SIKSALI DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Institutional profile (CV)
Siksali Development Centre is a non-profit organisation in South-Eastern Estonia. This is one of the most underdeveloped
parts of the country, with biggest unemployment and lowest salaries. The Centre was established, in order to help local people
to find new ideas for alternative economic activities, so that they would not give up hope. The situation in the villages is not
very promising - young people are leaving to towns, a lot of men have a drinking problem etc. The Centre wants to encourage
village inhabitants into taking initiative and at least trying to find something to do.
The Centre was established in 2002. We have completed several local, regional, as well as international projects. Our first
international co-operation project was on local development issues - "Development of Local Administration and Democracy in
Voki Village" with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. Within the one year project different seminars and trainings
were carried out for village people and the final result was composing a draft of local village development plan. SDC was lead
partner and project manager.
We also have carried out a youth-exchange project between Estonian and Finnish rural sportive children (SDC was lead
partner and project manager) and have been involved as partners in other youth camp & integration projects. We have also
hosted many Leonardo mobility projects, mainly in the field of rural tourism (delegations from Greece, Poland, Latvia, Finland,
Ireland, Turkey, Slovenia) and Visby mobility project (delegations from Sweden, Russia, Ukraine). From autumn 2003-2005,
we were partners in a Joint Action project - Promoting Rural Opportunities & Cultural Traditions. We carried out different
training courses for young women living in rural areas who wanted start up their own enterprise or improve their position on the
labour market.
From autumn 2005-2007 we were partners in a 2-year Leonardo da Vinci pilot project INNOPREVENT - Health Care Advice
and Prevention for the Medical and Qualified Medical Laboratory Professions in Europe with Special Reference to Wellness
and Tourism. The project provided training material to wellness consultants. From autumn 2005-2007 we were also partners in
a 2-year Grundtvig 1 project CAERA - Curriculum for Adult Education in Rural Areas. The project combined the themes of rural
activation and rural tourism in a set of training courses and support activities for the European rural inhabitants.
From autumn 2006-2008 we were partners in a 2-year Leonardo da Vinci pilot project: project “How to manage my own skills”
to enable unemployed people to assess their skills and competence in order to make a career in tourism industry. From
autumn 2007-2009 we were involved in three LLL projects: 1) MAP ECVET, a project on raising qualification of medical
assistance professions, where our role is dissemination. 2) AGRONATUR, a project combining active and nature tourism. 3)
VALORIS, a project aimed to raise the quality of social care and social services.
In 2010-2012 we are involved in two LLL ToI projects – one in the field of nature and culture and the other in the social care
sector. From 2009-2011 we are co-ordinating a NORDPLUS Horizontal project “Creation of the Support System Methodology
for Work with Social Risk Families” and involved as a partner in LdV co-operation project on recycling materials for creating
crafts and arts.
We’re also involved in several other EU co-operation initiatives and are all the time looking for new possible ways of cooperation. Recently we were lead partners and co-ordinators for a 3 year Grudtvig learning partnership project in the field of
Culture Tourism as well as for a Swedish Institute Visby programme funded adult education project targeted at rural areas. We
feel that co-operation with other countries is of great benefit to our organisation and target groups, especially in rural areas.
Siksali Development Centre was also administrating and co-ordinating Environmental Awareness Projects in Võru county from
2003-2009. We formed a working group which decided, which projects to finance.
Local inhabitants in our region are very excited, that some activity is going on - they really appreciate it. That is why we are
also looking for possibilities of participating in projects initiated by other countries' local development organisations. We're also
helping other local organisations and entrepreneurs write project applications and find contacts from other countries, as not all
people are skilled in this yet.
We would like to get involved in projects that deal with local development issues.
We are interested in and working with the following topics:
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
Siksali Development Centre got it's name from Siksali Elementary School, which used to be a village centre from 1910-1975
(through times of Czarist Russia, Estonian Republic and Soviet Estonia), as a schoolhouse worked there. Now it has been
standing totally empty for over 10 years and the wooden building was in very bad shape. Development Centre wants to turn
the big classroom into a training room once again - where trainings for local people as well as others can be carried out.
