, culture, and municipal services.
Finnish delegation from Raseborg arrived to Grahamstown this Tuesday to reflect on the ongoing cooperation between the municipalities of Makana and Raseborg and discuss the future initiatives in the fields of education, culture, and municipal services.
Borje Mattsson, project coordinator for Raseborg, explained how the partnership has been beneficial for both cities: "First, on the mental base, we established this international connection that brought two towns, which are very far geographically, culturally, and by circumstances, closer together. Second, on the concrete base, we managed to create a successful twinning relationship between schools here and in Finland."
For now, teachers and pupils communicate with each other by emails, but in only 2-3 weeks technical arrangements will be made for direct communication via Skype. With this, pupils will be able to establish more personal relationships with each other.
"The twinning program is going very good and we are very impressed how teachers and pupils make use of it," said Edward Ganza from the Makana municipality. Some of the benefits are for instance that "our students are taught English, and our teachers communicate with teachers in Raseborg and exchange ideas," added Ganza.
As part of long term educational goals, the Makana, Raseborg and local departments of education are focusing on preparing an educational model for South Africa, in which they aim to implement the 'Finnish way to teach' the existing curriculum. The education pilot model will be introduced in 2 or 3 years in selected schools on the regional level, and it will aim to improve education process with the current curriculum by focusing on the way teachers share their knowledge with students. Finland has on of the best education systems in the world, so the Makana municipality would benefit from the positive change in teaching processes, explained Ganza.
In regard to improvements of the municipal services, a positive change is also taking place – the Makana municipality made a decision to implement dry or waterless toilets in certain villages. Dry toilets are being used in Finland, but Mattsson explained how the important step at this stage is educating and raising awareness of the positive, sustainable side of such facilities. The Finnish counterpart financed the implantation of the first 15 dry toilets, but they are here also to check on the progress the Makana municipality has made since. Currently, the Finnish representatives are negotiating with the municipality the second part of the sustainability of waterless toilets – to use disposal as fertilizer.
Ganza explained how the cooperation with the Finish is beneficial for the Makana, "There's not really a financial benefit but rather the research capabilities of our Finish partners that are important." Access to such research helps to implement concrete decisions, for example the waterless toilets research gave direction for implementation of dry toilets in rural areas. "We implemented 22 dry toilets in the Seven Fountains alone." The Makana municipality will continue to build new dry toilets facilities according to the budget, but at this point "the education on maintaince is our priority," explained Ganza.
The municipalities are currently also focusing on the environmental waste management, and discussing a new energy plan for the Makana municipality, which focuses on the wind energy, biological gas, reduction of energy consumption. The concrete plans how to implement changes is yet to come.
Finish delegation for culture will visit Grahamstown in the beginning of December to develop different cultural activities that will aim at bridging the 'institutional racism' to create a society of people who are proud of their cultures, and have the courage to express it. As Mattsson added, "The culture in all its forms, for example festivals, need to come from people and not from the state." People are 'doers' and not only audiences, and that's the shift we will focus on.
In 2010, the municipalities of Makana and Raseborg, Finland initiated a cooperation agreement, which would help bridge geographic, cultural, and circumstantial differences between the cities, to invest towards a sustainable future in the fields of education, culture, and municipal services.
