USAID through Feed the Future assists small farmers to earn more income and improve nutrition

USAID

Tajikistan’s many challenges include food insecurity, declining literacy, high unemployment and high prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Through Feed the Future, USAID addresses food insecurity by increasing agricultural productivity and profitability and improving nutrition. USAID strengthens local governance and contributes to the reform of basic education and health services. To promote economic growth and regional connectivity, USAID supports energy, trade and water sector reforms and the development of a network of economic and transit connections across and between South and Central Asia.

Agriculture and Food Security

Almost half of the Tajik population lives in poverty. A disproportionate percentage of women are undernourished and over 30 percent of children under 5 suffer from stunted growth. Through the Feed the Future initiative, USAID helps farmers increase production of profitable, nutritious crops while teaching families about proper nutrition. As a result of USAID assistance, thousands of farmers have achieved secure access to land and water usage for the first time in decades, and 60 water users associations now provide reliable irrigation to over 100,000 farmers. To optimize infant growth and development, USAID has helped increase breast feeding from 37 percent to 85 percent in target areas.

Democracy, Human Rights and Governance

Less than 50 percent of Tajik citizens have access to safe drinking water. To increase trust in government and its capacity to deliver this most basic public service, USAID has helped municipalities install drinking water systems for 26,000 citizens. USAID also supports independent and objective media and journalism and bolsters civil society organizations through training and legal support.

Health and Education

Tajikistan has among the world’s highest rates of TB and MDR-TB. USAID is helping the Ministry of Health roll out new treatment regimens for MDR-TB, which reduce treatment from 24 to nine months, and new drugs capable of saving the lives of those with extremely drug-resistant TB. In Tajikistan, books are scarce and 87 percent of second graders do not read at grade level. USAID has trained 6,000 teachers on modern methods for teaching reading and provided over 200,000 books to schools.

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