Institutional Activities in Tajikistan

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AKFED a major stakeholder in Central Asia's third 4G network

TeliaSonera-controlled firms to launch 4G for Tajiks


* TeliaSonera-controlled firms to launch 4G for Tajikistan

* This will be Central Asia's third 4G network

DUSHANBE, Dec 23 - Tajikistan's two largest mobile phone operators, both controlled by Nordic firm TeliaSonera <TLSN.ST>, will install 4G-standard communications in the country in 2011, a local company official said on Thursday.

The new wireless standard enables better Internet access including video.

TeliaSonera holds 60 percent and 59.4 percent respectively of the two operators, Indigo-Tajikistan and Indigo-Somoncom, which operate under the Tcell brand. The other shareholder is the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.

Altogether the two operators provide mobile communications to a total of over 2 million subscribers in the Central Asian nation of 7.5 million.

The first part of the 4G network will operate in the capital Dushanbe and then be expanded to other parts of the mountainous nation.

"We have submitted a request to the transport and communications ministry for obtaining a 4G licence allowing to transmit data at a speed of up to 100 megabits per second," Indigo-Tajikistan Director General Bakhriddin Nazhmudinov told Reuters.

This will be Central Asia's third 4G network after the previous two were launched in neighbouring Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent by local subsidiaries of Russia's MTS <MBT.N> and TeliaSonera earlier this year.

Tajikistan's mobile phone operators also include subsidiaries of Russia's Vimpelcom <VIP.N> and Megafon, as well as Tajik-U.S. firm Babilon-Mobile. (Reporting by Roman Kozhevnikov; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20101224/ ... 18940.html
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Tajikistan, AKDN to continue bilateral cooperation

18.12.2010 17:20

Author: Zarina Ergasheva

DUSHANBE, December 18, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) were discussed here on Friday at a meeting of Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi with the AKDN Resident Representative in Tajikistan Munir Merali.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, the sides discussed the results of the AKDN activities in Tajikistan in 2010 and projects designed for 2011.

Zarifi and Merali, in particular, touched upon issues of bilateral fruitful cooperation between the Government of Tajikistan and AKDN aimed at promoting economic development of Tajikistan, enhancing the country’s education and health sectors as well as cultural development and urban planning in Tajikistan, the source said.

The Aga Khan Development Network was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims. It is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities in developing countries. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion.

In Tajikistan, the AKDN activities include the Mountain Societies Development Programme (MSDSP), which currently implements rural development projects in various regions of Tajikistan. Economic development projects include a hydroelectric plant (Pamir 1) that supplies Gorno Badakhshan with electricity; a mobile phone provider that cover 90 percent of the country; and a hotel being built in Dushanbe. The largest project underway is the creation of a campus of the University of Central Asia (UCA), in Khorog, which will have a broad socioeconomic impact on the entire region and beyond.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/en/news/287/72293.html
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Welcome to the Website of Investment Forum “Pamir Invest 2011”.

Association of Entrepreneurs and Mountain Farmers “Milal-Inter” jointly with local executive body of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), State Committee on Investment and State Property Management, with cooperation of Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan and with the financial support of German Organization for International Cooperation organizes the Forum “Pamir Invest 2011”, in Khorog, GBAO, Tajikistan.

Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) is one of the mountainous regions of RT that occupies more than 43 % of its territory. GBAO has borders with three countries – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan and People’s Republic of China.

The region possesses huge natural potential for development of economy. Rich deposits of minerals, numerous thermal and medicinal springs are located on the territory of this oblast. Peculiar mountainous landscape adds to development of various types of local and international tourism. Bridges constructed on the Panj River promote to development of trade and economic liaisons with transboundary oblasts of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. In spring 2010 the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has decided to create Free Economic Zone in Ishkashim district of GBAO, which shall promote more effective usage of oblast’s internal resources. Currently, the administration of FEZ Ishkashim arranging contacts with entrepreneurs and investors.The above listed conditions together with stable economy and improvements in investment climate of RT are providing new opportunities to attract foreign direct investments.

Entrepreneurs and investors have the unique opportunity to meet each others in Pamir and establish mutually beneficial cooperation.

http://www.pamirinvest.tj/en/
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Road connection between Pak-Tajikistan discussed

Islamabad—Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Federal Minister for Communications paid a three-day successful visit to Tajikistan from Aug 8.

Dr Arbab visited Ishkashim, a border city from where the road between Pakistan and Tajikistan from Chitral is planned.

Along with his Tajik counterpart, Hakimov Nizom, Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan had an aerial view of the site and the connecting bridges between Tajikistan and Afghanistana, said a press release received here on Thursday from Dushanbe.n.

Arbab Alamgir visited Khorog, capital of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and the first big city on the planned route from Ishkashim to Dushanbe.

He met with Qodiri Qosim, Governor of GBAO and exchanged views on road connectivity between Pakistan and Tajikistan.The Minister also visited School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Central Asia, Serena Inn, Park Chorbogh and the Pamir Energy Town.

These projects have been funded and are being run by the Aga Khan Foundation. The Minister for Communications invited Tajik Minister of Transport to visit Pakistan. They agreed to form an Experts’ Working Group to speed up the process of feasibility study and to proceed on its implementation after the concurrence of Afghan authorities.—APP

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=108479
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Pamir Invest 201

On 16-17th June in Khorog was held an investment Forum “Pamir – Invest 2011”. The Forum was organized by the project of Association of Entrepreneurs and Mountain Farmers “Milal - Inter” with the support of the State Committee on investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan and local executive authority of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. General sponsor of the Forum was Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The Forum was attended by 180 participants.

