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President Ilves visited Kiideva, the 2009 Village of the Year

21.11.2009

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Evelin Ilves visited the Village of Kiideva, Ridala Rural Municipality, Lääne County today, which was recently crowned with the title of 2009 Village of the Year.

The Head of State expressed his satisfaction that the promoters of life in Kiideva have been able to obtain money from various support funds in order to build hiking trails, a harbour building with birdwatching tower and boat landings, a community centre and sauna, a handicraft workshop and postal depot. In the future, there are plans to build a lappaja fishing boat as well as a song festival stage that resembles a bandstand.

Thus, Kiideva has become an important nature education centre and tourism destination in Lääne County.

“The people of Kiideva demonstrate how the wish of the villagers to improve their village, their dedication and entrepreneurial spirit are changing the village into a virtual fairy tale or fantasy land,” President Ilves said. “However, dreams are only useful only if we purposefully deal with fulfilling them. Kiideva and its leaders have acted with just such vitality.”

Evelin Ilves added that Kiideva is a small village where great things are done.

The Head of State met with Madis Sariku, the village elder, and Tiiu Tomingas, the chairperson of the village society and visited the handicraft circle in the village society’s room. He also visited the harbour building, where he consulted with the coastal fishers and representatives of the Matsalu Nature Preserve; and participated in a conversation circle of local residents at Reinu Farm. One of the important topics was the activity of the coastal fishers and the obstacles that currently hinder their activity.

Kiideva, a fishing village located on the northwest shore of the Bay of Matsalu, currently comprises 64 farms. Forty-four people live year-round in twenty farms, the remaining homesteads are used a summer homes.

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