Young Leaders in Tajikistan

Challenge

In the mountainous, rural areas of Tajikistan, a short supply of teachers and school funding means only core subjects are taught and few extracurricular activities are offered. Livelihoods are also scarce, and traditional views on gender roles mean many youth – especially young women – lack access to enriching educations and economic opportunities. Feeling they have little hope for a purposeful, fulfilling future, many teenagers become withdrawn and disconnected.

Promise

Counterpart’s Young Leaders Program is equipping the youth of Tajikistan to become socially conscious citizens, driving change to help their communities prosper. In partnership with local organizations working with youth after school and during the summer, our program supports youth leadership through:

• leadership and civic engagement training;
• partnerships with local government to secure public spaces for youth to convene;
• collaboration with international organizations to maximize grant funding and technical assistance for youth-led development projects.

Impact 

During the span of our project, Counterpart:

• provided small grants and technical assistance for 206 development projects designed by young leaders and expected to improve the lives of 12,800 people;
• trained 315 youth on civic education issues during an intensive, 10-week course and after school activities;
• trained 600 youth on topics such as leadership, communications and women’s rights;
• helped 270 youths build networks with one another, including at six summer camps where youth learned lessons of leadership, volunteerism, democracy, human rights and government.

Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Partners

Funder: United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Collaborators: Ministry of Education; State Committee on Youth, Sport and Tourism; Academy of Education; Teachers Training Institute; Center for Strategic Research under the President of Republic of Tajikistan; Women of Orient; Marifatnoki; Khirad.