international organizations took part in the meetings.  At the end of the day the working groups came 

together to summarize and to forward a list of recommendations on how the Government of Tajikistan 

and local NGOs can engage in effective partnerships. One of the problems that NGOs had been facing 

was a lack of access to government controlled mass media outlets, especially to the State TV. As a 

result of the conference, the President directed the director of the State TV and Radio Committee to 

cover the activities of local NGOs. The following week on the State TV televised special reports on 

the  Social Partnership Conference and in addition televised three other programs focusing on the 

work of local NGOs.  

Community Mobilization 

A Community Builds a Micro Power Station with Counterpart's Assistance 

Members of Parshed community of the Roshtkala District identified lack of electricity in wintertime 

as a priority problem. With the assistance of Bunyod,  Counterpart's partner NGO, the community 

designed a project proposal to build a micro power station. An initiative group was formed among the 

community activists to implement the project funded by Counterpart. The amount of Counterpart' s 

grant was $1,850 while the community's contribution was $2,280. As a result a micro power station 

was set up and a 500 meter water canal was dug. 779 members of the community now have 

electricity. A group of specialists was formed to maintain the power station. In summertime when 

electricity to Parshed comes from the state power station, community members use the canal to 

irrigate their land. This has allowed each household to extend its personal plot of land an additional 

0.3 hectares.    

Community Kaduchi Resolves Lack of Irrigation Water  

In the Kaduchi community located in Vose District of Khatlon Oblast personal plots have been the 

main source of income for 4,500 people living in this community. But the only concrete ditch that 

brings water from a river had been damaged and people were suffering as a result. NGO Fidokor 

assisted this community to develop a proposal to address their irrigation needs. With $1,650 received 

from Counterpart the community members repaired and cleaned 2,500 meters of the ditch and dug 

another 500 meters to lay additional ditch. Community members showed high interest and motivation 

during the implementation of the project. The community's contribution to the project was $1,850. 

Community members selected a group to maintain the ditch and control the use of water. Now 400 

households of Kaduchi are provided with the irrigation water and can improve their lives.   

A Divided Community Comes Together to Solve a Common Problem 

Due to the efforts of NGO Fidokor, Counterpart's main partner in the Khatlon area, the people of the 

Tugarak Community in the Vose District of Khatlon came together to solve a common problem. At 

Fidokor's suggestion, community members conducted a Problem ID workshop. During the workshop 

the community members, divided into groups of one ethnicity, identified a lack of water as a top 

priority problem. The two communities, one Tajik and one Gypsy, had to take drinking water from the 

only well located 1.5 kilometers from their community. After the workshop an initiative group 

consisting of five people was established to develop a CAP for installing a water pipeline to the 

community. Based on their plan the initiative group, with Fidokor's assistance, designed a project 

proposal and submitted the proposal to Counterpart Tajikistan. The community asked Counterpart for 

$1,879 to purchase the pipes and to hire an engineer for the project. The community contributed 

significantly by donating almost $2,500 in labor and additional piping. Supported by Counterpart 

Tajikistan the project was successfully accomplished in just two months. A 1.5 km pipeline was laid 

and six water outlets were installed. In total, 1,750 people now have access to drinking water. 

Significantly, the project also brought two normally separate community ethnic groups together to 

complete the project, as approximately 60 members of the community are Gypsy and normally live 

apart from other community members. 

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