| Opportunities for Communities |
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| Wednesday, 24 December 2008 11:31 |
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The EU/UNDP Enhancement of Living Standards
Programme promotes the involvement of people and local authorities in
their own development. One of the ways to do it has been by helping the
mahalla committees in 10 districts old Karakalpakstan, Namangan and
Fergana regions set up ten resource centres.
 The centres, born as project implementation
units in the districts are now a link between communities, authorities
and donors to focus and coordinate their activities on the ground close
where people live. For example the centres have played an important
role in assisting local authorities to collect socio-economic data
required when building more than 150 new infrastructures for
improvement of living standards and monitor their use.The centres help the Mahalla Fund to store
and disseminate information on the role of civil society and citizens
in local development. To do this more effectively, the centres are now
registering as limited liability companies with their own bank account
Not only they want to become independent of the ELS project, but they
also wish to expand the range of services they offer to the
communities.
The ELS programme is looking into the possibility of supporting the centres and turning them in agricultural extension and/or microfinance service providers. In Fergana Valley, with the help of the Khokimiyats the centre may provide useful support to local migrants in learning new skills for improved prospects of employment and promote investment of migrant’s remittances straight into the community. |
News and Events Opportunities for Communities
Ultimately, the centres are keen to promote
themselves as units on the ground with the required capacity to
implement donor’s projects that can change people lives for the better.
Clients can also benefit from small, but useful services against
payment, computer use, photocopying and printing.