Renovation work has started already and classroom renovation will be finished by the end of 2005.
Kaidi-Mari Liping, the manager of Siksali Development Centre has had 6 years working experience with Estonian Rural
Tourism Organisation (ERTO) – being responsible for co-operation projects and foreign relations (writing project applications
and managing projects in rural tourism). From 2006, K-M Liping is Chairwoman of a LEADER programme local action group
Borderlands Leader. She is also used by Enterprise Estonia as an expert to evaluate projects applying grants, incl from ESTLAT programme. She is also used by Leonardo da Vinci National Agency as an expert evaluating Leonardo da Vinci mobility
and pilot projects. K-M Liping and her husband Aigar Liping have set up their own family company and are renovating an old
house, where they will start providing tourism services. A. Liping, working also for SDC, is already involved for many years in
providing hiking trips in the nature and has the certificates of being an active tourism and nature tourism trainer. He is actively
working with disadvantaged groups (eg children and youth from ophranages, schools for children with special needs and
learning difficulties) for more than 5 years.
Projects carried out by SDC or where we act as a partner:
1. "Development of Local Administration and Democracy in Voki Village" , Funded by Nordic Council of Ministers.
Within the one year project different seminars and trainings were carried out for village people and the final result
was composing a draft of local village development plan. 2002-2003. International cooperation project, our role:
lead partner.
2. Youth-exchange project "With open eyes in Võru county" between Estonian and Finnish rural sportive children ,
Funded by Nordic Council of Ministers. A group of Finnish youngsters participated in a youth camp in Estonia.
2003. Cross border cooperation project, our role: lead partner.
3. Project "Promoting Rural Opportunities & Cultural Traditions". Funded by EU Joint Action programme. The project
will carry out different training courses for young women living in rural areas who would like to start up their own
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enterprise. 2003-2005. International cooperation project, our role: partner. Contract no 113079-JA-1-2003-1-UKJOINT CALL-ACYP
Leonardo da Vinci Agreement No EL/2003/EX/31 exchange project “New methods of organizing – training for the
safety in harbor facilities”. 2003. International cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
Socrates Erasmus Thematic Network "ESTIA-Net " 2003-2005. International cooperation project, our role: partner.
The only project related with negative experiences – as the number of partners involved is over 50, it is impossible
for the lead partner to manage the project and also impossible therefore for the other partners to know, what
exactly is expected from them. Therefore, even though we are officially a partner, we have withdrawn from the
activities of the project.
Environmental Awareness Project “My own tree”, funded by Environment Investment Centre. 2004. Local project.
Local project “Teaching school-children how to plant a tree”, funded by Open Estonia Foundation. 2004
Leonardo da Vinci mobility exchange programme, host for Contract PL/03/A/Exd/174112 “Agrotourism – new
possibilities of vocational and educational training”. 2004. International cooperation project, our role: hosting
partner.
Training “Active citizen I” and “Active citizen II”, funded by Open Estonia Foundation. 2004, 2005. Local project.
Trainings “Promoting Rural Oppurtunities: Personal Development and Entrepreneurship”. Funded by the Ministry of
Agriculture. 2004, 2005 Local project, providing co-funding for the international co-operation project.
Visby programme exchange project “Rural Tourism, Region of Halland and Estonia – Learning and contact project
in the field of rural tourism and rural development” with Swedish Halland region. Hosting a study tour of Swedish
rural tourism entrepreneurs to South Estonia. August 2004. International cooperation project, our role: hosting
partner.
Environmental Awareness Project “Let’s get to know medicinal herbs”, funded by Environment Investment Centre.
2004. Local project.
Environmental Awareness Project “Training “Entrepreneur and Environment””, funded by Environment Investment
Centre. 2004. Local project.