The Chairman of State Committee on investment and State Property management of the Republic of Tajikistan Saidov Davlatali has opened the Forum with welcoming speech on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. He emphasized the importance of conducting of purposeful work on attracting and effective use of native and foreign investments to economic development. He also expressed confidence that the issues which are being considered in the Forum have positive impact on economic development of Gorno Badakhshan and other mountainous regions of the country.

More....


http://www.pamirinvest.tj/en/index.php? ... &Itemid=50
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Rakhmon opens new Tajik-Afghan bridge

Staff Report
2011-08-16

KHUMORGI, Tajikistan – Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Afghan officials ceremonially opened a new Tajik-Afghan bridge over the Panj River in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast August 16, Avesta.tj reported.

The bridge is the result of a trilateral agreement among Tajikistan, Afghansistan and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Rakhmon’s press office said, according to Avesta.tj. It cost 12m TJS (US $2.3m) to build.

The 216m-long bridge will allow 70,000 people living on both ends to engage in trade. It is the fourth funded by the AKDN, according to the organisation.

http://centralasiaonline.com/cocoon/cai ... wsbrief-13
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The Governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan and the Aga Khan Development Network Inaugurate the Vanj Bridge, Enhancing Cross-Border and Regional Cooperation

Please also see: Photographs

Khumrogi, Vanj District, Tajikistan, 16 August 2011 - The Vanj Bridge, the fourth in a series of bridges funded by the Aga Khan Development Network, was inaugurated today by Tajikistan’s President H.E. Emomali Rahmon. The bridge connects Tajikistan’s Vanj District with Mohi-May Vulusvoli in Afghanistan and is expected to enhance cross-border humanitarian assistance delivery, infrastructure development, socio-economic exchange, tourism and trade between the two countries.

The Vanj Bridge ceremony marks nearly a decade since the opening of the first of the bridges nearly a decade ago, and commemorates the longstanding partnership between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, as well as their continued commitment to cross-border collaboration.

Describing the project as “the best bridge built yet between the two countries on the River Pyanj,” President Rahmon noted that the bridge was built within the framework of the agreement between the Governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan and the Aga Khan Development Network. “We will not withhold any assistance, cooperation and fraternal help for the sake of stability in Afghanistan and its economic development,” President Rahmon commented. “Peace, tranquility and happiness in Afghanistan is peace and tranquility in Tajikistan and all of Central Asia.”

Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs H.E. Asadullah Khalid also emphasised the importance of cross-border relations in his comments and thanked His Highness the Aga Khan and the Government of Tajikistan for their continued support for the region.

The Vanj Bridge spans 216 metres across the Pyanj River, making it the longest cross-border suspension bridge yet developed, and will support over 3,000 commercial and passenger crossings per year. The US$2.6 million bridge project was funded by the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan and employed 400 local Tajiks and Afghans over the course of nearly four years to completion.

In addition to the bridge itself, the Vanj project yielded several development works such as the construction of roads leading to the bridge on either side of the Pyanj, which will provide better access to electricity and water. A cross-border market, customs center and other border facilities, under development with the support of the Government of Germany through a US$428,000 grant from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), will offer the local population renewed access to competitively priced goods as well as a forum for intercultural exchange. The banks of the river have also been strengthened and protected. These projects are only an example of the development initiatives that will be supported by the opening of the Vanj Bridge.

In his comments at the ceremony, AKDN Resident Representative Munir Merali acknowledged the valuable partnerships that made the project possible. “These achievements are the efforts of many including our external funding partners and the support of both the Governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan,” he said.

Dr. Pascal Richter, the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Tajikistan, represented the Government of Germany at the event. “The Vanj Bridge and the cross-border market are visible representations of the commitment of the Government of Germany and the European Union to bringing stability and development to these cross-border regions,” he said. “The peoples of the two Badakhshans have incredible potential - in particular, in the role of women which is something to be admired and emulated by other societies.”

The Vanj Bridge joins three other bridges at Darwaz, Tem, and Ishkashim as part of the Aga Khan Development Network’s multi-sector cross-border development strategy. Since 2002, the bridges have served as the primary connection between Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Oblast and Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province. These highly isolated regions face numerous geographic, cultural and economic challenges, which the AKDN’s cross-border initiatives aim to mitigate. The bridges, including a fifth currently under development at Shurobod, serve as key conduits for humanitarian assistance, commerce and socio-cultural exchange opportunities.

The bridges and markets are but one feature of the AKDN’s overall cross-border development strategy, which consists of many projects. The University of Central Asia, an AKDN partner, recently graduated 60 Afghan scholarship students who studied IT, accounting and English at UCA’s School for Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) in Khorog, and who will now return to Afghanistan equipped with the skills and qualifications to make a positive impact on their communities. The AKDN-affiliated electricity company PamirEnergy, based just outside of Khorog, has been extending electricity to Afghan Badakhshan for three years, and currently provides over 1,000 Afghan households with affordable power with plans to expand supply even further in Afghanistan. Through its cross-border health programme, Aga Khan Health Services has provided emergency, routine and surgical care and vaccinations to thousands of residents of Afghan Badakhshan in addition to rehabilitating the hospital in Faizabad, Afghanistan. Still more AKDN agencies are working to improve the lives of the residents of Tajik and Afghan Badakhshan.

In his speech, President Rahmon also mentioned another cross-border collaboration between the Government of Tajikistan and the Aga Khan Development Network. "God willing, time will come when Afghanistan's entire northern region will be provided with cheap electricity after we build the Sanobod hydroelectric power plant,” he said, referring to an AKDN-supported HPP currently under development. “If there is electricity there will be prosperity, development and a high level of living standards.”

