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Connecting People – Peer Support through the Twins
We were positively surprised by the numerous texts that we received, when requesting our expert twins to write for this publication. We could only take a section of written contributions onboard but the eagerness of our twins to share their stories demonstrated how important the experience has been for them. The twin approach is not only a good way to get the best Finnish expertise to support our partners, but it also gives a lot to the Finnish twins. All the texts in Finnish can be found on our website www.ffd.fi
Systematically, all the twins testify that they remained surprised by the similarities in the key issues that the farmers and forest keepers have in different countries. Farmers worry about the weather and rains, they ponder which crops and varieties they should plant and in which market they get a fair price for their efforts.
The most significant achievement was probably that these communities together founded a larger community, in the name of which they now operate. This ASEC community educates and advises its members to use their forest areas sustainably and increasing income opportunities for women.
- Twinning partner Jukka Hintikka visiting ASEC in Tulsipur, Nepal.
Jukka Hintikka tells that one of the best things that he has gained through the twinning, was the friendship established with the local partners. The experience gave him a better and more versatile approach to look for solutions in his job in Finland. During his first trip to Nepal, he noted that many of the members of ASEC were women. Therefore, on the second visit, his female colleague accompanied him to Nepal to facilitate the dialogue with women, while Jukka took care of the contacts with the local authorities being predominantly men.
My best contribution for when training a harvesting group for the cooperatives. The chainsaws that the cooperatives had were not used because they didn’t work for Nepalese trees. I understood quickly that the problem was that they had not been sharpened. I explained that there is a need for a file and that the chainsaws need to be filed regularly, which nobody had told them before.
- Jukka Hintikka Savotta FMA –Nepal ASEC
I am so glad to be able to share my experience on sustainable farming with the Tanzanian partners. This is a dream that I have had since my childhood. It has been a surprise to me that the challenges in Finland and Tanzania are so similar. Peer-learning is the best way to solve challenges. I am eagerly waiting for my first visit to Tanzania in December 2023. I hope that in the future I can invest even more of my time to support farmers in developing countries. I trust that the dreams which are spoken and written will one day be realized.
- Eija Hagelberg, Carbon Action, Tanzania - NADO
Development cooperation is a long-term endeavor and requires solid and frank dialogue between the partners on the objectives and means to achieve them. If sometimes activities don’t advance, there is a need to ask if there is something that we should be aware of. It has been a privilege to act as a twin and I truly hope that my contribution has benefitted the farmers in Tanzania. The best moment was in Pemba, which is one of Zanzibar’s islands, where I was proposed. I could have become the seventh wife of that gentleman.
- Pirkko Suhonen, Garden Women’s Association – Tanzania Horticultural Association
