Productive collaboration: fruitful discussion between Dormagen and Chipata remains a key achievement
In a series of productive meetings held from September 3rd to 8th, the cities of Dormagen, Germany, and Chipata, Zambia, reinforced their partnership. The gathering took place ahead of the 6th partnership conference between municipalities from Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The delegation, led by Mayor Donald Mwanza and Angela Kampinda, coordinator of the reforestation project, from Chipata, and Mayor Erik Lierenfeld from Dormagen, shared their impressions of their mutual visits. One of the highlights of the meeting was the 'Evening of Encounters' at the Historic Town Hall, where guests gained insights into life in Chipata and the partnership work.
Guests experienced the diverse sporting and cultural facets of Dormagen, including the shooting festival in Delrath, the networking event 'Dormagen Inside', and a championship game of the TSV Bayer Dormagen handball team. In Chipata, over 10,000 new trees have been planted, reforesting an area equivalent to 28 football fields.
The urgent need for an urban drainage plan for Chipata to manage rainwater and wastewater was discussed. Lieselotte Heinz, Dormagen's coordinator of the city partnership, summarized the need for securing funding and implementation partners for the realization of projects. The organization responsible for financing and implementing the mentioned projects is typically a newly established Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created specifically for each project, often initiated by the involved company (the sponsor), which holds the equity shares in this SPV.
The delegation exchanged views with 47 municipal partnerships from 18 African countries and Germany, and established important contacts for future projects. The donation of 50 laptops to Chipata, which have advanced the digitization of the city administration, was also mentioned. Now, municipal services can be paid for by mobile phone in Chipata.
The deployment of a donated fire truck in Chipata, which has already extinguished 98 fires, was discussed. The fire truck, a significant contribution from Dormagen, has greatly improved Chipata's firefighting capabilities.
In a positive note, Donald Kacha Mwanza emphasized the open and friendly hospitality received in Dormagen. The partnership association will be established in December, marking another milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Dormagen and Chipata.
Following the successful work meeting, the delegation from Dormagen and Chipata traveled to Gießen to present partnership projects at the partnership conference from September 8th to 11th, 2025. The events planned for Zambia's Independence Day on October 24th, such as a hands-on event for children and a film night at the city library, were also discussed.
The partnership between Dormagen and Chipata continues to grow, with both cities working together towards a more sustainable and connected future.
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