SADC Secretariat launches SADC Success Stories Volume 2

The SADC Secretariat today launched the second volume of SADC Success Stories ahead of the 37th SADC Heads of State Summit which kicks off this Saturday, August 19, 2017.

The SADC Success Stories Edition is one of the Secretariat communication tools to reach out to SADC citizens in order to enhance awareness about the positive impact our interventions through SADC programmes are having on communities and lives of the peoples of our region.

“For a long time, our region has been painted by stories of diseases, conflict, hunger and poverty. But as a region, we have moved many steps in the positive direction. Today we are here to send a clear message that we have positive stories to tell,” said SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax.

Dr Tax added:” Thanks to the dreams of our founding fathers, through regional integration, SADC is slowly but surely realising regional economic transformation and sustainable socio-economic development”.

Each success story, covering SADC achievements in agriculture and agricultural research, climate change, financial services, industrialisation and regional value chains, infrastructure, peace, security and conflict mediation, tourism and conservation, trade, and water, highlights the links between regional policy making, national implementation, and the tangible benefits for SADC citizens.

The first edition of the SADC Success Stories, which was launched in 2015, reached over one million SADC citizens through the print brochure, videos and social media.

In his remarks the German Ambassador to Botswana and Observer to SADC, His Excellency Mr Ralf Andreas Breth said the Federal Government of Germany remains committed to supporting SADC in its efforts to develop even more Success Stories of regional integration for the benefit of the people in southern Africa.

“Southern Africa is a region of tremendous opportunities, and regional integration has great potential to improve lives in SADC Member States,” said Ambassador Breth, adding that stories are an innovative way to make SADC achievements visible for the people of the SADC region.

He said since 1990s, Germany has supported SADC with a total amount of around 400 million euros, in addition to bilateral development cooperation with eight of the fifteen SADC Member States.

The second volume was produced with support from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of the German Development Cooperation with SADC.