Duration: 2012 - 2014

Budget: $349,174

Implementing Partner: Civil Society Support Center (CSSC)

Following the June 2010 violence in the southern part of the country, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes.  In addition to the significant internal displacement, ethnic Kyrgyz residents of enclaves in Uzbekistan, facing increased pressure, relocated to a few discrete areas in Jalalabad oblast. 

Ak-Zhol is a conflict mitigation project that works to decrease tensions between these displaced groups and vulnerable local communities in seven areas in the southern Kyrgyz Republic.  Small grants and micro-credit loans to small business groups, provided by the project, reinforce stable economic conditions within local communities and function as a venue for cooperation, communication, and mutual benefit. The project also provides training on organizational sustainability, business planning and implementation, and establishing community development funds to finance social projects identified by communities.

This project is implemented by the Jalalabad Civil Society Support Center, a local NGO.  It began in March 2012 and will last until March 2014.  Ak-Zhol is also implemented with the involvement of local experts working in the following areas:

• Legal rights of displaced and vulnerable populations
• Open discussion of sensitive issues among different ethnic groups
• Business planning and sustainability
• Financing joint small business creation among diverse communities
• Creating community funds to address social needs

    
To date, local textile, baking, sheep-farming, poultry-breeding, and brick production businesses have received small grants through this project.