Representatives from Poland, Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania travelled to Fergana region to see how the EU-UNDP Enhancement of Living Standards project is bringing development closer to people living in the rural areas of Uzbekistan. All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development.

Since 2005 the Enhancement of Living Standards Programme (ELS), financed by the EU and implemented by UNDP with support from the Government, partners and promotes the involvement of people and local authorities in their own development in Karakalpakstan and the Fergana Valley. The programme uses an integrated approach, where the three project components work in synergy to support rehabilitation of infrastructure and income generation in the communities alongside local development planning.

The visit started in the morning with an introductory slide-presentation of the ELS programme, delivered by the ELS Programme Coordinator, Mr.Emilio Valli, and with a short video presentation of activities and outputs, followed by a questions and answers session. Most notably the ELS supported the set-up of 36 enterprises with 2500 new jobs and community infrastructure projects benefitting people with up to 30% increased access to water; 6% for health services and 7% for gas. With clear drinking water and better primary healthcare cases of hepathitis A and B infectious diseases, which are mainly waterborne, reduced by 15% in Fergana Valley.

To see how these statistics show through as real impact in real people’s lives the delegation travelled to the Oltiarik district, namely to Navoi, Kumirchi, and Chordara communities. In Navoi, where ELS supported irrigation and land reclamation systems, the community talked about their future aspirations. Next route was Kumirchi local community that showed-off their demonstration-plots for early vegetables and the greenhouse. These demo-plots help household incomes from sales in local and regional markets, and make a major contribution to families’ nutrition requirements.

Smiling medical staff of the clinic greeted guests at the rural medical point in the Jonibek local community. Improved access to medical service is now available for more than 3260 people of Jonibek and two neighboring communities, helping to lower the number of gastrointestinal, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and other diseases. The final destination was Chordara community with demonstration of improved access to drinking water supply and enhanced sanitary and domestic conditions.

These projects have greatly empowered women. When rural women are actively involved in decision-making, planning and implementation of community initiatives everyone assumes more responsibilities which foster true development. With more than 8, 4 million women living in rural areas of Uzbekistan the programme involves women and listens to their voice when rehabilitating infrastructure, training rural people for better capacity to do business, farm land and provide services, all important forms of livelihood.

“Now local communities are better informed and have gained confidence to speak out, express their hopes and concerns and participate in important decisions that affect their wellbeing” – said Sharifaxon Djo’raeva, a member of the community Initiative Group. In total, 312 community plans developed by communities with the assistance of the ELS programme, where 172 community projecs were funded by ELS and 299 by local government and donors. The community plans are an example of participatory community development where all community residents sit together and identify their priorities to find their future solution either by community internal resources or by attracting external funds and partners.

“UNDP and the EU have developed a strong partnership in the pursuit of shared development goals” – reiterated a participant from the EU delegation, as the field visit came to an end and the delegation headed back to Tashkent. For the past 6 years the EU and UNDP have joined efforts to improve the quality and efficiency in aid delivery, align donor programmes with development agenda, improve coordination with each other and better integrate aid policies with action in such areas as enhancement of living standards and sustainable development. The ELS programme is a successful example of continued collaboration between the EU and UNDP in promoting rural development in a way that one can see, touch and feel.