Projects

Sustainable water and pasture management to alleviate the plight of Ethiopian pastoralists

A group of Ethiopian men and women beside a half dried-up pool of water, using picks and shovels to dig new basins.

01.06.2015 - 31.12.2021

Drought, fodder scarcity and conflicts over natural resources make life difficult for pastoralists in southern Ethiopia. The SDC has taken various measures to improve their food security and their resilience to crisis situations, ranging from the rehabilitation of pastureland and water points to the introduction of land use plans and the diversification of income sources for women.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Ethiopia	Agriculture & food security Conflict & fragility Climate change and environment Agricultural land resources Household food security Conflict prevention Disaster risk reduction DRR	01.06.2015 - 31.12.2021	CHF 8'653'920

For citizen-oriented public services

01.05.2015 - 31.12.2018

The SDC has been supporting the Cambodian authorities in an ambitious process of decentralisation that started in 2001. The aim is to provide local and provincial authorities with enough resources and competences to enable them to deliver quality public services to the Cambodian population. The process also encourages citizens to have their say on these matters.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Cambodia	Governance Decentralisation Democratic participation and civil society Public sector policy	01.05.2015 - 31.12.2018	CHF 7'610'000

Forging a common «Nile culture» through music and academic training

01.05.2015 - 30.11.2020

To make the Nile Basin a common ground and shared ecosystem for the inhabitants of the eleven countries through which the Nile River flows, the SDC supports the innovative musical and educational Nile Project. The project brings together artists, students and concerned citizens. A series of acclaimed concerts has taken place since 2013; at the same time, students are developing initiatives to foster a better use of water resources.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Egypt	Culture / development awareness Employment & economic development Education Climate change and environment Gender Governance Migration Other Vocational training Human rights Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights Culture & recreation SME development Education policy Disaster risk reduction DRR Women’s equality organisations and institutions Democratic participation and civil society Information and communication technology (ICT) Migration generally (development aspects and partnerships) Sector not specified Development awareness Business support & economic inclusion Environmental policy Public sector policy Vocational training Biosphere protection Legal and judicial development Human rights (incl. Women's rights)	01.05.2015 - 30.11.2020	CHF 750'000

Micro-insurances for smallholder rice farmers in Asia

01.05.2015 - 30.09.2018

RIICE is the name given to a public-private development partnership project that combines technological innovation and crop insurance. Its purpose: to improve food security by providing micro-insurance against crop losses and to enhance forecasting capacities thanks to vanguard satellite technology. Millions of smallholder rice farmers in Asia should benefit from this innovative project.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Asia	Agriculture & food security Employment & economic development Agricultural development Agricultural services & market SME development	01.05.2015 - 30.09.2018	CHF 3'787'500

Strengthening Voice and Accountability in Kyrgyzstan

Five young girls in yellow costumes at the opening ceremony of the new kindergarten

01.04.2015 - 31.08.2020

Decentralisation is one of the priorities of the Kyrgyz government in power since 2012. In line with this, the main goal of this project is to strengthen the ability of citizens to participate in the budget process in their municipality, and to ensure that local governments use their funds adequately for public services.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Kyrgyzstan	Governance Conflict & fragility Decentralisation Public finance management Conflict prevention	01.04.2015 - 31.08.2020	CHF 5'740'000

From Education to Employment (E2E)

A young woman at a computer regulating machines.

01.04.2015 - 31.12.2019

Serbia, which is currently negotiating accession to the European Union (EU), must undergo reforms to meet the criteria that apply to EU member states. Unemployment among young people is currently 27,5% and is a major concern for the Serbian government. Serbia wants to base the reform of its vocational training system on the success factors of the Swiss system of dual education and training and has invited Switzerland to assist it in this crucially important reform process.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Serbia	Vocational training Employment & economic development Vocational training Employment creation	01.04.2015 - 31.12.2019	CHF 8'010'000

Bangladesh: courses to raise job prospects for the poor in the textiles and building sectors

Three sewing machine operators in a textile factory receiving on-the-job training from three other people.

01.04.2015 - 31.03.2021

The textiles and construction sectors in Bangladesh are recording high rates of growth, but many poor women and men lack the necessary qualifications for skilled jobs. By 2019, a project jointly financed by Switzerland and the United Kingdom aims to give 110,000 of them better prospects through on-the-job training. The results so far are promising.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Bangladesh	Employment & economic development Vocational training Employment creation Vocational training Tradepolicy & market system	01.04.2015 - 31.03.2021	CHF 5'825'000

Orienting vocational skills towards the job market

01.03.2015 - 30.04.2019

Albania’s economic and employment growth is hampered by a shortage in quality technical skills. In response to this, the government of Albania wants to improve vocational education and training (VET) and align it towards labour market needs. The Skills for Jobs project supports this reorientation.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Albania	Employment & economic development Employment creation SME development	01.03.2015 - 30.04.2019	CHF 7'800'000

Restoration of Governance and Reconciliation in Crisis-Affected Communities of Ukraine

10.02.2015 - 30.06.2018

The SDC is supporting a United Nations project in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts that have been affected by the conflict and are still under the control of the national government. The aim is to restore local governance and support dialogue between the various stakeholders with a view to strengthening social cohesion and economic development. This is the first major international initiative aiming at rebuilding the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Ukraine	Conflict & fragility Conflict prevention	10.02.2015 - 30.06.2018	CHF 1'500'000

Life without violence, from dream to reality

The face of a woman who has been abused.

01.02.2015 - 30.09.2020

The SDC hopes that by backing a newly-adopted law in Bolivia on ending violence against women, it can contribute to more systematic and targeted care for female victims. Local and national authorities and the people are working together on a comprehensive approach to prevent assaults on women. Too often, attitudes are tinged with a male chauvinism that sanctions violence.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Bolivia	Human rights Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights Human rights (incl. Women's rights)	01.02.2015 - 30.09.2020	CHF 4'171'000

Targeted psychological support for people in the Gaza Strip

A therapist counselling a patient in a consultation room.

01.02.2015 - 31.12.2018

Hardly any other people in the Middle East suffer from mental health issues to the same extent as the Palestinians. The political, economic and social consequences of the closure in the Gaza Strip is affecting people’s health. The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme – supported by the SDC – is providing them with counselling, courses and therapy. 20,000 people received support in 2017 alone.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Palestinian Authority	Conflict & fragility Health Human rights Psycho-social support (till 2016) Medical services Conflict prevention Human rights (incl. Women's rights) Health systems strengthening	01.02.2015 - 31.12.2018	CHF 1'964'000

Sustainable Artisanal Mining

A miner is drilling rock in search of gold

01.01.2015 - 31.12.2019

With the boom in the informal mining sector at the start of the 2000s, the Mongolian government, with support from the SDC, launched a project for sustainable artisanal mining in 2005. The project’s aim is to formalise and legalise these activities while developing the capacities of the miners.

Country/region	Topic	Period	Budget
Mongolia	Governance Human rights Mineral/mining policy Human rights (incl. Women's rights)	01.01.2015 - 31.12.2019	CHF 6'342'889