ББК – 74.00+74.200 (2 тољик) Њ – 71 УДК 371+37.15+379 (575.3) ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BRANCH OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE – ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION IN TAJIKISTAN FOR 2016. Translator of English: Veronika Grushevskaya. Editor of English: Darragh Fingleton. 734002, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 37/1 Bokhtar Str., «Vefa» Business Center, 4th floor tel.: (992 37) 227-55-58 (992 47) 441-07-29 Fax.: (992 47) 441-07-29 CONTENTS FOREWORD ...............................................................................................4 STRATEGIC BOARD ..................................................................................7 2016 PROGRESS IN FIGURES .................................................................8 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ...................................................................11 Joint projects of Educational Programs .....................................................12 Education and care in early childhood.......................................................17 Integrity in Education System ....................................................................26 Scholarship Program ................................................................................38 ART AND CULTURE .................................................................................43 HUMAN RIGHTS ......................................................................................54 ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES ........................................62 SUPPORT TO PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORMS IN TAJIKISTAN .......................................................................73 PUBLIC HEALTH .......................................................................................78 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION OF THE RETURNED MIGRANTS ............................................................88 BUSINESS STARTUP ..............................................................................93 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT ...................................................100 3 FOREWORD Dear reader, We are pleased to present the 2016 Annual Report of the Branch Office of the International Organization Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan. The report covers all programs and projects implemented by the Foundation in 2016. Since its inception, the core goal of the Foundation has been to promote the values of «open society», where every person has an opportunity to express his independent views and opinions, to access the information he is interested in, to participate in addressing public issues, to receive good quality education and health services and to protect own rights guaranteed to every citizen of the country. At the same time, it is impor- tant to keep in mind that the open society values also make an individ- ual more organized and educated, and better able to make decisions that influence his own life as well as the society around him. The programs and projects of the Foundation are aimed at addressing dif- ficulties in the public and economic spheres in the context of the chal- lenges which we face at the global, regional and local levels. In 2016, the Foundation supported programs and projects through work- ing with microfinance institutions as well as local public organizations to help returned migrants, ensuring their access to financial resources and information on how to start own businesses. The Foundation also provided assistance to organizations protecting hu- man rights as defined in the UN Charter, and accepted for obligato- ry implementation by the Republic of Tajikistan as an integral part of its international commitments in the framework of the UN Commission Against Torture and the Universal Periodic Review. 4 One of the important components of the work of the Foundation in 2016 was a support of the active participation of the civil society, media and independent researchers in the process of public finance management. This was achieved, in part, through active cooperation with governmen- tal agencies in improving an access to budget information that contrib- utes to better citizen understanding of and control over public finances. The education sector is a key driver of the social development. Thus, the Foundation actively led efforts to ensure equal and fair access to higher education and educational services. The main idea of Educational Pro- grams of the Foundation are to promote justice, openness, and trans- parency of the education system reform processes. The Foundation supported activities of inclusive education and has pursued a number of institutional and practical steps in this direction. The Public Health Program has similarly implemented a number of projects promoting an inclusive approach and open access to medical services for the most marginalized groups of the population. The sphere of arts and culture is an important element of the Foundation’s activities. In 2016 the Arts and Culture Program supported a number of new directions, while continuing its work with traditional partner organi- zations. Of note it has been the development of modern art, the organ- ization of national and international festivals and holding of dedicated exhibitions for Tajik artists. Public processes do not stand still and world has to address new challenges and cope with new difficulties every day. Increased religious extremism, terrorism, political and populist challenges together with economic in- stability lead to serious deformation and deterioration of societal mod- els creating the environment where the human rights are violated and there is a back-off from democratic values and principles even in those countries, which are known to have an established open society. Сountries with the so called «transitional period», like Tajikistan, where the democratic processes are at the initial stage of its formation and ex- posed to different systemic risks, are found to be in more difficult situ- ation. 5 Today we see the Foundation as playing a key role in protecting and pro- moting the open society values, since we believe this is a way for cre- ation a stable country, an educated youth, developed social and eco- nomic institutions and critical understanding of the processes occurring in the world around us. On behalf of the Board of the Branch Office of the International Organization Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan, I would like to thank sincerely all our partners and staff for their work and profes- sionalism. Sincerely, Almaz Saifutdinov Chair of the Board Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in the Republic of Tajikistan 6 STRATEGIC BOARD Parviz Mullojanov, Board Chair (to 01.12.2016), Executive Director of NGO “Public Committee on Development Processes in Tajikistan”. Almaz Saifutdinov, Board Chair (from 01.12.2016), Economic/Commercial Specialist at the United States Embassy in Tajikistan. Ravshan Sobirzoda, Economist, Board member (to 01.12.2016), The World Bank Country Office. Malika Makhkambaeva, Board member, Health projects’ specialist/ USAID. Vafobek Barombekov, Board member, Head of Sociology Department at Tajik National University. Shakarbek Niyatbekov, Board member, National Program Officer for the Rule of Law Program of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan. Sarvinoz Barfieva, Board member (from 27.05.2016) Operations Officer, World Bank. 7 2016 PROGRESS IN FIGURES Overall budget of OSI AFT consisted of USD 3 584 483.15 in 2016. The total amount of grants awarded - USD 881 907 The total number of grants awarded - 102 The number of grants awarded to organizations - 53 The number of grants awarded to individuals - 49 The majority of the grants were allocated and spent within the framework of the «Аccess to information and services» Program, «Public Health» Program, «Art and Culture» Program, «Human Rights» Program, in the framework of the Educational Programs including financing of UNICEF, «Business Startup» Program and «Social and economic reintegration of the returned migrants» Program. Diagram 1. Grant Projects (by programs) 8 «Business Startup» Program 24Educational Programs 24«Art and Culture» Program 102 1 Education Program ncluding financing of UNICEF 9 «Public Health» Program 12 «The Human Rights» Program 17 «Аccess to information and services» Program 2 «Support to Public Finance Management Reforms in Tajikistan» Program 8 Diagram 2. Grant budgets by programs (thousands $) «Business Startup» Program «Art and Culture» Program «Human Rights» Program Support to Public Finance Management Reforms «Аccess to information and services» Program «Public Health» Program Education Program including financing of UNICEF Educational Programs 0 50 100 150 200 250 Diagram 3. Grant activities by programs and regions Dushanbe Khatlon Sogd GBAO &DRS Social and economic reintegration of the returned migrants «Business Startup» Program «Art and Culture» Program «Human Rights» Program Support to Public Finance Management Reforms «Аccess to information and services» Program «Public Health» Program Educational Programs 0 5 10 15 20 25 The Budget of the Foundation is split into general administrative, grant and operational components. The last category also covers administrative costs of program staff. Diagram 4. Foundation budget by categories (%) 29 Operational projects 49 Administration Grants 22 9 In 2015, Foundation has paid 3 486 205.57 somoni to the State Budget of the Republic of Tajikistan as part of its social and income tax as well as other tax obligations. Таблица 1. Foundation Program