2014 UNV Tajikistan Newsletter - January

8/13/2019 2014 UNV Tajikistan Newsletter - January

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UN Volunteersin Tajikistan Newsletter 01/2014

Dear All,With this first issue o the UNV ajikistan Newsletter, we would like to wish you all the best or2014!

Although we started very slowly in 2013, it has been a wonderul year with various new attempts.Tis issue will present our reflections on 2013.

Unlike UNV Field Units and UN Volunteers in other countries, UN Volunteers in ajikistan had tostruggle to win understanding and trust rom other UN agencies and to conduct events with the mo-dest and limited unds o the UNV Field Unit (FU) ajikistan. With voluntary support rom people,however, we conducted a career development event on International Youth Day in Dushanbe and asocial inclusion event or persons with disabilities on International Volunteer Day (IVD) in Qurgan-teppa. In volunteering, we have challenged ourselves to show, what volunteers can do without secu-red budget and how volunteers can achieve results.

Tanks to the support rom the people and government o ajikistan and UN agencies, we made asmall but important stride towards expanding our activities to new dimensions: recruiting a UN Vo-lunteer unded by a UN agency, an IVD event outside o Dushanbe, and a cooperation with a localNGO in the mountain region.

We hope, that peoples understanding o volunteering will grow, so that more young people can findgood opportunities to express and ulfill their wishes to contribute to improving their societies.

UNV Field Unit in Tajikistan

1UN Volunteers in ajikistan Newsletter 01/2014


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Welcome to Tajikistan!

Welcome to Tajikistan! We ofen jokingly say to a new UN Volunteer, when the Volunteer is sur-prised or conused by unamiliar situations in ajikistan. ajikistan is at the crossroad o cultureshistorically and the showcase o on-going development and changes socially and politically. Youwill be ascinated with them once you are absorbed in this country.

Te end o the USSR triggered some people in ajikistan to show anger with their history orcedmigration rom mountain areas to agricultural armlands, and the sole value o communism. Duringthe ajik Civil War (1991 1997), more than 20,000 were allegedly killed. Nowadays however, ajiki-stan is developing with support rom international communities as well as investment rom oreigncountries.Tere was a large number o UN Volunteers serving in ajikistan when the DPKO missions in aji-kistan - United Nations Mission o Observers in ajikistan (UNMO: December 1994 - May 2000)and United Nations ajikistan Office o Peacebuilding (UNOP 2000 until 2007) - were operating.

Afer the closure o UNOP however, the UNV Program officially re-started its activities in ajiki-stan in 2010. Until now, dozens o international UN Volunteers worked or UN agencies in ajiki-stan. Currently, there are our international UN Volunteers at UNDP, UNRC Office, UNHCR andUNICEF.

In order to increase the number o UN Volunteers in ajikistan, we are currently promoting nationaland international UN Volunteers, that are unded by UN agencies themselves, considering the shifo donor money away rom ajikistan to more conflict-prone areas. We could do much more withmore young people involved as UN Volunteers.

My UN Volunteer colleagues put their stories in this issue. I hope by reading this first issue, you willget a eel and understanding o some o our activities.

UNV PO, Keiichi Sato

Volunteers rom different organizations present at the Career Fair on International Youth Day, August 2013



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Walking through the center o Dushanbe, I was surprised at all the art work on buildings (somebuildings are just like museums!). At a later date, I realized most o those buildings were construc-ted during ormer Soviet times. It shows a little bit o the high economic level during the cold war.

My main task is to provide technical advice and assistance to an implementing partner NGOwhich supports reugees in ajikistan. Tose reugees originate mainly rom Aghanistan, ollowedby smaller numbers o Kyrgyz, Iranians and Iraqis. Over the last two decades o political instabilityin Aghanistan, thousands o Aghans have been displaced or orced to move across the bordersinto Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian countries. Currently, ajikistan hosts approximately 3,300reugees and 2,000 asylum-seekers.

I participate in monitoring reugees houses and their livelihoods under economically severe con-ditions. Te goal is to assist them in becoming economically independent and to provide flexiblehumanitarian assistance.

