Tajikistan

Since 1997, when Mission East began working in Tajikistan, the country has moved from a critical state of civil war, in desperate need of emergency distributions of food, to that of relative stability, in need of long-term assistance. Despite a small improvement in living conditions, an estimated 60 percent of the total population still lives below the national poverty line.

Mission East's strategy in Tajikistan focuses on improving livelihoods for vulnerable households and communities, with a particular emphasis on community mobilization and community management. Current programming focuses on the strengthening of the civil society structures to ensure self management and development sustainability. Mission East is working with local community management structures know as Community Organisations. Capacity building of Community Organisations has been undertaken through the implementation of projects that will both increase the amount of food that families have available, and reduce the incidence of illness.

Such activities include support to small-scale agriculture, clean water systems, income generation and hygiene education. In this way, Mission East works with local people to address poverty issues in an integrated way. Natural disaster is also a particular risk in Tajikistan, and the poor are most likely to suffer. Mission East works with communities to improve preparedness for flood and earthquake and reduce potential impact of such disasters.

From emergency food aid to long-term development. Mission East has been in Tajikistan for ten years.

Read more

Preparedness is a coping strategy

Every spring, melting snow from the mountains turns the Yoksu River from a meandering trickle into a vigorous, muddy force that overruns the increasingly ineffective Soviet dyke system and threatens the lives and property of those who live beside it. The challenge is to give the people of this region the means to cope with their disasters by themselves, recognizing that there is little the government can afford to do to help them.

Read more