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Short History

 

 

1994. Foundation of PfG, «Solidarity Group Partner for Gjirokastër» by the Kantonsschule Enge, Zurich; first shipments of materials to Albania.

 

1999. A second large grammar school, Kantonsschule Wiedikon, joined in 1999. Almost 100 students of that school supported the activities of PfG.

 

1999. Supply transport in April 1999 when food, clothing and medicine reached 2′000 refugees from Kosovo.

 

2000. A decision is taken to set up a new team which is willing and able to professionally continue the work.

 

2001. The team of which the managing directors Nicole Delavy and Pietro Tomasini (both teachers) were a part, arranged that PfG was renamed IPA (International Project Aid). During the years that followed IPA continues to expand its realm of involvement in Albania.

 

2004. A project was realised in Rumania (region Maramures); for a number of reasons this activity however was not continued.

 

2005. An initial contact is made with a particularly poor region in northern Cameroon. The co-operation which started with the renovation of a school building in Logone-Birni has continued to expand. IPA mainly works in the fields of education, health, drinking water supply and food production.


2005. IPA is awarded the Profax-Prize.

 

2006. IPA gets the ZEWO-seal of approval.

 

2008. IPA is awarded the Man Investments’ «Swiss Charity of the Year».

 

2014. In northern Malawi, IPA begins a co-operation with a local NGO.

 

2015. A second local NGO starts implementing IPA projects in northern Malawi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History of IPA

 

In 1994 the “Solidarity Group Partner for Gjirokastër” was founded. Initially, this small group consisted of three teachers (one of them in training) and 7 students of the Kantonsschule Enge (Zurich, Switzerland). The initial aim of the group was to offer help to a partner school in Gjirokastër (Southern Albania).

 

At the same time it was hoped that this type of work would open up new and meaningful fields of activity for Swiss adolescents while enabling them to gain practical experience.
Fascinated by the initial development work in an economically disadvantaged country the group did not only continue its activities after having made the first shipment of materials in October 1994 but continued to expand its activities.

 

The solidarity group was turned into the association “Partner for Gjirokastër” (PfG) and sent 12 trucks with supplies to other schools, hospitals, old age homes etc. Growth continued organically as ever more requests were received from the region Gjirokastër and Swiss companies continued to offer various supplies.


The number of participating students continued to grow. By the time a second large grammar school, Kantonsschule Wiedikon, joined in 1999. Almost 100 students of that school supported the activities of PfG. With a team of this size it became possible to expand the activities beyond the district of Gjirokastër into the region of Lezhë in Northern Albania. In both regions the Swiss organisation was represented by exceptionally reliable partners. It was thus possible to shift the work from simply providing ad hoc direct support to undertaking increasingly large projects. The focus however continued to be directed towards education, in both Gjjrokastër and Lezhë media libraries were set up. Despite the initially relatively low annual budgets of approx. CHF 50′000 to CHF 80′000 PfG managed to support non-educational projects, i.e. an old age home, an environment project and an extension of micro credits to private entrepreneurs and small farmers. The last supply transport was carried out in April 1999 when food, clothing and medicine reached 2′000 refugees from Kosovo. It was a sad climax in the history of PfG’s supply transportation.

 

Despite the enormous dedication of the team it gradually became clear that the work load could no longer be carried by the association in its current form. PfG thus started to look for new ways to continue its development work and to apply the know-how it had gained over the years.

 

A decision was taken to set up a new team which was willing and able to professionally continue the work. This team, of which the managing directors Nicole Delavy and Pietro Tomasini (both teachers) were a part, arranged that PfG was renamed IPA (International Project Aid) in 2001. The new organisation was very clear in its wish to retain the key concept, i.e. enabling young Swiss people to gain insight and participate in development work. The objectives in this regard were simply adjusted and expanded. Swiss students can now launch and realise their own projects at IPA, thus gaining valuable skills.


During the years that followed IPA continued to expand its realm of involvement. The organisation is now engaged in eight districts in Albania. Back in 2004 a project was realised in Rumania (region Maramures), for a number of reasons this activity however was not continued. Instead, in 2005 an initial contact was made with a particularly poor region in northern Cameroon. The co-operation which started with the renovation of a school building in Logone-Birni has continued to expand. Since 2014 IPA is active in a second African country, in Malawi. The organisation mainly works in the fields of education, health, drinking water supply and food production.


IPA and its management have over the years been awarded a number of prizes for their work in the area of development cooperation. The most significant ones are the Profax-Prize (awarded in 2005), the ZEWO-Certification (ZEWO-seal of approval, 2006), the honorary citizenship of the Albanian community Dajç (2007) and Man Investments' "Swiss Charity of the Year 2008″.