UNV Assistant Programme Officer at UNHCR, Takeshi Kageyama

Market in South Sudan Market in Dushanbe, ajikistan

First impression of Tajikistan

I started to work as a UN Volunteer at the United Nations High Commissioner or Reugees (UN-HCR) in ajikistan in May, 2013.Beore coming here, I worked in a partner NGO o UNHCR in theRepublic o South Sudan to provide emergency humanitarian assistance or returnees and InternallyDisplaced Persons (IDPs).

I arrived at the airport and entered Dushanbe city on 9th o May 2013. My first impression was thatthe physical inrastructures, like paved roads, electricity and water, were well maintained comparingwith other countries where I had stayed. (Photos: a supermarket in Dushanbe and South Sudan).



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Back to Tajikistan - as UN Volunteer

I have always ound it interesting to observe how people are, why they make certain decisions andto see which place they take up in society. Wondering why people do as they do. My heart goes outto the most vulnerable people. Tats probably why I started my studies in social work back in theNetherlands, in 1987. Since then I worked as a social worker in different social work fields and in

different regions o the world.

I recently was selected as a UN Volunteer to work as aSocial Work Specialist or UNICEF. Since 25th o MayI am based in Dushanbe.

Its not my first time in ajikistan. In 2012, I was selec-ted as a VSO (Volunteer Service Oversees) volunteerto work with UNICEF and the ajik government tosupport the implementation o the Juvenile Justi-

ce Alternative Program (JJAP) in particular in thesouthern Khatlon region. Tat time I was based inQurganteppa. I look back at a very interesting, chal-lenging and valuable year were I was able to learn somuch, met lots o interesting people and was able tomake riends.

As UNV-er I will work with UNICEF under ChildProtection Section which has justice or children asone o its priority areas. UNICEF, with the financial

support o the Swiss Agency or Development and Cooperation, is implementing the Juvenile JusticeAlternative Project. Both at national and local levels.

One o the main directions within the JJAP (Juvenile Justice Alternative Project) is to put in placean effective diversion and alternative to imprisonment system and to show to the law enorcementbodies/judicial system the benefits o rehabilitating and supporting children in conflict with the lawwithin their own communities. It is ocused on a non-residential community rehabilitation service,which provides personalized programs or children and combine individual and amily psychosoci-al work. Children (aged 10-18 years) in conflict with the law, at risk o offending and/or anti-socialbehaviour can be reerred to the JJAP project either by the courts, prosecutors office, commissionon Child Rights or the police as a diversion measure. As the children can continue to live with theiramilies.

As a UNV volunteer I work closely together with all my colleagues rom the UNICEF Child Pro-tection section. Besides them, I will work closely with the Ministry o Education, the Child RightsUnits, the NGO Child Rights Centre as well as other partners who are linked to JJAP.Vulnerable children will benefit so much rom this project and I am grateul that I can be part o it tohelp it to be established.

UNV Social Work Specialist at UNICEF, Margje Talen

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Margje alen giving a speech to volunteers and peoplewith disabilities during International Volunteer Day

UN Volunteers in ajikistan Newsletter 01/2014


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Communication Coordination within UN

I have been sent to ajikistan as a UNV Youth Communication Officer to the UN Resident Coor-dinator (UNRC) office at the end o February 2013. Te UNRC office is i.a. in charge o leading thereorm process o operational activities, which aims at a more effective, efficient, coherent, coordi-nated and better performing United Nations country presence with a strengthened role of the seniorresident official and a common management, programming and monitoring framework. Within thisreorm work alls the effort to consolidate the communication work o all UN agencies.

Te UN amily, like probably a lot o amilies in real lie, usually lacks requent and coordinatedcommunication. Te results are mixed messages being published and sometimes duplicated efforts.o ace these difficulties, the UNRC office in ajikistan created the UN Communication Group(UNCG), where all those who are in charge o communication in one othe 21 UN agencies in the country, meet regularly. Tis UNCGs purpo-se is to give the public a more unified image o the UN.

My role within this, is to help bring all the UN agencies together to ag-ree on joint activities and to convince more and more communicationofficers and ocal points o UN agencies to participate actively in themonthly meetings. I we can bring everyone together, UNCG could be aplatorm o joint support or communication issues.

