Aga Khan Foundation, Tajikistan Annual Report 2019 Content INTRODUCTION 1 AKF IN TAJIKISTAN 2 GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE 4 CIVIL SOCIETY 6 Introduction ECONOMIC INCLUSION 10 The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of 10 private, non-denominational development agencies that work collectively AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY 12 to help communities, primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa, become self-reliant and improve their quality of life. AKDN agencies HEALTH AND NUTRITION 14 conduct their programmes without regard to faith or origin and have over five decades of experience supporting integrated economic, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT 18 social, and cultural development. A central feature of AKDN’s approach is that successful development occurs when a continuum of EDUCATION 20 development activities offers people in a given area not only a rise in incomes but a broad, sustained improvement in the overall quality of PLURALISM 22 life. The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) brings together GENDER EQUALITY 23 human, financial, and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in FUTURE DIRECTIONS 24 the world. Established in 1967, AKF is a private, not-for-profit international development agency working in 19 countries. Special emphasis FINANCIAL STATEMENT 25 is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity, and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and OUR AGENCIES 26 girls. It works primarily in six areas: Agriculture and Food Security, Economic Inclusion, Education, Early Childhood Development, Health THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND PARTNERS 27 and Nutrition, and Civil Society. AKF in Tajikistan AKF Tajikistan began activities in 1993, when it mounted a humanitarian response to acute food THE AGA KHAN AGENCY FOR HABITAT ACCELERATE PROSPERITY was established shortages in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) as a result of the collapse of the was established to strengthen the AKDN’s as a joint initiative of AKF and the Aga Khan Soviet Union and subsequent civil war. The Foundation is characterised by its hallmark long-term commitment to building communities that Fund for Economic Development and Industrial commitment and community-driven approach. It has become a leader in implementing high-quality are resilient to climate change and natural Promotion Services. Its mission is to inspire interventions to improve quality of life. AKF is one of Tajikistan’s most trusted and effective socio- disasters in Central and South Asia. Its areas of rising entrepreneurs in emerging regions economic development partners, supporting Tajikistan in the realization of its National Development work include disaster preparedness, housing to grow new markets, create sustainable Strategy objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. AKF’s programmes cover and habitat, water and sanitation, emergency employment, and strengthen communities. a broad geographical area encompassing 36 districts in all four regions – GBAO, Khatlon, Districts of response, and environmental stewardship. Republican Subordination (Rasht Valley), and Sughd – reaching approximately 1.9 million people. THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ASIA is an AGA KHAN HEALTH SERVICES has helped autonomous, not-for-profit institution and the to transform Tajikistan’s health services towards world’s first internationally, chartered university. decentralised, family medicine-driven care, and It promotes social and economic development AKF implements its programming through community health interventions. It implements in mountain communities by offering an a wide range of private and community-based internationally-recognised standard of higher its trusted development partners, health programming and aligns its activities education and enabling the peoples of the closely with the National Health Strategy of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as including AKDN sister agencies and local Ministry of Health and Social Protection. assets for the future. AGA KHAN EDUCATION SERVICES OJSC PAMIR ENERGY was formed in and international development actors. participates in the direct provision of quality 2002 as the first Public-Private Partnership in education to children aged 3 to 18 years, Tajikistan. The company was awarded a 25-year facilitating the professional development Concession Agreement by the Government THE MOUNTAIN SOCIETIES DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME is the rural of teachers, working collaboratively with of the Republic of Tajikistan, under which it development programme of AKF, established in 1997. Through a platform of community-based government education institutions to support provides electricity to over 220,000 people organisations, MSDSP enables communities to mobilise around socioeconomic development access in remote and rural areas, and providing across GBAO (96 percent of the population) initiatives, identify their developmental priorities, channel resources, and cooperate with local merit scholarships to students from diverse and to over 35,000 people in Badakhshan, government. backgrounds. Afghanistan. 