On April 23-24, a visit by representatives of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, Ms. Kori Udovicki, Regional Director, and Mr. Jan Harfst, Head of Division for Central Asia, was organized to Uzbekistan and Yazyavan districts in the Fergana region, to showcase the achievements and the results of the joint project of UNDP, European Union and the Government of Uzbekistan “Enhancement of Living Standards (ELS) in the Fergana Valley".

The visit to the communities of “Karimdevona”, “Katta Kaynar” and “Navruz” was preceded by a courtesy meeting with the Deputy Khokim of the Fergana region, Mr. Shukhrat Turdikulov, during which both sides expressed appreciation for fruitful cooperation.

In “Katta Kaynar”, the guests visited a new ‘guzar’ (a community cen ter) built by the community residents with the assistance of the local Khokimiyat and UNDP. The visitors were able to see at first hand the construction process of a new first aid medical point which serves more than 5,300 people, being implemented with the support of the ELS project. Upon completion and being at full strength, the medical point will be able to provide first aid to four neighboring communities, which are the most remote from the district center.

The second day headed on to Yazyavan district’s “Navruz” community where rehabilitated drinking water supply system was showcased to the guests. This project resulted to the enhancement of sanitation conditions and the decrease in a number of cases of viral intestinal infections, benefiting more than 2600 community residents.

To see the impact of the project’s income generation activities on rural development, the guests wend their way to a newly opened enterprise on maintenance of agricultural machinery. For only one month of its operation, the workshop has already managed to negotiate several profitable contracts with local businesses and farms.

Towards the end of the visit, Ms.Kori Udovicki noted: "I’m really glad to see how our joint efforts have changed people’s thinking and how they are encouraged when sharing their plans for further community development. Indeed, the development has no limits. Most importantly, acquired knowledge and experience has been used successfully and replicated to other communities. This is a key to ensure sustainability and further development in rural areas."