VZCZCXRO0906
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2149/01 3330553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 290553Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9144
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1886
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1922
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1913
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0642

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002149 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KHUM KDEM ENRG TI
SUBJECT: IN TAJIKISTAN'S WINDY CITY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT WELCOMES NGO 
WORK 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00002149  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Whether building bridges, running an internet 
access center, or publishing youth newspapers, international and 
local NGOs operate effectively and with few bureaucratic 
barriers in the city and district of Faisobod.  District 
Chairman Ismatullo Zaidov was quick to praise NGO contributions, 
and noted the "excellent" working relationship his 
administration maintains with local and Dushanbe-based 
organizations.  Zaidov and others called for help investing in 
small-scale food processing operations to provide employment, 
increase trade and avoid wasting Faisobod's fruit and vegetable 
bounty.  The agriculture-based district's single industrial 
enterprise is a small Soviet-built cannery, which operated for 
only two months this summer due to a nationwide shortage of 
glass jars and sits idle now because of a lack of electricity. 
Zaidov made a special push for increased exchanges and English 
language instruction, noting the disadvantage Tajiks face by not 
knowing English.  Faisobod's residents and government seemed 
positive about the future, despite a lack of economic 
development and a crumbling infrastructure.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During a November 24 visit, Zaidov told EmbOffs the 
district had a strong record of cooperation between his 
"hukumat" (local government) and the local NGO community.  Local 
NGOs set up small knitting and sewing workshops and formed local 
youth groups.  International NGOs such as the U.S.-based IREX, 
Aga Khan Foundation, CESVI (an Italian organization), Open 
Society Institute, Relief International, and Counterpart 
conducted a range of civil society, education, health and 
construction projects.  Zaidov had no complaints about any of 
their projects, and seemed unaware of issues of registration and 
reporting in Dushanbe. 
 
¶3.  (U) As in most of Tajikistan, conditions are basic. 
Electricity is severely rationed from November to March, with 
three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. 
Homes, schools, and offices rely on outdoor latrines, which at 
40 degrees in windy conditions, made for a very cold bathroom 
break during the visit.  Most families have at least one male 
member working in Russia, sometimes more, leaving women to raise 
and sometimes support the family.  Faisobod lies at the 
southwestern end of the Rasht valley, on the road to Kyrgyzstan, 
but sees little transit traffic and practically no trade with 
its northern neighbor due to poor road conditions and lack of 
established markets. 
 
¶4.  (U) Faisobod produces tons of organic apples, pears, 
tomatoes and potatoes, but has extremely limited processing 
facilities to maximize profits and package the produce for 
markets further than Dushanbe and Khujand.  Some residents 
estimated that 25 percent of the harvest goes to waste.  The 
single canning factory used to have the capacity to produce up 
to 3.5 million jars of preserves, but last summer turned out 
only 80,000, when Tajikistan's only glass factory in the 
northern city of Khujand was unable to provide it with 
containers.  A poultry farm down the road offered only limited 
employment opportunities. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) However, Zaidov noted the great improvements in the 
standard of living in Faisobod and offered some pointed 
suggestions for development projects.  "We now have imported 
candies!" he gestured to a dish.  As long as economic assistance 
continued, the standard would continue to rise, but they needed 
food processing facilities for employment.  "We could use small 
wind-power stations," he said, noting Faisobod's well-deserved 
reputation for being one of the windiest spots in Tajikistan. 
(COMMENT: Based on conditions during the visit, we concur. END 
COMMENT.)   "We need better English teachers, too."  Zaidov 
praised the benefits of international exchanges, noting how it 
allowed participants access to information and experiences they 
could not get in Tajikistan. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Local NGO heads echoed Zaidov's point about their 
strong working relationship with the district administration. 
The Hukumat staff member sitting in on one meeting may have 
subtly reminded them about the importance of that dynamic, but 
even in one-on-one conversations, the NGOs felt the Hukumat 
supported their work.  NGO Shohin displayed several colorful 
editions of its children's newspaper "Parvin," with a 
circulation of over 2600 copies every two weeks, might rank as 
one of Tajikistan's most widely read papers.  NGO Jasorat 
established a legal advocacy center for women to help the 
growing number of female heads of households.  Civil society and 
health projects from the U.S.-funded IREX and Strav-plus 
supported the local NGO Faizbaiksh to help set up knitting 
 
DUSHANBE 00002149  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
workshops and conduct seminars on human rights, and improve 
drinking water quality.  NGO Binokor worked closely with IREX 
and CEVSI to improve drinking water and build small bridges on 
mountain roads. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) EmbOffs stopped by the Relief International-run 
Schools On-Line center, housed in School 35.  Due to a poor 
connection, the center had not had Internet for two days.  "It's 
always slow connection," said the new director, on the job only 
two weeks.  The Hukumat representative noted the center was the 
only place in Faisobod with open internet access, and the 
schedule was always full with students and residents.  Despite 
being hooked into the "clean" government power line, the school 
did not have electricity when we visited.  A generator sat in 
the corner. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Far from the bureaucratic and political 
struggles facing some international organizations in Dushanbe, 
NGOs in Faisobod seem to operate freely and effectively, limited 
only by the finite amount of donor money.  Due to a lack of 
electricity and a lack of markets and transport networks, it's 
unlikely any food processing facilities will be built until an 
investor feels the infrastructure can truly support a small 
enterprise.  The productive operating environment for NGOs and 
the strong push by local authorities for English language 
instruction reinforce Post's convictions that a Peace Corps 
program would be highly effective in Tajikistan.  END COMMENT. 
JACOBSON