To make sure that donors support is sustainable in long-term, the Enhancement of Living Standards (ELS) project in Uzbekistan approached the United Nations Volunteers (UNV). The ELS is a project funded by the EU and run by UNDP to improve living standards in the Fergana Valley, the most populous region of the country with a huge economic potential.
In early 2009, UNV put the project in touch with an international expert on appropriate rural technologies and services. The expert was welcomed by an audience keen to learn everything about more efficient and safer farming techniques, pest control, improved vegetable varieties, and product certification. Taking one thing at a time, the expert saw an opportunity to work directly with the rural development centers set by the ELS, one of the first pioneers in agricultural extension services. The 10-day mission financed by the Italian government through the UNV programme was a great success and people are still talking about the Italian volunteer who came a long way to show how to get better yields of tomatoes in a way farmers can understand, see and experiment with.
 “One of the main objectives of this initiative was to empower communities to understand their role in their own development” said Edin Elgsaether, ex UNV programme officer, now serving in Afghanistan. The long-standing ELS experience in the Fergana Valley is what attracted UNV to collaborate with the project. He wished the projects success and more support from UNV and donors alike. He concluded: “this support will make sure that project interventions are sustainable in the long run and enough institutional capacity remains on the ground”.
Through short-term advisory services, the UNV programme supports private and public sector entrepreneurship in developing and transition countries. In Uzbekistan, about 2,500 will benefit from United Nations Volunteer’s technical assistance.

Agricultural produce