Environmental Awareness Project “Wetland creation and maintenance”, funded by Environment Investment Centre.
2005. Local project.
Crime prevention project “A future for us as well”, financed by Estonian Ministry of Justice. 2005. Local project.
Training project “Tourism Training for Women in Võru county”, financed by Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Communications. 2005. Local project, providing co-funding for the international co-operation project.
International adult education co-operation project “Network of expertise in rural development”, financed by Swedish
Institute’s Visby Programme. 2005-2006. International cooperation project, our role: lead partner.
Leonardo da Vinci mobility project “The impact of tourism and ecotourism on the environment and the local
society”, hosting a Greek delegation in Estonia. 2005. International cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
Leonardo da Vinci mobility project “Exchange of experience in natural and partly natural farms”, hosting a Latvian
delegation in Estonia. 2005. International cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
Leonardo da Vinci pilot project “Inno-prevent”, Oct 2005 – 2007. International cooperation project, our role: partner.
DE/05/B/F/PP-146290 Health Care Advice and Prevention for the Medical and Qualified Medical Laboratory
Professions in Europe with Special Reference to Wellness and Tourism
Grundtvig project "CAERA - Curriculum for Adult Education in Rural Areas ", Oct 2005 - 2007. International
cooperation project, our role: partner. Contract no 225352-CP-1-2005-1-RO-GRUNDTVIG-G1
Leonardo da Vinci mobility project “Recreational waters recourses management”, hosting Lithuanian delegation in
Estonia. 2006. LT/06/EX/1/0998. International cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
Leonardo da Vinci mobility project “New approaches to increasing the commercial and vocational productivity of
artsmen and craftsmen”, hosting Turkish delegation in Estonia. 2006. TR/06/A/F/EX1-0335. International
cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
Leonardo da Vinci mobility project “Developing adult education in rural areas”, hosting Latvian delegation in
Estonia. 2006. International cooperation project, our role: hosting partner.
International adult education co-operation project “Network of expertise in rural development, II”, financed by
Swedish Institute’s Visby Programme. 2006-2007. International cooperation project, our role: lead partner.
Grundtvig learning partnership project “Cultour – Cultural Tourism Development”. 2006 – 2007. 2006-0201/001001-15. International cooperation project, our role: co-ordinator.
Leonardo da Vinci pilot project “How to manage my own skills”. 2006 – 2008 in tourism sector. International
cooperation project, our role: partner.
28. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “MAP:ECVET” in Medial assistance sektor. International
cooperation project, our role: partner. 2007-2009
29. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “AGRONATUR” in active and nature turism. International
cooperation project, our role: partner. 2007-2009
30. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “VALORIS-TIQSS”, in social care sector. International cooperation
project, our role: partner. 2007-2009
31. Leonardo da Vinci partnership project „ECOCRAFTS“, in crafts sector. International cooperation project, our role:
partner. 2009-2011
32. Nordplus Horizontal project „Creation of the Support System Methodology for Work with Social Risk Families”.
Nordic co-operation project, our role: lead partner. 2009-2011.
33. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “GEPAP”, in social care sektor. International cooperation project,
our role: partner. 2010-2012
34. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “INTEPA”, in heritage interpretation. International cooperation
project, our role: partner. 2010-2012
35. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “ECONAT”, in management of NATURA 2000 areas. International
cooperation project, our role: partner. 2012-2013
36. Leonardo da Vinci transfer of innovation project “TRAPREVI”, in social care sector. International cooperation
project, our role: partner. 2013-2015
37. Grundtvig Learning Partnership project “What’s on your plate”, in healthy eating and living. International
cooperation project, our role: partner. 2012-2014
CONTACT INFORMATION
Kaidi-Mari Liping
Manager, Siksali Development Centre
Petseri 10-9 Võru, ESTONIA
kaidimari@siksali.ee, Website: www.siksali.ee
gsm + 372 55 655 172
PIC NUMBER: 947737725