The ceremony was also attended by Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan H.E. Abdulgafor Orzu, the Chairman of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast H.E. Qodiri Qosim and the Governor of Afghan Badakhshan H.E. Shah Waliullah Adib, representing one step further toward sustainable, community-based development in these isolated but culturally vibrant regions.

For further information please contact:
Bijan Teja
Research Analyst
Aga Khan Development Network
8-10 Gani Abdullo Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Mobile: +992 93 500-82-93
E-mail: bijan.teja@akdn.org

Hokimsho Zulfiqorov
Senior Program Officer, Communication and Resource Mobilization
Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan
4th floor, 137 Rudaki Avenue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
E-mail: hokimsho.zulfiqorov@akdn.org
Mobile: +992 93 435-75-12

http://www.akdn.org/Content/1066/The-Go ... ooperation
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http://en.trend.az/regions/casia/tajiki ... 23587.html
Baku: 26, August 2011, Friday, 23:50 (GMT+05:00)
Az&#601;rbaycan

Prince Amyn Aga Khan to pay visit to Tajikistan

[26.08.2011 17:28]
Prince Amyn Aga Khan to pay visit to Tajikistan

Prince Amyn Aga Khan, younger brother of His Highness the Aga Khan, is arriving in Tajikistan on August 27 for a three-day visit, according to the Tajik MFA information department, Asia-Plus reported.

During his stay in Dushanbe, His Highness will hold talks with a number of high-ranking Tajik state officials and will review some programs of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Tajikistan, the source said.

Prince Amyn joined the United Nations Secretariat, Department of Economic and Social Affairs following his graduation from Harvard in 1965. Since 1968, Prince Amyn has been closely involved with the governance of the principal development institutions of the Ismaili Imamat. He is a member of the Board of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and Chairman of its Executive Committee. Prince Amyn was also deeply involved in the establishment and the development of the Tourism Promotion Services (TPS). He is also a Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).

Tourism Promotion Services (TPS), an affiliate of AKFED, seeks to develop tourism potential in underserved areas such as Tajikistan. Operating under the "SERENA" brand name, TPS hotels enjoy an established reputation for the highest standards of comfort, service and product, with over 34 properties in nine countries in Africa and Asia. Each Serena property is carefully built to harmonize with local culture and heritage and to reflect the architectural styles of the region so that it promotes awareness of these elements amongst travelers.

Dushanbe Serena Hotel followed Serena’s successful design standards reflecting on strong local design features to uphold Tajikistan’s rich cultural heritage enveloped in a modern glass structure. The hotel has been designed to act as both a social and business hub. Dushanbe Serena Hotel will offer 540 square meters of purpose built meeting and conference spaces for executive board meetings to large banquets and State functions. Health-and-leisure facilities consist of an extensive Fitness and Spa Centre including holistic treatment rooms, a roof-top swimming-pool and car parking for all its valued guests.

This world-class hotel will promote tourism, commercial and urban development in Tajikistan.
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Case Study: Remittances

At FMFB Tajikistan, remittance services are now available at 29 banking service centres throughout the country, reflecting the importance of remittances in the Tajik economy.At FMFB Tajikistan, remittance services are now available at 29 banking service centres throughout the country, reflecting the importance of remittances in the Tajik economy.Tajikistan has one of the lowest gross domestic products per capita among the 15 former Soviet Republics and nearly two-thirds of the population continues to live in poverty. In recent years, the economy has become heavily reliant on migrant remittances. More than 43 percent of Tajikistan’s GDP is made up by remittances.

The average Tajik migrant is a 32-year old, male, who has three dependents, spending 14 months at a time (cyclically) in Russia and remitting US$ 2,000-2,500 on average per year (US$ 150-200 per month). Remittances are generally seasonal and peak between September and December each year, around the time migrants return home after the completion of a contract. Recipients of remittances are most often women who remain to care for the family.

Over the last year, FMFB-T has worked on increasing the number of access points for banking operations so that many communities can access remittances close to their homes. In 2009, the National Bank of Tajikistan granted FMFB-T the right to engage in money transfer activities in its banking service centres because remittance recipients are more inclined to receive remittances through banks or operators that have locations close to where they reside.

The bank is also advertising its remittance services so that it can begin to build a visible presence in Tajikistan. In Russia, FMFB-T has established a greater presence to attract remittance business and promote the services of the bank.

Establishing a stronger presence in Russia enables the bank to engage more with the migrant communities, building relationships which can be further strengthened by remittance officers in Tajikistan.

FMFB-T has started to develop several remittance-linked products to help its clients increase the amount of the remittances that go into asset building as opposed to income smoothing. In 2010, FMFB-T started considering a remittance-linked savings product to foster the building of assets of its clients.

http://www.akdn.org/akam_tajikistan_case_study.asp
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Hilary Clinton highlights cooperation with AKDN during her first official visit to Tajikistan

http://www.rferl.org/content/clinton_pl ... 67751.html

Clinton Reaches Out To Tajiks In First Official Visit

Excerpt:


"We are working with the Agha Khan Development Network to support new energy, to build an integrated energy grid along the Tajik-Afghan border," Clinton said. "We want to spur growth, create jobs, invigorate the private sector and fully integrate Tajikistan into the South and Central Asian economy."
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Discusses New Silk Road Initiative; Lauds AKDN for “Creating Opportunities for the Tajik People”

Dushanbe, 22 October 2011 – Speaking at a meeting called the “Town Hall with Women, Youth, and Civil Society”, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for arranging for the use of the Ismaili Centre for the forum and remarked that the Network was “working so hard to create opportunities for the Tajik people”. The town hall meeting was part of a “New Silk Road Initiative”.

