VZCZCXRO1652
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0597/01 1320143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120143Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2793
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5177
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2921
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2786
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3421
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0992
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3537
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000597 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KDEM SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  NGO CHARITY WITHOUT BORDERS SEEKS OPPORTUNITIES TO 
SURVIVE 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but Unclassified.  Not for Internet distribution. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On May 6, Post Political Assistant met with 
Selbi Akmuradova, leader of the public organization, Charity Without 
Borders (CWB), to learn about their activities.  The NGO carries out 
charitable activities, and youth outreach activities on human 
rights, democracy, civil and environmental education for orphan 
children, and children from socially disadvantaged families. 
Currently, however, due to a lack of funding and office space for 
operations, CWB limits its charity assistance to one orphanage in 
Balkan province and has reduced the number of youth outreach 
seminars it conducts.  Since it has not been able to register, the 
authorities prohibit the NGO from holding events in public buildings 
and harass those who cooperate with the NGO.  To continue its 
much-needed charitable and youth outreach activity, CWB is seeking 
additional outside funding so that it can rent office space and 
provide computers at its educational events.  END SUMMARY. 
 
OVERVIEW 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Director of Charity Without Borders (CWB), a 
non-government initiative group, Selbi Akmuradova briefed post 
Political Assistant on the organization's activities and background. 
 CWB was founded and registered with the Tax Inspectorate in 1996. 
Currently, however, it is not registered and works as an Initiative 
Group.  CWB is a charity organization carrying out human rights 
protection, democracy, and civil and environmental education 
activities for ophans, children and teenagers from disadvantaged 
families, the elderly and the handicapped.  It operates with 
international donor community funding, private and business 
contributions and funds raised at charity concerts and events. 
CWB's staff includes four long-term staff members who are retirees, 
and Akmuradova herself has a medical background.  The organization 
also has many volunteers.  CWB once used Akmuradova's house as its 
office before it was demolished several years ago. 
 
CHARITY WORK 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In the past, CWB charitable activities included material 
assistance to orphanages, to children from disadvantaged families, 
to hearing impaired childrens' facilities, and to handicapped and 
senior citizen facilities throughout the country.  Currently, due to 
a lack of funding, the organization is limiting its charity 
activities to assistance for a Balkanabat orphanage -- one of the 
largest and most ethnically-mixed orphanages in Turkmenistan, 
according to Akmuradova.  The orphanage has 253 orphans, who are 
much in need of charity assistance.  Akmuradova and her staff travel 
there several times a year to provide the orphanage with food, 
clothing, and construction materials needed for ongoing renovations. 
 When CWB had office space, it was able to raise funds by organizing 
concerts, receptions, and making handicrafts for fairs.  Now CWB 
operates only on donations.  Law enforcement authorities have barred 
the organization from holding charity concerts and events, without 
explanation. 
 
OUTREACH PROJECTS WITH YOUTH 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Past CWB youth outreach activities included civil, 
environmental, democracy and human rights education.  As Akmuradova 
noted, "To avoid problems with authorities, our organization often 
uses environmental and civic education titles to conceal democracy 
and human rights-themed education activities."  CWB implemented the 
following projects: 
 
-- In 2000, a Netherlands Embassy project on first aid and medical 
training; 
-- In 2000-2003, Counterpart International CHAP program; 
-- In 2003, a U.S. Embassy project on Legal and Civic education for 
teenagers; 
-- In 2005, an OSCE project on environmental protection; 
-- In 2006, three projects with the U.S. Embassy on Environmental 
Education and Basis of Law; and 
 
ASHGABAT 00000597  002 OF 003 
 
 
-- In 2008, a U.S. Embassy project -- Ecological summer camp. 
 
REGISTRATION RED TAPE 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In the past, CWB closely worked with Ashgabat secondary 
schools No. 6,2,3,15, and 16 in implementing its charity activities 
because there are orphan children studying in these schools, living 
with relatives and in need of assistance.  Such children were 
invited to participate in CWB's youth outreach seminars.  Directors 
of the schools would allow use of their facilities for CWB seminars 
without charge, and teachers would help prepare food.  However, upon 
learning that teachers and school administrations were cooperating 
with the CWB, law-enforcement authorities raided a CWB seminar in 
one school and stopped a CWB event there.  They had school teachers 
reprimanded, and called CWB into the local city administration to 
inform CWB staff that without registration, the group could no 
longer hold events in public schools. 
 
SEEKING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The organization desperately needs a facility for its 
operations.  Since 2003, CWB has been seeking financial assistance 
for its Youth Computer and Education project for orphans and 
disadvantaged children who want to enter college.  Because of the 
corrupt educational system in the country, disadvantaged children 
have little chance of entering a higher educational establishment 
without a bribe.  The CWB project would help children to acquire at 
least vocational training.  However, since 2003 CWB has been unable 
get approval for the project.  Akmuradova is seeking funding to get 
the organization at least 3-6 months of rent to establish a Computer 
and Educational Center and to buy four basic computers for seminars 
and teaching English, chemistry, physics and math for children. 
According to Akmuradova, while continuing to operate in a temporary 
facility, the NGO will continue to look for a permanent office. 
Another problem the NGO leader articulated is that other local NGOs 
have plagiarized some of the projects CWB developed. 
 
VIEW OF CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT 
 
¶8.  (SBU) When asked where civil society is going here, Akmuradova 
said that she sees no development in the true sense of civil society 
advancement, because many public organizations do not understand 
what it means to be non-governmental and non-profit, and some even 
operate for personal benefit.  "What they do well is to describe 
nice projects on paper and apply for international donor community 
funding," said Akmuradova.  According to her, after a project is 
finished, such organizations earn enough and leave the country, so 
there is no consistency or commitment to their work.  She thinks it 
is important to identify and support those who really believe in the 
development of true NGOs who are committed to work for the public 
good, to follow up on the NGOs' activities and to assess whether 
they achieved the intended results. 
 
FUTURE PLANS 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Akmuradova wants to expand the organization's activity by 
adding other special training such as teaching sewing and knitting 
for orphan girls.  She noted that there are many people who are 
willing to volunteer to help children who are less lucky in life 
than others.  Acquiring funding to rent a facility would enable it 
to fulfill such plans. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT:  In a tough climate for public organizations, 
CWB persists even without a facility.  If the organization can find 
funding, it will be able to help many orphan children and children 
from disadvantaged families to expand their education and enter 
adult life having the same opportunities that others have.  Finding 
a source of financial support will ensure that such children acquire 
skills to earn a living in the future and improve the odds that they 
will become equal members of Turkmen society.  CWB Director 
Akmuradova provides a relevant reminder that it is also critical to 
closely monitor the use of international donor community funding to 
 
ASHGABAT 00000597  003 OF 003 
 
 
ensure that it is being used properly and in the way intended.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
MILES