2 AGA KHAN FOUNDATION TAJIKISTAN AGA KHAN FOUNDATION TAJIKISTAN 3 ^_ JALAL-ABAD ¯ NARYN K Y R G Y Z R E P U B L I C (! Khujand UZBEKISTAN OSH BATKEN CHINA SUGHD DISTRICTS OF REPUBLICAN SUBORDINATION TA J I K I S TA N ^_ Dushanbe Ruzvai Geographic Coverage ú Khumrogi ú GORNO-BADAKHSHAN KHATLON AUTONOMOUS OBLAST Shohon ú (! Bokhtar Tem ú(! Khorog Panji Poúyon Kokul ú Langar BADAKHSHAN AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY HEALTH & NUTRITION Ishkashim ú BALKH KUNDUZ A F G H A N I S T A N ú ECONOMIC INCLUSION CIVIL SOCIETY TAKHAR EDUCATION INNOVATION EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT RESULTS & LEARNING AKF areas of Intervention in Afghanistan and AKF-supported cross-border bridges SAMANGAN Kyrgyz Republic AKF areas of Intervention in Tajikistan BAGHLAN PAKISTAN 0 100 Km GOOD GOVERNANCE AKF establishes, strengthens, and partners with mahalla committees and other community- Civil Society based entities to implement inclusive, efficient, transparent, and accountable governance of development activities. To build the capacity of these grassroots civil society entities, AKF AKF aims to develop resilient, values- trains them on topics such as development planning, book-keeping, project implementation, based civil societies which demonstrate fundraising, and financial management. ENABLING ENVIRONMENT greater competency, legitimacy, To help create a favorable environment for civil society, AKF partners with local civil society accountability, and sustainability. actors, such as the Association of Tajik NGOs. In 2019, AKF facilitated the fifth national civil society forum attended by more than 40 Public Organizations across the country. Representatives from the Presidential Office, AKDN’s experience in grassroots poverty alleviation has indicates that community-based civil society National Parliament, Ministry of Justice, Tax structures are the foundations of development. Committee, donors, and intergovernmental agencies contributed to discussions on civil society in Tajikistan. A joint resolution was shared with the Presidential Office and relevant Ministries to create an enabling environment for the development of civil society in Tajikistan. Specifically, the joint resolution included statements and recommendations for improving civil societies cooperation with the government and private sector. POLICY ADVOCACY , AKF and the Committee on the Local , Development of the Parliament of Tajikistan facilitated policy discussions on the Public Self Initiative Bodies Law of the Republic of Tajikistan (PSIB). The meeting brought together representatives of mahalla committees, public organisations, sub-districts and districts heads, town and regional government, and members of the national parliament. During the meeting, participants shared their experiences with the implementation of the PSIB law at the mahalla committee level. Challenges, such as the consistency of the PSIB law with the Law on Public Associations, communities’ ownership over community resources, and strengthening mahalla committees by granting them more authority were discussed. After this meeting, the participants presented recommendations for improvement of the PSIB law to National Parliament, while members of parliament presented possible amendments to the law. 6 AGA KHAN FOUNDATION TAJIKISTAN AGA KHAN FOUNDATION TAJIKISTAN 7 INNOVATION AND ACCELERATION CIVIC ENGAGEMENT To continuously improve upon existing and forthcoming programmes, AKF has capacitated its staff We empower all segments of the community on human centred design through its Accelerate Impact initiative. Human centred design is an – women, men, youth, and the elderly – to innovative approach to problem solving that fosters the understanding of context and identifies local participate meaningfully in local decision-making solutions in a creative way by prototyping and testing ideas with local communities. processes. AKF supports village development planning workshops for communities to identify CONNECTING SUPPLY AND DEMAND their key priorities through a participatory AKF connects the demand and supply of governance by creating interfaces between citizens, mahalla process involving the most marginalised committees, and local government to align public resources around community priorities and needs. members of communities. 364 Water user associations / committees 409 Technology, pasture, and land use groups 1,427 Community health promoters 1,826