The town hall meeting brought together various members of the country’s civil society, local and international aid and development organizations, and local and regional media outlets. The Secretary discussed collaboration – within the context of the New Silk Road Initiative – with AKDN Resident Representative Munir Merali.

In highlighting some of the critical challenges facing the region, Secretary Clinton discussed the potential to create employment, especially among the youth and women; attract foreign investments; and integrate regional economies, as outlined in the New Silk Road Initiative, to engender peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

Secretary Clinton also cited the successful private-public-partnership of PamirEnergy, a rehabilitated hydropower station in South Eastern Tajikistan, noting, "the United States is working with the Aga Khan Development Network to support PamirEnergy in building an integrated energy grid along the Tajik-Afghan border". PamirEnergy is a cross-border electricity transmission project that is helping to light up two very remote provinces of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Today, PamirEnergy not only meets the electricity needs of its catchment population, but also provides energy to over 1,500 households across the Pyanj River in some of the most isolated and vulnerable areas in Northern Afghanistan.

For a full transcript of the Secretary of State's speech, please see the US State Department website.

For more information on the Network’s activities in Tajikistan and the region, please see notes below and briefs on AKDN activities in Tajikistan at: http://www.akdn.org/tajikistan_publications.asp

http://www.akdn.org/Content/1086/US-Sec ... jik-People
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His Highness the Agakhan visits Tajikistan Oct 30/31 2011. For more information go to:

Imamat Activities --> Tajik visit 31 Oct 2011 - Opening new Tajik/Afghan Bridge

http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... 7867#37867
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U.S. Assistance Advances Tajik-Afghan Partnership

I recently had the pleasure to meet in Washington with Munir Merali, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Representative for Tajikistan. The AKDN is a global organization doing great work in health and humanitarian assistance in Tajikistan. The AKDN has also taken the initiative to sponsor cross-border energy and education activities with Afghanistan, building an important bridge between these two countries.

Mr. Merali showed me amazing photos from his recent trip to Khorog, where he traveled with the U.S., Afghan, French, and Russian ambassadors for the graduation ceremony of the University of Central Asia. At the ceremony, over 60 Afghan students graduated, the first time in 90 years that Afghans graduated on what is now Tajik soil. Moreover, 14 of the Afghan graduates were women. Mr. Merali also described his efforts to build a regional diagnostic center and laboratory at the Khorog General Hospital, which could train Afghan doctors and service the Afghan population. He hopes to build on U.S. assistance to extend Pamir Energy's transmission to provide electricity to some 1,500 households, across the border.

AKDN's activities complement U.S. efforts to embed Afghanistan into the regional economy by creating sustainable economic and social linkages. There are several other U.S.-funded programs centered in Tajikistan that build ties between the two countries:

- The USAID Regional Trade Liberalization and Customs Project Export Partnerships Initiative trained 55 competitively selected business managers and business association leaders from Central Asia and Afghanistan. Several participating companies have identified synergies and agreed to form export partnerships. Companies from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are planning to collaborate to export footwear to Afghanistan. Twelve textile producers from across the region decided to combine efforts to export their products to Russia.

- A Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement-financed, International Organization for Migration-administered Border Guards Training Center was opened in Khorog (GBAO) in April 2006, with more than 300 Tajik graduates. Since April 2010, the Center hosted five iterations of joint training for Tajik and Afghan Border Guards, with 36 Tajiks and 50 Afghans completing the course. The border post personnel from paired posts on each side of the border train together and the training helps facilitate the flow of legitimate visitors and goods and improving cultural and economic ties between the two countries.

Robert O. Blake
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs

View the Original News Article ››

(This news article is a product of the DipNote - U.S. Department of State Blog)

http://tef.nps.edu/web/guest/news/-/blo ... artnership
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Tajikistan, Afghanistan and AKDN Lay Foundation Stone for Fifth Bridge Between Countries

Please also see: Photographs

Showun, Shurobod District, Tajikistan, 31st October 2011 – His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, Minister of Public Works of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan His Excellency Abdulkudus Hamidi, and His Highness the Aga Khan, founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), today performed the foundation-stone ceremony for the Shurobod Bridge.

The bridge, the fifth to be built in partnership with the AKDN, will connect the Shurobod District of Khatlon Region in Tajikistan with the Khohon Province of Afghanistan. The ceremony was also attended by the German Ambassadors to Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Since 2002, AKDN has constructed four bridges -- at Darwaz, Tem, Ishkashim and Vanj. Today they serve as the primary transport links between Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Oblast and northern Afghanistan. As integral parts of AKDN’s multi-sector cross-border strategy, they are key conduits for humanitarian assistance, commerce and socio-cultural exchange opportunities in these remote and isolated areas.

President Rahmon said the new bridge will “significantly enhance closer trade and economic cooperation and the intensification of multilateral cooperation between our two countries”.

“This foundation is a symbol of the relationship between our two countries,” said Minister Hamidi. “With the construction of this bridge, thousands of people across the river will now have the opportunity to connect to health services and education opportunities in Tajikistan, and this is a remarkable achievement.”

“What you are doing today is setting a remarkable example of people coming together for a common purpose across frontiers – and that common purpose is to improve the quality of life of every individual in those societies,” said the Aga Khan, thanking the local and national governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. “These bridges enable people to come together to share best practice in developing human society. Across frontiers, you can build best practice in education, in healthcare, in economic development, in financial institutions, in rural activity, and it is this capacity to bring the best of society together for the benefit of all the people that I think is the most important lesson that we have today.” The Aga Khan also thanked the government of Germany for its support for the project.

