Association „Balta maja”
30 December 2015
The Project „Support for Association’s “Balta maja” Work in Strengthening Participatory Democracy in Latgale Region” has been completed in December
On 17th December concluded the association’s project “Support for Association’s “Balta maja” Work in Strengthening Participatory Democracy in Latgale Region” (project’s contract number: 2012.EEZ/DAP/MAC/152). The project’s implementation provided regular support to the association’s staff and volunteers. The project also gave the possibility to exchange examples of good practice with other NGOs. The project was supported by the European Economic area financial mechanism 2009- 2014 period program’s “NGO fond” sub-programme “Programme of Support for the Activities of Non-governmental Organisations”.
The project’s aim for 2015 was to promote the association’s “Balta maja” operational sustainability, increase staff capacity in providing social services to the local community and to implement regular and high-quality activities that promote participation.
Just as every month, on the 3rd Wednesday of December on 16th December there was a meeting for the members of the favoured interest club “Gundegas”. In mid-December the members of the healthy thinking and acting club “Atrodi prieku sevi” also came together. In a special festive mood was held the club’s “Rudens Rozes” meeting led by Veneranda Caune. It was a great opportunity to look back at the work done during the year, the learned things, and the touching and intellectual meetings in the association “Balta maja”. The participants also set the first new goals for the next year.
The closing event, which was held on 17th December, gathered a lot of interested people and the association activists, who had appreciated the opportunities offered by the project during this year. A lot of participants had organized and managed the activities themselves within the framework of the project.
Āris Ādlers, an expert of NGO and the CEE Bankwatch campaign coordinator in Latvia, also attended the event and invited the audience to participate in the debate about the binding and topical theme ” Activity and Latvian citizenship in today’s challenging global context”. The next speaker was Evija Caune who held the interest of the audience while talking about the topic “How to justify one’s idea by using data on civic participation”.
The project’s manager Inguna Badune during her presentation told about the progress of the project during its implementation from 07/08/2013 to 31/12/2015 and the implemented measures, the training of the association’s staff members and volunteers, the experience exchange trips to Lithuania, Estonia, Rujiena, Valmiera district, Kraslava, Dagda, Aglona and Preili districts, Sigulda, Garkalne district, Balvi, Vilaka district, Baltinava, Karsava. She also reminded of other positive benefits such as PVC window replacement in the day care center, as well as repainting and repair work carried out in a day care center. Liene Zepa and Rožupe children’s ensemble lyrically and musically accompanied the event by singing Christmas melodies. In the closing part of the event there was presented the project’s new informative calendar of 2016.
Within the project there was invested a lot of work to promote activities of the local community. There is an obvious improvement in the social environment, the participation in solving municipal, cultural and socio-political issues. The project’s implementation has paved the way for creating and realizing many ideas.
„Balta maja” wants to say the warmest, the whitest and the most sincere words of THANK YOU to all the participants of the project, who all these years have been present and will continue to be – with a white thought and work to build our White House even whiter!
phone: 65381707
email: baltamaja@baltamaja.lv
The program is funded by the EEZ Grants and Latvian State
Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
www.sif.lv www.eeagrants.lv www.eeagrants.org
This publication has been prepared by the EEA Financial Mechanism and Latvian State financial support. For the content of this publication responsible is association „Balta maja”.