So ar, we managed to cooperate on three events in 2013: Internatio-nal Day o the Girl Child, UN Day and Human Rights Day. On UNDay we organized an exhibition o all UN agencies and a small filmestival, where all in all about 300 students participated. I was in char-

ge o coordinating the event: It was quite a task to keep the overviewover so many different people and issues. But in the end, despite somesmall hick-ups, it was a great experience. On Human Rights Day UNV,UNHCR, OHCHR and UN Women organized an in-house awareness-raising event, which attracted over 30 people. ogether with the UNCGmembers I drafed a UN Leaflet and the first UN Bulletin. We created

joint UN binders and banners, and started on a media survey in ajiki-stan. I have also renewed the website o the country office with the aimto make it more user riendly and inormation more accessible. Tisprocess will be finished by the end o my assignment. So, in conclusion,my job is very much ocused on internal matters, but directly reflects onthe UNs image in ajikistan.

I have worked hard to make my year in the UNCG count, in terms of coordination of communi-cation efforts between the many UN agencies on the ground. It sometimes was a frustrating task,because internal coordination of communication work is not always a priority issue and sometimesgets pushed to the back of the pile. Even though the work setting might have sometimes tested mypatience, I learnt a lot during my UNV year in Tajikistan and I felt the great appreciation for mywork from many of my colleagues.

UNV Communication Officer for the UNRC Office Tajikistan, Laura Gees

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Laura Gees in action



6/11

Voice of a Tajik International UN Volunteer in Timor-Leste

My name is Sharoat and I am rom ajikistan. Afer eleven years wor-king or WFP in ajikistan, I received an offer or a UNV assignment:WFP Programme Officer (PO) in imor Leste (L). My assignment wasto serve as Head o Sub-Office / Programme Officer or WFPs office in

Baucau district. Supervising the WFP activities in Baucau, I conductedmany field trips to understand the lie o the locals and the differentapproaches o programme perormance.WFP activities in L are mainly ocused on the Mother-and-ChildHealth and Nutrition (MCHN) programme. During the programmeimplementation, the agency provides partner ministries with technical assistance to build their capacityin planning and managing commodity supply chains. Te programme aims at improving the malnut-rition rate or children under 5 and pregnant and lactating women, who are getting health care in subdistrict and community level health acilities. One o the main parts o the MCHN programme are coo-king demonstration exercises, where mothers are taught how to cook and utilize WFP blended ood.

Te Cash ranser Project was implemented in imor with the aimto increase government capacity in developing and implementingproductive social saety nets. Te project was implemented in close co-operation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), acilita-ting two project components: orestry and irrigation. Project activitieswere run and carried out by local communities (around 1000 partici-pants), who were supported through Cash-or-Work payments provi-ded by WFP. WFP supports the energy needs or cooking school meals

and to saeguard the environment, through the Stove Initiative Project. Te improvement o school

kitchens and the construction and installation o ecological stoves in certain schools was supportedby the governments school eeding programme.Te success o every operation is dependent on the commitmentand dedication o every individual, especially o the national staff.Tey are the backbone o our operation. Tey are the institutionalmemory. Te national staff is the key human resource and also key toownership o the programmes implemented.

I already completed my assignment in imor-Leste in May 2013 andcan say it was a great experience to work as a UN Volunteer, in a diffe-rent environment and culture. In order to succeed as a UNV PO you definitely need to have a strongcommitment to the values and principles o volunteerism; you have to be patient, outgoing, diplo-matic, and proactive, with strong interpersonal and organizational skills, resilient to drawbacksMeanwhile, it was a great opportunity or me to volunteer my skills, expertise and passion. It is agreat chance to share my knowledge and experiences gained in other WFP operations with local staffto support their capacity building. As a volunteer there were many challenges to ace but this is anextremely rewarding position and great experience or uture career developments.

former international UN Volunteer, WFP Programme Officer, Sharofat Nabieva

In 1993, Sharoat worked as an English teacher at the ajik State University in Khujand, while being a programme trainerat an international NGO. From 2001 to 2012, she worked as an Assistant or field monitoring o WFP projects in Khujand.Afer a one-year assignment as UN Volunteer in imor Leste, she came back to her previous work at WFP in Khujand.

She is fluent in ajik, Russian, English and Uzbek.