When completed, the Shurobod Bridge will connect rural, mountainous and isolated communities living along the borders of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The bridge will be 162 meters in length, measure 3.5 meters in width and have a load capacity of 30 metric tons. Construction is expected to be completed at the end of 2012. The German government will provide financial support through its development bank, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), while the Aga Khan Foundation, together with its local partners, will provide technical assistance.

As with the previously constructed bridges, facilities, including cross-border markets, will be built on both sides of the Shurobod bridge. It is anticipated that the new bridge will contribute to increasing the livelihoods of the isolated and rural areas by stimulating cross-border commercial trade as well as the development of infrastructure on the Afghan side.

For more information please contact:

Hokimsho Zulfiqorov
Senior Program Officer, Communication and Resource Mobilization
Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan
4th floor, 137 Rudaki Avenue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
E-mail: hokimsho.zulfiqorov@akdn.org
Mobile: +992 93 435-75-12

http://www.akdn.org/Content/1091/Tajiki ... -Countries
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Prospects of further cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN discussed in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, February 16, 2012, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday February 15, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sharif Rahimzoda met with Mr. Munir Merali, Resident Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Tajikistan.

According to the press center of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the sides discussed state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN.

Rahimzoda, in particular, noted that the MoEDT as the public body authorized for coordination of cooperation with international organizations was ready to extend cooperation with AKDN.

For his part, Mr. Munir Merali made specific proposals regarding plans, programs, implementation of projects covering the private sector, finance and banking, energy, agriculture and health, as well as improvement of activities of free economic zones in the country and training of personnel for the fields of economy, tourism, insurance and other social directions, the MoEDT press center said.

During the meeting, Rahimzoda and Merali also exchanged views on a number of other issues being of mutual interest.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of development agencies with mandates that include the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalization of historic cities. AKDN agencies conduct their programs without regard to faith, origin or gender.

AKDN works towards the vision of an economically dynamic, politically stable, intellectually vibrant, and culturally tolerant Tajikistan. This is achieved by supporting the establishment of programs and institutions that allow the government, private sector and civil society to play complementary roles in increasing prosperity and creativity within a pluralistic society. Operating in Tajikistan since 1992, AKDN draws on a strong base of experience in working with mountain societies. It works in all regions of the country and employs approximately 3,000 people through its operations and investments.

http://news.tj/en/news/prospects-furthe ... d-dushanbe
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Prospects of further cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN discussed in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, February 16, 2012, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday February 15, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sharif Rahimzoda met with Mr. Munir Merali, Resident Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Tajikistan.

According to the press center of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the sides discussed state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN.

Rahimzoda, in particular, noted that the MoEDT as the public body authorized for coordination of cooperation with international organizations was ready to extend cooperation with AKDN.

For his part, Mr. Munir Merali made specific proposals regarding plans, programs, implementation of projects covering the private sector, finance and banking, energy, agriculture and health, as well as improvement of activities of free economic zones in the country and training of personnel for the fields of economy, tourism, insurance and other social directions, the MoEDT press center said.

During the meeting, Rahimzoda and Merali also exchanged views on a number of other issues being of mutual interest.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of development agencies with mandates that include the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalization of historic cities. AKDN agencies conduct their programs without regard to faith, origin or gender.

AKDN works towards the vision of an economically dynamic, politically stable, intellectually vibrant, and culturally tolerant Tajikistan. This is achieved by supporting the establishment of programs and institutions that allow the government, private sector and civil society to play complementary roles in increasing prosperity and creativity within a pluralistic society. Operating in Tajikistan since 1992, AKDN draws on a strong base of experience in working with mountain societies. It works in all regions of the country and employs approximately 3,000 people through its operations and investments.

http://news.tj/en/news/prospects-furthe ... d-dushanbe
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AKFED in collaboration with the Tajik government and WB

Tajiks benefit from WB aid
Staff Report

2012-04-17
DUSHANBE – World Bank (WB) aid has benefitted Tajik farmers, electricity consumers and patients, the WB said in three April 16 statements.

More than 34,000 farmers have received land use certificates enabling them to “use their land to their advantage,” the WB said, describing the World Bank-funded Land Registration and Cadastre System Project. Farmers receive advice and can more easily form Water User Associations “that organize themselves according to new land use patterns and then receive grants for rehabilitation of their on-farm irrigation systems,” the WB said.

The WB, co-operating with the Tajik government and Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, also helped create the Pamir Energy Company, which operates a renovated power plant. The new utility provides “an almost uninterrupted power supply” to residents of Gorno-Badakhshan. It also exports some power to northern Afghanistan.

Since 2006, the WB has supported the six-month-long Family Medicine training programme, under which 273 family doctors and 702 family nurses in Khatlon and Sughd oblasts have become “certified family practitioners,” the WB said. Eighteen primary healthcare facilities and two family medicine training centres were rehabilitated, and 38 primary healthcare facilities were built in Khatlon and Soghd through the programme, the WB said.

http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/arti ... wsbrief-12
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4-05-2012, 14:18

Ties Expansion between Tajikistan and Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development Discussed in Dushanbe

Avesta.Tj | 04.05.2012 | The experts group of Aga Khan Fund on Economic Development chaired by Lutaf Kasam met with the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Hamidullohon Fakerov, in Dushanbe.

According to the press service of Economic Development Ministry, in the course of the meeting Fakerov stressed: "the Ministry of Economic Development, as the authorized body on coordination of all international organizations, is ready to develop actively the cooperation with the Aga Khan on Economic Development".

Lutaf Qassam, in his turn, expressed his opinion on the plans and projects implementation by Aga Khan Fund in the spheres of energy, agriculture, tourism, private sector, social sector, as well as the revitalization of the SEZ activities.

