Knowledge is Power 

The process of providing of high quality educational services always requires materials, information 

and professionalism. After reforms in the Turkmen secondary school system, school students can 

learn foreign languages only in specialized schools. The NGO Center of Languages, Culture and 

Health Medet has become one of the most popular educational centers in Lebap Velayat. The Center 

is not able to provide services to all their clients willing to attend courses bacause of the lack of 

workbooks. They prepared 40 copies of the workbook  New American Streamline  and  Teacher's 

Book  for the 10th level using the Lebap CSSC's copier and the help of Lebap CSSC volunteers. As a 

result, over a two month period the number of students attending English courses increased from 200 

to 280. Now every student can use a workbook individually, whereas in the past students had to share. 

Also over the last 2 months, the number of free attendees increased from 50 to 70 students: 18 are 

refugees (Afghan and Tajik), 7 disabled, 7 orphans, 8 children from poor families and 10 are from 

families with many children. To work with new groups of students the NGO hired three new English 

teachers who were previously unemployed. 

Volunteerism 

Working With Citizens To Defend Consumer Rights 

The quantity of staff of Turkmen NGOs in accordance with local legislation usually is near five 

people. With such limited human resources an organization is not able to provide services for large 

quantity of people who is applying for assistance. The NGO My Rights, engaged in the process of 

organizational development with Counterpart, recently attended the Counterpart training  Volunteer 

Management , and identified new objectives and approaches for service delivery. The organization 

has limited the number of staff and actively started to work with volunteers. Over the past six months, 

25 volunteers have been recruited and trained to teach 18 interactive training modules on basic 

knowledge of consumers' rights. These volunteers were instrumental in leading consumers to demand 

resolution of more than 66 problem situations and issues, such as restitution of products with bad 

quality, receiving good quality of service, replacement and restitution of damaged goods, and the 

monitoring of sale procedures and rules used by vendors. The process of consumer problem solving 

continues through training and consumer participation. Consumers continue to defend their rights 

using practical informational booklets and newsletters published by My Rights. Consequently, the 

NGO has successfully expanded its service and client base through effective planning and 

organizational development with from Counterpart. 

Volunteer Initiatives As A Way For The Civil Society Development 

Since November 2001 the Lebap CSSC started involving local volunteers to work with NGOs. The 

number of volunteers gradually increased from 3 to 18. The increase in people working at the Center 

every day, combined with the lack of office equipment and space, contributed to weak coordination of 

service delivery by volunteers. The Lebap CSSC evaluated the volunteer's needs and the volunteers 

created their own goals and objectives, with corresponding indicators, for the coordination of 

volunteer service in the Lebap Region. In order to reach these goals, they needed financial support. 

With the help of the Lebap CSSC the volunteers wrote a project proposing the creation of a Lebap 

Volunteer Center to work as a  bridge  matching NGOs and volunteers throughout the region. The 

proposal was sent to the US Embassy Democracy Commission and in May was funded with more 

than $6,000 for one year of work. The Center is cost sharing space in the new, larger Lebap CSSC 

office building. Now NGOs, local institutions and prospective young volunteers can address the new 

center directly.  

Social Partnership 

Organizations From All Social Sectors Partner To Benefit Nature And Society 

Counterpart grantee Commonwealth of Eco NGOs has been conducting a two month nature protection 

and ecological action project directly applying knowledge and skills gained from Counterpart 

trainings such as  Informational Campaigns/Social Marketing" and "Social Partnership". Together 

with the Ministry of Nature Protection, the NGO conducted research on potential project partners and 

determined methods to attract their participation in project realization. Additionally, in collaboration 

with the Ministry of Nature Protection, a plan of activities was designed, including ecological actions 

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