UN Volunteers in ajikistan Newsletter 01/2014 6

Cooking Demo in CHC Lospalos, Lautemdistrict

Irrigation project in Queliqai sub-district

Construction o ecological stoves inElementary school #2, Baucau district


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Commemoration of World Refugee Day and UNHCRs20 years presence in Tajikistan

June 20th is the biggest day or UNHCR as it commemorates World Reugee Day (WRD) worldwi-de to raise public awareness or reugees situations, problems and rights.

I was appointed to be a Public Inormation ocal point or the UNHCR ajikistan office in earlyApril and was assigned to organize the World Reugee Day.

Te year 2013 means a lot to UNHCR as it also marks its 20th anniversary o operation in ajikis-tan. Te UNHCR ajikistan office decided to combine both the WRD and 20 years anniversary onJune 20th and make a short documentary film on the past 20 years o UNHCR activities.

Organizing the event or WRD was easy, compared to produ-cing the film, especially because o the language barrier and

lack o local knowledge. o make this film, I first o all neededto find at least three film companies to compare budget esti-mates. My colleague unortunately could only provide me withthe name o one company. Tanks to my UNV colleague, whois a Communication Officer or the UNRC office, I was able toobtain two more names and compare their estimates. Te pro-curement process took a lot o time because some companiesdid not have anyone, who spoke English so that I needed to askmy colleagues help or translation. When we finally decidedon the company with which to work with, I had only threeweeks to produce the film.

Within the three weeks, the biggest obstacle was finding or-mer ajik reugees, who once fled to Aghanistan during thecivil war. 20 years ago and subsequently came back to ajikis-

tan. o record their interviews, I traveled to a Southern part o ajikistan called Qurganteppa with aormer UNHCR staff member, who knows the region very well.Tere was no contact inormation or any record o names o these ormer ajik reugees; thus, theonly inormation I had was the memory o this ormer UNHCR staff member, who used to visit re-ugees homes and some pictures o reugees that were taken 20 years ago. We were looking around,asking people, showing the pictures. It was such a primitive way o looking or a person, but surpri-

singly or ortunately we ound our ormer reugee amilies, who were willing to participate inthe film.

Te final version o the film was finished just one hour beore the big anniversary reception, whereUNHCR was planning to show the film. I was under severe pressure during the film production,worrying what would happen, i I could not make it to the event. It was such a difficult and hardtask, but when I saw the final product, I elt so relieved and content. Te film was well appraised bythe guests and I received many good comments. Some agencies and embassies even asked me or acopy afer the conerence. I hope that this film will help gain more attention to the reugees in needand will improve their situations.

former UNV Associate Community Services Officer UNHCR, Yayoi Arima

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Consulting locals to find ormerajik reugees



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International Youth Day

o commemorate the International Youth Day (12th August), UN Volunteers, together with severallocal youth organizations, other UN agencies and international NGOs organized a career develop-ment event in Dushanbe on 17th o August 2013. Some private sector firms also participated byputting up a stand and inorming the young participants about their career opportunities.

In ajikistan, the difficulty in getting a meaningul job is a big issue or young people. In act, the-re are almost no training opportunities or university students at all in the whole job market. UNVolunteers in ajikistan regard getting a job, as one mean to improve young peoples sel-esteem.We believe that young people by volunteering gain invaluable experience that can help them in theirsearch or a job.

I have to say, I was quite surprised when I arrived at the venue, that there where so many people al-ready there and ready to start. I had been asked a week beore by our UNV PO Keiichi to give a shortpresentation on how to survive a job interview at the UN, since I had just been through the process

mysel. I am not really a an o publicspeaking, but I thought it would be a goodopportunity to practice and, as a Germansaying goes, to jump over my shadow. So,I agreed and prepared some material onCompetency-Based Questions and how tobest prepare or such an interview. Keiichiwould do the second hal o the session onhow to write a CV.

Afer speeches o the representative romthe Committee o Youth, Sports and ou-rism Affairs, the British ambassador andKeiichi himsel, the young people couldroam around and sign up or the MasterClasses on career-related topics. Our session was a bit boastully called, How to get a job at theUN, and was thereore very popular. I got a bit nervous seeing all those people, who signed up totake part o our class. All my UN Volunteer colleagues were there or moral support, which I wasgrateul or!