He outlined the specific proposals on this issue. At the end of the meeting the sides discussed other issues of mutual interest – says the press center of Ministry of Economic Development.

http://www.avesta.tj/eng/goverment/2223 ... hanbe.html
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Aga Khan – My Grandma’s Dream

Boziqala, Tajikistan

Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva
CNN International Assignment Editor

(Dedicated To All Grandmas in Pamir, Tajikistan)

Editor's Note: Pope Benedict XVI is not the only religious leader visiting America. Also touring the country, the Aga Khan. To about 20-million people around the world who practice the Ismaili branch of Islam, he is their imam, or spiritual guide. He has a worldly mission, as well, overseeing a large, nondenominational foundation dedicated to easing global poverty.

The Aga Khan's tour of Ismaili communities in the United States and around the world has unleashed an outpouring of affection among Ismaili Muslims. In the case of CNN journalist Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva, his visit also brings back memories of his impact on her small town, in the Tajik province of Pamir, in a poor corner of the former Soviet Union.

Zarifmo begins her story by saying:

If only my Grandmother could hear this.

When I was growing up, my grandma and her friends in my tiny Boziqala, and villages nearby, knew little about the world. They didn’t have much education and never traveled beyond their province, Pamir.

Their children and grandchildren, though, were well educated. It made them proud, but the pain of longing for their faraway imam never left their hearts. My grandma said, before the Soviet Union, it was easier to get messages from the imam, but now we are disconnected. She used to blame the government, sometimes. But most of the time she blamed people for not remembering God...

I loved sitting next to my grandma when she was praying because, at the end of her prayers, she used to shake my hand saying shohi didor, a prayer for an audience with the imam. My brothers and I fought over who would sit closer to her to hear the shohi didor. There was a special sacred place in the corner of our house, where my grandma used to sit during her evening prayers.

That’s all I knew about the Aga Khan while growing up. Once, though, in college, I heard one Pamiri professor asked why Pamiris pay so much attention to education. And his answer: “It’s a wish of the imam.

I graduated and went back home to my village Boziqala. I was a teacher for 3 months then got a job in Badakshan Radio station and few years later became a newscaster on Badakshan TV station. Got married and had two small children. I loved my life.

Then, the USSR collapsed. Winter came. So did civil war.

My remote corner of the world first turned chaotic, then the chaos cut us off nearly completely from the outside. I had visions of my two children starving.

Then, one snowy night, I was called to the TV station to broadcast the most important words of my career and, perhaps, my life.

The studio was very cold.

The engineers told me I’d have to wait for two hours for the power to be restored. While I was waiting, I went over the announcement.

Only then did I realize, it was a letter from the Aga Khan Foundation, a letter telling people not to give up hopes, aid is on the way.

I don't know how to describe it. I wish there were words to express the feelings. I moved closer to the window. The snow was falling, but I didn’t feel the winter anymore. I knew Spring was coming.

My children, my neighbors and I wouldn’t starve.

This group, sponsored and inspired by that man, a man I had only known through memories of my grandmother, had saved us.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/17/a ... hpt=ac_mid
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Imamat collaborates with EU to provide renewable energy in Tajikistan

Wind energy in Tajikistan: wind power use growing
june 21, 2012
Solar energy and wind turbines still costs more than hydro-energy to produce, Tilloyev said. "However, the urgency of this issue is very high," he added.


Tajikistan is researching renewable energy production, Energy Industry Ministry official Vaisiddin Tilloyev told News.tj in an interview published June 18.

The interview was a response to criticism by Tajik MP and Communist Party chief Shodi Shabdolov, who said earlier nobody in Tajikistan was studying wind energy's potential.

Solar energy and wind turbines still costs more than hydro-energy to produce, Tilloyev said. "However, the urgency of this issue is very high," he added. "Our country has districts where, for economic, environmental and social reasons, it makes sense to prioritise the development of renewable energy."

Tajikistan has signed memoranda of co-operation on wind energy and solar power with several European firms, he said.

A project costing about US $60,000 (285,700 TJS) and funded by the EU and Aga Khan has brought renewable energy to some private homes, healthcare facilities and schools in mountain villages in Muminabad, Shuroabad and Khovaling districts, he said.

However, the price of wind power and solar energy equipment and the lack of visible examples hinder the development of renewable energy in Tajikistan, he conceded.

http://centralasiaonline.com
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Ismaili institutions involved in the ceasefire arrangement in the recent violence

Excerpt:

"The ceasefire was arranged by a mediating team consisting of local officials, residents and representatives of the Ismaili branch of Islam that people in Badakhshan follow. These included local clerics and representatives of the Aga Khan Foundation, which has worked to develop the region over the last two decades.

The Aga Khan himself, who wields considerable influence as leader of all Ismailis, played a key role in persuading the rebels to accept a truce, urging his spiritual followers to refrain from violence, to work for peace and to uphold the law."

http://iwpr.net/report-news/tajik-rebel ... badakhshan
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22-08-2012, 16:21

Tajik Ambassador to United States Meets with Representative of Aga Khan Foundation

Avesta.Tj | 22.08.2012 | Ambassador of Tajikistan to USA Nuriddin Shamsov met with the Executive director of Aga Khan Foundation in the United States Mirzo Jahoni, - reported the Information Department of MFA RT.

Tajik diplomat called the Aga Khan Foundation an important partner in the implementation of social, economic, and educational projects in the eastern and southern regions of Tajikistan.

Speaking on the activities of the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan Jahoni noted, at present the Foundation Representation in Tajikistan supports to the construction of bridge between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in Shuroabad area.

