Speeches Shim
Azam Ahrulloev is a 26-year-old entrepreneur who started his business in 2016 by purchasing second-hand sewing machines for only 25 USD. In the midst of an unfavorable business environment and with only a 3,000 USD loan from his grandfather, Azam began making shoes with minimal equipment and no additional staff.
Thanks to USAID’s Dignity and Rights project, survivors of human trafficking like Vepa can restart their lives and become productive members of their communities. “The greatest happiness is when you are at home. Thanks to USAID’s program, I’ve found the meaning of my life and started to believe in myself. Thank you so much for your work.”
Several years ago Bakhytgul (name changed) and her family arrived from Mongolia to northern Kazakhstan. She was participating in the “Oralman” initiative by the Government of Kazakhstan, which encourages ethnic Kazakhs living abroad to return to their historic homeland. Despite receiving assistance from the government, the family struggled to make ends meet. For instance, Bakhytgul and her family could not afford the monthly rental fee to live in the subsidized housing provided through the Oralman program. Bakhytgul started sewing Kazakhstani apparel and household items to make a living, but without her own sewing machine, she was unable to earn enough to support her family.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, tensions at the border have been high. In Voruh, a predominantly Tajik-populated village located on the Kyrgyz side in Batken, three violent conflicts have taken place in 2019 alone. The most recent incident in July led to one death and seventeen hospitalizations. Given the frequency of such clashes, both countries frequently publish one-sided, controversial stories. Tajik and Kyrgyz journalists rarely report perspectives from the other side and usually cite sources only from their respective countries, including some government sources.
On December 10, 2018, the Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law, a Tajik organization, recognized Gulnora Amirshoeva as the best journalist reporting human rights issues, with a focus on promoting the rights of women and children. Amirshoeva, the Editor-in-Chief of Vecherka newspaper, was praised for raising concerns about traditional and new media in 2018, and for expressing her civic stance through journalism.
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