Press Releases

Internews Helps Launch First Resource Center in Remote Tavildara, Tajikistan

Photo: Chuck Rice/Internews Tajikistan Children examined new books at the first resource center in Tavildara, Tajikistan. The center was set up with the assistance of Internews.

(July 18, 2006) “I’ve never seen so many children’s books before,” remarked a young girl at the opening of the new USAID-financed information resource center in the remote village of Tavildara in eastern Tajikistan. Most of the books in the community were destroyed during Tajikistan’s bloody civil war which ended in 1997.

The resource center, which officially opened its doors on June 19, partially fills a giant information vacuum in this region of several thousand residents – who are mainly farmers and beekeepers. Tavildara and its neighboring villages are isolated by high mountain peaks and a single road which is often closed in the winter by landslides and heavy snowfall.

Internews Network oversaw the construction of this Mercy Corps project which will also house a community radio station, once registration and licensing issues are resolved. Internews is providing the broadcast equipment and has been working with the radio staff for the past ten months, assisting with regulatory issues and providing journalism, management and technical training.

The resource center is the first of its kind in the region and will serve the residents of more than half a dozen nearby villages. In addition to providing timely information to villagers via the radio station and other media on a variety of issues relating to women’s rights, health care, education, land management and legal rights, the center will serve as a gathering spot – where residents can enjoy cultural programs or take a computer or language course.

At the opening, several people gathered around the PC to listen to recordings of traditional folk tales and songs. The songs and stories were gathered by the Internews-trained local radio staff as part of a project to preserve the cultural heritage of the community. The recordings will be archived and played on the new radio station.

The resource center will be managed by Shodi Rakhmonov, the executive director of the radio station. Once school resumes, he said the center will be open after school and on weekends to accommodate young people.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Chuck Rice, Internews Tajikistan Resident Advisor