From Plan to Prosperity: Tajikistan’s First Land Auction

After learning about a local land auction, 30-year-old entrepreneur Izatullo Boboev placed a winning bid on a land plot. In total, the first land auctions supported by the Feed the Future Land Market Development Activity leased 63.64 hectares of land and will generate approximately US$102,167 in revenue for local governments over five years. This is,…

After Six Years, Justice and a Future for “Shohob-1”

In August 2012, when Safar Tagoev established dehkan farm “Shohob-1” in Tajikistan’s Yovon District, he planned to use the land to improve his economic livelihood and grow food for his family. In October 2013, however, district authorities seized more than half of his 74 hectares, distributing them to other farms and a commercial entity. The…

A Farmer’s Confidence in His Future: Fostering Secure Tenure for Land Users in Tajikistan

From 2016 to 2020, the Feed the Future Tajikistan Land Market Development Activity worked with the State Unitary Enterprise for the Registration of Immovable Property (SUERIP) to streamline the process for land users to formalize their land use rights. This included promoting key regulations, which led to national implementation of a single-window approach and automated…

Tajik Librarian Creates a Reading Corner to Promote Reading Skills

To address the lack of age-relevant reading materials, space, and trained librarians, the USAID Read with Me project provided over 400,000 books and trained over 1,700 school librarians to both increase the availability of these resources and improve library operations to foster a reading environment for children. The USAID project also encouraged teachers, librarians, and…

Shaping the Next Generation of Tajikistan’s Writers

USAID’s Read with Me project improves reading comprehension over fluency, provides modern methods to teach analytical reading, donates books and arranges events for students to meet and ask questions to acclaimed writers, all with the goal of improving teacher training, student literacy, and advancing learning in Tajikistan.

Books Ensure Continued Education for Children with Disabilities in Tajikistan

In Tajikistan, not every student attends class on a regular basis; in some cases, physical ailments and other disabilities can detract children from learning. However, USAID’s Read with Me project provides interventions and modern pedagogy trainings focused on inclusive education. Regardless of students’ physical challenges, the Read with Me project ensures these children benefit from…

Moldovan Entrepreneurs Attract Tourists with Authentic Experiences

The Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP), funded by USAID and the Swedish Government, has been supporting Moldova’s tourism industry since 2013 stimulating economic growth in even the most rural regions, stimulating the emergence of tourism entrepreneurs, and contributing to a reduction in poverty and migration. The Hospitality + Moldova program provides investments in rural guesthouses for…

Cultural Festivals Attract Tourists to Rural Areas

The USAID- and Sweden-funded Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, and other local organizations, created the Tree of Life agenda — a centralized calendar of cultural events. One component of those events is the IA Mania Festival — a unique festival celebrating the traditional Romanian embroidered blouse,…

Moldovan Youth Promote Country’s Tourism Potential

The Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP) invested in a multi-channel digital marketing campaign, #BeOurGuest, which focused on attracting visitors to Moldova’s rural areas. More visitors result in more jobs in hospitality, providing a valuable alternative to migration for the thousands of rural women who leave the country each year. The project created a campaign inviting youth…

High-Value Viticulture Enables Two Generations to Return Home from EU

A Moldovan man, who previously worked in Italy for a better livelihood, is now able to return home and achieve his dream of creating high-quality wine, with the help of his daughter and the Moldovan Competitiveness Project (MCP). Funded by USAID and the government of Sweden, the MCP launched the Association of Small Winemakers (ASW)…

Young Entrepreneur Returns from Diaspora to Build a New-Generation Winery

Wine is not only a part of Moldova’s cultural heritage, it’s also a major component of its modern economy, generating revenue for over 200,000 people and representing five percent of all exports. When Moldova’s largest market, Russia, launched two trade embargoes, exports shrank three-fold and the industry fell into recession. Grape growers and bulk wine…

New Skills Allow Young Moldovan Designer to Find Work at Home

The Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP), funded by USAID and Sweden, invests in targeted design, technology, and business-knowledge training for workers in the fashion industry. The project addresses education gaps and equips workers with creative and technical skills to increase the competitiveness of businesses. Through MCP, OldCom, a Moldovan shoe company, not only employs but improves…