When the time came, there were about 40 young ajiks sitting in our room, listening eagerly to whatwe had to say. Tere was some laughter, when Keiichi and I staged a question in a competency-basedinterview and some very good questions out o the audience. Te handouts we prepared where gonein a second. All in all, I think the participants enjoyed our inormation session and were able to pro-fit rom it, and I was very happy to have been a part o it.

UNV Youth Communication Officer at the UNRC Office, Laura Gees

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Keiichi Sato during his welcome speech on International Youth Day



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10/11

Mohnisso, a mother o 2 children just visited the garage sale by chance. She said, I am eeling as iGod overheard my prayers because my children needed clothes! While she was looking through the

goods and clothes at the garage sale, her children were having a really good time by jumping on thebouncing castle and making animals rom origami.A girl called Zarina with disabilites said, Now I understand I am not much different rom myriend. I want to study English so that I can work together or volunteering and volunteering is reallyun!. All in all, apart rom the rainy and cold weather, it was a great success.

Young students experienced firsthand how to contribute to their community by volunteering andhad the unique opportunity to work alongside persons with disabilities. A good example or whatshould be the norm: social inclusion o persons with disabilities the most important message othe event. Norimasa Shimomura, UNDP Country Director in ajikistan, stressed in his message orIVD, the importance o volunteering or young people in ajikistan and added: I hope that todays

event will inspire other young people to become a volunteer in their community.

It was the first time or UN Volunteers in ajikistan to conduct an event in Khatlon province. Tepassion o our volunteers made it possible to gather second-hand donations rom colleagues andriends, and to work together to send the message to build a society with persons with disabilitiesincluded. Tanks to the financial contribution and stable electricity rom Qurganteppa City Khu-kumat, and thanks to the support rom Khatlon Provincial Khukumat and the Committee o Youth,Sports and ourism, Civil organizations, young students and persons with disabilities united them-selves to conduct this small but great event a stride towards promoting volunteerism in Qurgan-teppa.

Te raised amount was more than 2000 JS, which was donated to the Society o Persons with Disa-bilities in Qurganteppa. Te Society is going to use the donation or clothes, walking sticks, thermoscans, medicines, heaters etc. Now, the Society and young students understood how to raise undsand how to work together voluntarily.

UN Volunteers in Tajikistan

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Garage Sale in Qurganteppa One o our volunteers Learning how to make Origami



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UN Commemoration of Human Rights Day 2013

On 10 December 2013 UNV with the support o UNHCR, UNOHCHR and UN Women conductedan internal event to mark Human Rights Day and the end o the 16 Days o Activism against GenderViolence Campaign.Te awareness-raising session, to remind UN staff o the importance o human rights in our dai-

ly work, gave a brie overview o the history o the Universal Declaration o Human Rights, whichmarked its 60th anniversary this year and touched upon the 16 Days o Activism against GenderViolence campaign, globally and nationally. A HumanRights Quiz ollowed the inormational part o theevent and tested the knowledge and listening skillso our staff members present, with small presents orthose who answered the questions correctly. UNVCoordinator in ajikistan, Keiichi Sato, conducted thehuman rights game Power Walk, which visually marksthe differences o access to rights and services in our

society.Afer the game concluded, a movie about the 20 yearso UNHCRs work in ajikistan was screened, which showed both angles o reugees in ajikistan:first the ajik reugees who fled to the neighbouring countries during the civil war in the 1990ies andwere supported to return to ajikistan by UNHCR, and now the Aghan reugees seeking help inajikistanFor the UN in ajikistan such an internal awareness-raising event was held or the first time and waswelcomed by staff members present.

UNV Youth Communication Officer at the UNRC Office, Laura Gees

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Pictures by: Keiichi Sato, Laura Gees, Saarbek Soliev, akeshi Kageyama, Yayoi ArimaDesign: Laura Gees

visit us on:www.acebook.com/volunteer.tjand www.untj.net - UN in ajikistan -UN Agencies - UN Volunteers

For more inormation on this news-letter and the UNV Programme,contact the UNV Field Unit inajikistan, Keiichi Sato:[email protected] or+992 44 600 5600 (ext. 128).

Keiichi Sato acilitating the Game Power Walk


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2014 UNV Tajikistan Newsletter - January

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