At the end of the meeting the parties agreed to coordinate their actions, directed the aid increase to Tajikistan for achieving its goals.

http://www.avesta.tj/eng/goverment/2806 ... ation.html
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Meeting of Tajik Foreign Minister with the Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network

Dushanbe, September 26. (NIAT “Khovar”).-

On September 25, 2012 in New York on the sidelines of the General Debates of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly the Head of the delegation of Tajikistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Hamrokhon Zarifi met with His Highness the Aga Khan, the Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.

At the meeting the sides discussed issues and prospects of the realization of the Aga Khan Development Network programmes and projects in Tajikistan.

NIAT “Khovar” has been reported at the Department of Information, Press, Analysis and Foreign Policy Planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan.

http://khovar.tj/eng/foreign-policy/343 ... twork.html
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AKDN partnership in telecommunications sector in Tajikistan

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED)
In its investment in Tajikistan, TeliaSonera has partnered with Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) who is the other shareholder of Tcell. AKFED is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) which is a group of development agencies with mandates including the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, promotion of private-sector enterprise, and revitalization of historic cities. AKDN agencies conduct their programs without regard to faith, origin or gender. AKDN works towards the vision of an economically dynamic, politically stable, intellectually vibrant, and culturally tolerant Tajikistan. The majority of AKDN projects, playing an important role both in the cultural sphere and in further economic development of the country, are familiar to most of the people living in Tajikistan.

Representatives of the Aga Khan Foundation have taken active part in mediating the peacemaking process in the recent armed conflict in Gorny Badakhshan region in eastern Tajikistan (2012). AKFED has supported the government efforts to negotiate disarmament of the armed gang formations. Thanks to these mediation efforts, certain positive results have been achieved in disarmament and restoring the peaceful daily life in the region.

More information about AKFED is available at www.akdn.org/akfed

http://www.teliasonera.com/en/newsroom/ ... ajikistan/
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TAJIKISTAN: SDC and Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan Partner to Help Improve Water Supply Systems and Access to Basic Health Care in Remote Communities

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 9, 2012–As part of their ongoing collaboration which has spanned the last fifteen years, today the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan (AKF Tjk) confirmed two additional projects to help improve the quality of life of all people of Tajikistan.


The signing ceremony was attended by the Country Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan, Mr. Peter Mikula; Deputy Minister of Melioration and Water Resources, Mr. Anvar Zoirov; General Director of State Communal Services, Mr. Alimurod Taghoymurodov; Head of International Relations Department of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Ilhom Bandaev, AKDN Resident Representative in Tajikistan, Mr. Munir Merali; Chief Executive Officer of AKF Tjk, Mr. Yodgor Faizov; and other respective staff and invited guests.

“Switzerland remains committed to supporting the reforms in health and drinking water sectors. And these two projects are fully in line with the new Cooperation Strategy for 2012-2015, where Healthcare reform and Drinking water are among the key domains of intervention, - Peter Mikula said in his speech. - We are fully confident with our long-term partner, Aga Khan Foundation, in terms of efficient implementation of the projects, and believe that families living remote areas of Tajikistan will ultimately get access to adequate basic healthcare services and safe drinking water facilities”.

The first project, Improving Water Supply Systems and Hygiene Practices in Mountain Regions of Tajikistan will be implemented by the Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP), a project of AKF Tjk. The goal of this project is to increase the access and availability of safe, clean drinking water, in addition to help improve the knowledge of water quality, hygiene and appropriate sanitation practices. The project aims to cover the mountainous regions of Tajikistan including communities in Rasht Valley, Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) benefiting over 40,000 people while training Community Health Promoters, teachers and other related professionals in best-practices for sanitation and hygiene.

The CEO of AKF Tjk, Mr. Yodgor Faizov, highlighted in his speech the effectiveness of collaboration between AKF and SDC and noted that the newly signed projects will make positive changes in the quality of life of targeted communities.

The second project, Improving Access to Basic Care in Mountain Regions of Tajikistan seeks to improve the overall health conditions of beneficiaries by providing better access to health services, rehabilitating existing infrastructure, and providing the necessary medical equipment in areas with limited resources. This project, implemented by Aga Khan Health Service (AKHS) and MSDSP, will impact over 64,000 beneficiaries in various districts of Rasht Valley, Khatlon and GBAO.

Since 1998, Switzerland has provided US $200 million towards the implementation of numerous projects in a number of sectors including: health care reform, strengthening public institutions and services, engaging in private sector development, basic infrastructure (potable water and energy development), irrigation water management and disaster risk reduction. AKF Tjk has collaborated with SDC in several of these areas with its current projects focused on water supply, health infrastructure and community health promotion.

These initiatives were set out to respond to key challenges of the region while building on the results, experiences and capacities of Switzerland and aims to support the transition process in Tajikistan by contributing to the economic development of the country and by helping to build institutions and systems which are responsive to the population’s needs.
Both projects will be implemented taking into account gender and governance aspects by ensuring equal access to health care and other community services as well as inclusion of all community members into the decision-making processes.

Notes:

The Aga Khan Foundation is part of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN); a group of development agencies founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan. Established in 1967 in Geneva, Switzerland, AKF is a non-denominational, international development agency with branches, affiliates and representative offices in 20 countries. In Tajikistan, AKF has been active since 1993 when, with the support of the international donor community, a response was mounted in Gorno-Badakhshan to imminent food shortages caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. In parallel with this emergency programme, AKF initiated a rural development programme with the aim of contributing to poverty alleviation in the programme areas. Programmes for reform in the social sector (Health and Education) were introduced in 1994, with the aim of assisting the government to cope more efficiently with reduced resources while at the same time benefiting from new approaches in education and health.

