30.12.2020  11:47

Within the framework of the WPU Erayim ‘Women Empowerment in Rural Areas of Kyrgyzstan’ project, supported by the Australian Government's Direct Aid Program (DAP) three Self-Help Groups of the Kara-Suu district Osh oblast were allocated 450,000 soms grants to support women-owned small businesses. The grant was allocated to each group in the amount of 150,000 soms.

The SHG Arzuu received a grant of 150,000 soms to expand its small business ‘Confectionery Shop’, SHG Raduga received a grant to expand its ‘Greenhouse’ small business, and SHG Datkaiym received a grant to develop its ‘Beekeeping’ small business.

The above event was organized at Abu Ali ibn Sina secondary school No.16 in Shark municipality of Kara-Suu district on December 26, 2020. It was attended by Self-Help Groups, SHG Associations, local government representatives, social workers, villagers and people who were interested in developing small business.

The event was opened by the SHG coordinator in Osh oblast Narynkul Dyushenalieva and local coordinator Ikram Israilov. They gave information about the project the participants of the event, after what they gave the floor to speak heads of SHGs. The head of Datkayim SHG Mady municipality, Adykova Kasiet, made a proposal to spread beekeeping to other rural districts through expansion and getting profit from this business. Rano Yulchieva, head of the SHG Raduga in Shark municipality, added that the group intends to support low-income families through the development of their ‘Greenhouse’ small business, which they are going to build in the yard of the school. The head of the SHG Arzuu in Kyzyl-Kyshtak municipality Raikan Azimbekova in her speech noted the following: ‘The members of our Self-Help Group participated in various training courses organized by WPU Erayim and using the knowledge and experience gained, as one team, we start our own small business ‘Confectionery Shop’, of course, the Women Public Union Erayim plays an important role in our endeavours, for which we are very grateful to them.

According to the program of the event, the floor was given to representatives of local authorities. The deputy of the Shark municipality Makhmud Saidakmatov said in his speech that they supported the project and gave 10,000 soms on behalf of the rural administration for the development of small business of SHG Raduga ‘Greenhouse’. In turn, the Mady municipality allocated 10 hectares of pasture for 5 years for free use from the Bal-Kyshtak site for beekeepers, besides, the representative of the municipality Dinara Zhumayeva helped out a letter of guarantee to the head of SHG Datkayim about providing beekeepers with agricultural medicines in cooperation with Kara- Suu Agricultural Department for bees from chemical harm. In turn, the representative of the Kyzyl-Kyshtak municipality Burma Uraimova noted that they are always ready to assist in the development of small business ‘Confectionery shop’ opening in Ishkavan village, and expressed her gratitude for the contribution to the development of rural districts and the strengthening of friendship, harmony and peace in the south of Kyrgyzstan to WPU Erayim.

This step of Erayim was also assessed by the representative of Shark municipality Adil Turgunov as a contribution to solving unemployment and improving the living standards of rural residents. All participants from the three rural districts were delighted to hear this good news and expressed their gratitude to the Australian Government's Direct Aid Program (DAP) and WPU Erayim.

Erlan Davlatov, Osh Province