Traditional development aid from Sida was phased out at the end of the 1990s. We now work within the frameworks for partner driven cooperation.
Partner driven cooperation means a focus on broadening and extending relations between our countries. The target is for these relations to exist without development aid.
Work is underway to produce a new strategy for selective cooperation. The plan is for our development cooperation with Botswana to focus on:
- economic development, which takes poverty into account
- environment and climate
- democracy and human rights
- HIV/Aids.
Supporting work to combat HIV/Aids
Botswana is one of the countries hit hardest by the HIV/Aids epidemic in the world. The government has introduced a national programme for free treatment and has successfully increased access to anti-retroviral medicine for those who are HIV positive. However, not all those affected have access to health care. Because the epidemic has already affected many people who are at an age where they would otherwise be able to work, the lack of educated staff is a major problem, particularly within health care.
Through Forum Syd, Sida is providing support to various networks and umbrella organizations – the Botswana Network of AIDS Service Organizations (BONASO), the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), the Botswana Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (BONEPWA), and the Botswana Council of Non Governmental Organizations (BOCONGO) – which in turn distribute aid to non-governmental organizations that are working to alleviate the consequences of the HIV/Aids epidemic. The support is aimed at strengthening the capacity of non-governmental organizations that work qualitatively with prevention, care and to alleviate the effects of HIV/Aids.
Sida is also providing support to Botswana’s Ministry of Local Government for its work in improving the capacity of local authorities so that they can work more effectively with HIV/Aids-related issues, as well as Botswana’s National AIDS Co-ordinating Agency (NACA). Sida has also contributed to UNICEF in HIV/AIDS-related work on young people’s reproductive health.
Shared knowledge is extra knowledge
Sida is also supporting selective measures to spread knowledge within some areas where Sweden has a lot of offer and which are important for developments in the partner country.
One such example is Lantmäteriet – the Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority – which together with Botswana’s Ministry of Land and Housing has begun the work of reviewing laws relating to land and ownership rights.
Read more about the co-operation between Lantmäteriet and Botswana’s Ministry of Land and Housing.
Other examples of support
- Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) is a young authority in great need of knowledge and support and has received consultancy support to produce legislation and regulatory systems for the domestic telecommunications market.
- Cooperation between the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute and its equivalent institution in Botswana, the Department of Meteorological Services.
- Cooperation between Swedish Radio and Botswana’s Department of Broadcasting Services.
