Presentation of the Estonian partners. GLAS Erasmus+ Project

1. SIKSALI DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Estonia
Kaidi-Mari Liping, Manager

2. ESTONIA
•Population 1,4 mil
•Area 44 000 km2

3. VÕRU COUNTY
• Area 2 305 km2
• Population ca 40 000, with 14 000 of these
people residing in the town of Võru
• Borders with Russia in the east and Latvia in
the South
• The highest peak, the deepest lake, the deepest
valley and the longest river in Estonia are
situated here.
• People speak Võru language- a variety that has
survived the ancient South-Estonia language.

5. SIKSALI DEVELOPMENT
CENTRE
• non-profit organisation in South-Eastern Estonia
• The Centre was established in 2002
• wants to encourage village inhabitants into taking
initiative to improve the life in the countryside
• got it's name from Siksali Elementary School (1910-
1975)

6. SDC’S LOCAL PROJECTS
• Environmental Awareness projects
- Planting my own tree
- Let’s get to know medicinal herbs
- Training “Entrepreneur and environment”
- Wetland creation and maintenance
- A course on traditional architecture and building with traditional, natural
materials
- Competitions of making souvenirs and gifts from natural materials
• Training projects for people living in rural areas
- Promoting Rural Opportunities
- Active citizen
- Development of Local Administration and Democracy in Voki
Village (village plan composition)

7. SDC’S INTERNATIONAL
PROJECTS
• Leonardo da Vinci mobility projects’ hosting – delegations from
Greece, Latvia, Poland, Hungary,Lithuania, Slovenia, Turkey etc
• Leonardo da Vinci pilot project “Inno-prevent” on wellness tourism
(2005-2007)
• Grundtvig project CAERA on rural development, incl rural tourism
and community activisation (2005-2007)
• Leonardo da Vinci pilot project “ How to manage my own skills” to
enable unemployed people to assess their skills and competences in
order to make a career in tourism industry. (2006-2008)
• Grundtvig learning partnership project “CULTOUR” – Cultural
Tourism Development” (2006-2009)
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “MAP:ECVET”, a project on raising
qualification of medical assistance professions (2007-2009)
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “AGRONATUR”, a project
combining active and nature tourism (2007-2009)
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “VALORIS-TIQSS”, aimed to raise
the quality of social care and social services. (2007-2009)

8. SDC’S INTERNATIONAL
PROJECTS
• NORDPLUS Horizontal project “Creation of the Support
System Methodology for Work with Social Risk Families”
(2009-2011)
• Leonardo da Vinci co-operation project „Ecocrafts” on
recycling materials for creating crafts and arts (2009-2011).
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “INTEPA”, a project on
heritage interpretation (2010-2012)
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “GEPAP”, a project in social
care sector (2010-2012)
• LLP - Key Action 4 (Dissemination) / Multilateral Projects,
project “Competence, Cooperation, Communication in the C-E.
N.T.E.R. of Dissemination and Exploitation of EU Project
Results (C-E.N.T.E.R.)”, our role: partner. 2010-2012
• Leonardo da Vinci TOI project “ECONAT”, a project in the
sphere of nature protection. (2011-2013)
• Grundtvig Learning Partnership “What’s on your plate”, a
project on healthy eating (2012-2014)

9. SDC’S INTERESTS (for future
local development projects):
• rural tourism & other alternative economic activities
development in a small community
• involving local people in development issues
• rural development, development issues in a small
local community
• local heritage, culture and history
• preserving old architecture and buildings
• preserving local environment, environmental
awareness raising etc
• sharing experiences with other countries about
community development and training of local
inhabitants
• informal / adult training

10. KAIDI-MARI LIPING
Manager / Chairwoman of Board
• Experience in EU funded projects for ca 15 years.
• One of the founders of Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation
(in 2000), where she performed the task of Project Manager
for 6 years.
• One of the founders and chair-woman of Siksali Development
Centre since its foundation in 2002.
• Involved in all the organisations’ numerous EU as well as
national funded projects.
• Chairwoman of Board of LEADER Local Action Group
“Borderlands Leader” 2006-2011; 2013 - present
• Expert for different Estonian National Agencies (incl the one
for LLP), doing evaluation of project proposals

11. CONTACT INFORMATION
Siksali Development Centre
Kaidi-Mari Liping
GSM +372 55 655 172
E-mail kaidimari@siksali.ee
www.siksali.ee
Postal address: Petseri 10-9 Võru 65610
ESTONIA