Community Mobilization 

Training Sparks Change 

Many of the rural areas of the Qaraghandy Oblast are not part of the process of civil society 

development as a result of the limited number of Kazakh speaking experts in the NGO sector. The 

community level effect is inactive communities, few public organizations, and a shortage of financial 

resources for local needs. The CSSC EcoCenter conducted PCA exercises to identify initiative groups 

that could participate in seminars on NGO & Community and Project Design. The CSSC has Kazakh 

trainers who train over 16 community members from Egindybulaq, Qarqaralinsk, Nurken and Terekty 

villages. The initiative groups have subsequently started designing project proposals to address 

change in their communities. 

Community Mobilization Triggers Community Employment 

High unemployment among disabled Afganistan War veterans was identified as a priority problem 

during PCA exercises facilitated by the CSSC ZHALGHAS Counterpart in the Almaty oblast. The 

public organization Almaty City Society of Invalid Veterans of War in Afghanistan used skills 

developed through Counterpart's community outreach program and a number of CSSC trainings and 

consultations to design a community action plan. The resulting proposal was submitted to the 

Canadian Embassy and funded with $8,000 to establish joinery, providing jobs to 27 members. 

We Can Do It Ourselves 

PCA exercises in the Besaghash Village of Almaty Oblast revealed the problem of adequate water 

supply.  The CSSC ZHALGHAS Counterpart facilitated a community meeting to address the 

problem, leading to an action plan that exclusively mobilized internal resources. Due to joint activity 

and efforts, the locals have built the embankment road 250 meters in length, and therefore, connecting 

their village with neighboring Duman. 

Tools for Success 

The lack of farming machinery in the community Incubator  in Almaty Oblast has resulted in a 

decrease in labor productivity. Using skills developed through consultations and training from the 

CSSC ZHALGHAS Counterpart, an initiative group, jointly with public organization Union of Rural 

Women of Talghar County designed a community action plan. The subsequent project proposal was 

submitted to the Embassy of Canada, which granted $9,000 for the purchase of farming equipment. 

Kyrgyzstan 

Sustainable Civil Society Organizations  

Save the Trees 

For the past three years the number of felled trees has increased in the Tup region, leading to 

increased soil erosion. The resulting desertification has lead to decreased plough land, low soil 

fertility, and a decrease of haymaking. In order to solve these problems the NGO Etno Tur Santash 

applied for consultative assistance to Karakol CSSC and attended the following trainings: Project 

Design and Fundraising. As a result, Etno Tur Santash designed a project to preserve forests in 

mountain villages by planting saplings near Santash, Ken Suu, and Kara Chunkur village. Under this 

project, the local population will plant the saplings, which are provided free of charge by the local 

forestry on the contract basis. GTZ funded this project with $1,005 in April under its program NGO 

and local communities support the Convention on desertification in the Kyrgyz Republic. 

Installation of heating system in Komsomol School 

PCA exercises in Komsomol village in the Suzak Rayon, Jalal Abad Oblast revealed the deterioration 

of social infrastructure, namely the heating system in the high school. In recent winters students have 

had to study in the cold school. The local community, with the NGO Azem, took the initiative to 

attract external funding to install a new heating system. They attended the training workshops, 

conducted by Jalal Abad CSSC and Counterpart and received technical and informational support 

from the Jalal Abad CSSC. As a result, they prepared the project Installation of heating system, which 

was supported with $2,300 in funding from the Asian Development Bank. 

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