Tajikistan

When water, dignity, and hope reach the mountain villages of Tajikistan

Imagine living in a small village high in the mountains, where clean drinking water is not a given resource, where the land is hard to cultivate, and you live with the constant threat of nature’s unforgiving forces – earthquakes, floods, avalanches and landslides. This is the reality for many families in Tajikistan. However, over the years, Mission East, together with its local partners, has been working to improve the conditions in the mountain villages of Tajikistan.

Tajikistan is the poorest country in the former Soviet Union and Central Asia. Over 90 percent of the country is made up of inaccessible terrain, and daily life in this mountainous land is tough. Mission East works in areas where others rarely go – in some of the most remote regions of Tajikistan, such as Gorno-Badakhshan, Khatlon, and Sughd. Here, amidst steep mountain slopes and small communities, we create changes with remarkable effect.

Disability doesn’t limit dreams – we turn them into reality. In Tajikistan, many children with disabilities grow up in silence and isolation. They have the same dreams as any other children but are often overlooked due to their disabilities. Mission East is working to change this in partnership with local organizations, including Tajik Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). We work daily to build the capacity of Tajik Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), with a focus on institutional and community-based rehabilitation (CBR).

Together, we have worked to promote the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. Helping communities build a better life and promote their rights to the government and international donors. Mission East provides much needed assistance to the persons and children with disabilities and laying a foundation for a stronger and more effective social inclusion system for the future. The interventions aim at addressing the rights of children with disabilities through strengthening the capacity of CSOs. We have built strong resource centres where children with disabilities can access professional physiotherapy and occupational therapy. This means a child who was once carried can now take their first steps.

Clean water – a small miracle that makes a big difference in everyday life. Mission East is therefore strongly focused on water and sanitation in the mountain villages of Tajikistan. We make sure clean water reaches the most remote areas, where access to safe drinking water was once a distant dream. We are expanding knowledge about sanitation and hygiene and have built over 4,000 toilets where there were none before. We can clearly see a decline in the waterborne and excreta related diseases.

Climate change has been making its presence felt in Tajikistan for years, with a growing frequency of extreme weather events. As a result, we have sharpened our focus on educating local communities on how to prepare for natural disasters, so they are better equipped when floods, landslides, avalanches, and earthquakes strike. We rehabilitate schools that are in bad shape and make them earthquake resistant, well isolated, with good toilets.

We place a special focus on those who are often overlooked – women, youth, asylum seekers, and individuals forced to flee their homes due to conflict. With the support of our local partners, women and girls receive free legal advice, enabling them to access the land and property they are entitled to – providing them with the opportunity to build a new life for themselves and their families. The high unemployment rate forces many young people to leave their families in search of work. And when refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan seeked refuge in the country, we were among the first to provide emergency aid, life-saving supplies, and the support they needed to rebuild their lives.

We have learned together, built together, and created hope together. Today, Mission East is proud to be one of the most experienced and recognized organizations in Tajikistan in these remote areas. It is your support that makes this possible!