For more information please go to www.akdn.org

http://www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/k ... mID=215384
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Outgoing AKDN resident representative bids farewell to Tajik foreign minister

DUSHANBE, November 1, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Outgoing Resident Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Tajikistan Munir Merali met here Tuesday (October 30) with Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi at the end of his tenure to Tajikistan.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, Zarifi highly appraised contribution of Munir Merali to expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the Aga Khan Development Network.

In the course of the talks, the sides also considered issues related to further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the Network.
While reviewing the results of implementation of AKDN-supported projects in the country, the sides reportedly exchanged views on using additional opportunities for expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Development Network brings together a number of development agencies, institutions, and programs that work to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. AKDN’s underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society.
AKDN agencies work in Tajikistan in a range of areas—from economic development to education, rural development to cultural revitalization, health care to financial services. Operating in the country since 1992, AKDN draws on a strong base of experience in working with mountain societies. The Network is present in all regions of Tajikistan and employs approximately 3,500 people through its operations and investments, including the PamirEnergy Company, Tcell Telecommunications, and the First MicroFinanceBank.

http://news.tj/en/news/outgoing-akdn-re ... n-minister
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AKF gets kids in Tajikistan reading and learning

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DUSHANBE, November 26, 2012, Asia-Plus -- The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Tajikistan has launched the Reading for Children project in Tajikistan.

This project is a joint initiative of AKF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a source at AKF Tajikistan said.
Based on the experience of a successful similar project that has been implemented by AKF Tajikistan in Gorno Badakhshan since 2010, the project reportedly targets eight districts in Khatlon province (Jilikul, Qumsangir, Rumi, Yovon, Vakhsh, Sarband, Muminobod and Khovaling) and three districts in Gorno Badakhshan (Rushan, Roshtqala and Ishkashim), AKF Tajikistan said.

Over a two-year period, 246 mini-libraries will be established and some 30 original titles for preschoolers will be published. In all, 15,700 parents and 26,200 children in Khatlon and Gorno Badakhshan are expected to get benefit from the project.

“We will work with two Institutes for Professional Development (these institutes provide full in-service teacher training and education management support for primary and secondary school teachers) in Khatlon province on the “Reading for Children” project,” said the source. “The project aims to promote development of capacities and skills of local authors in preparing reading materials and books for preschoolers. The authors will prepare reading materials based on ever-day-life examples as well as cultural traditions and oral history of the Tajik people meeting children’s age and perception.”

The source stressed that the Ministry of Education and the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Tajikistan would participate in all stages of implementation of the project.

Reading for Children is a project aimed at building children’s interest in reading, raising their aptitudes and strengthening family bonds. The results enhance children’s ability to learn and prepare them for lifelong learning.

The Reading for Children project was reportedly piloted for the first time in Kyrgyzstan in 2006 and to-date, the project has been implemented in nine countries of the world.

According to information posted on the website of PartnershipsInAction, an initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation USA, the Reading for Children program began in Kyrgyzstan with an aim to instill in children a love for books and enthusiasm for reading. It does this in three ways, by: increasing access to quality storybooks through mini-libraries; encouraging parents and other caregivers to read with their children; and nurturing Kyrgyz storytellers and engaging them in the publication of those books.

http://news.tj/en/news/akf-gets-kids-ta ... AKDN113012
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“Shukr Mawlo, Shukr Mawlo” – When Hope is All You Have Left, a Story for Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Salgirah

By Gulnor Saratbekova

http://simerg.com/about/shukr-mawlo-shu ... -salgirah/
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Newly-appointed AKDN resident representative begins his mission in Tajikistan

31/01/2013 18:02
Asia-Plus
Views: 1444
DUSHANBE, January 31, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has announced that Mr. Akbar Ali Pesnani presented his credentials as the newly-appointed AKDN Resident Representative for Tajikistan to Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, on January 30, 2013.
Mr. Pesnani replaces Mr. Munir Merali who completed his term on January 28, 2013 after seven years of service.

According to press release issued by AKDN Tajikistan, Mr. Pesnani has over 40 years of experience within the Network in various capacities including, his current role as Chairman of the Board for the First Microfinance Bank in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Aga Khan Cultural Services in Pakistan. He is also the Director on the Boards of the Jubilee Insurance Co., and Industrial Promotion Services for Pakistan. Previously, he has also chaired the Steering Committee for the development of the earthquake affected areas in Kashmir.
Professionally, Mr. Pesnani has worked with various organizations in senior financial and management positions including the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, the Ghulam Faruque Group, a manufacturing and trading group in Pakistan, as well as the Gwadar Port & Gwadar Port Implementation Authority in Pakistan.

Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Development Network brings together a number of development agencies, institutions, and programs that work to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. AKDN’s underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society.

AKDN agencies work in Tajikistan in a range of areas—from economic development to education, rural development to cultural revitalization, health care to financial services. Operating in the country since 1992, AKDN draws on a strong base of experience in working with mountain societies. The Network is present in all regions of Tajikistan through its operations and investments, including the PamirEnergy Company, Tcell Telecommunications, and the First MicroFinanceBank.

The Aga Khan Development Network serves as Tajikistan’s largest private employer, through a committed staff of 3500 in 8 agencies. It is also the largest taxpayer and remains dedicated towards improving the long-term livelihoods, living conditions, and economic opportunities of all Tajiks.

http://news.tj/en/news/newly-appointed- ... jikistan-0
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Prospects of cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN discussed in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, February 22, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) were the focus of a meeting of Tajik Minister of Finance Safarali Najmiddinov with AKDN Resident Representative for Tajikistan Ali Akbar Pesnani that took place here on February 19, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) Secretariat reports.

More....

http://news.tj/en/news/prospects-cooper ... AKDN030113
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