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Newsletter 2007 -fourth
release
Development in «Umid»
HSSC’s view point
The goal of «Umid» HSSC, formed in 1997 and
registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Azerbaijan Republic in
1998, is to foster solution of social, economic and education problems
of the vulnerable people.
The personnel of the local NGO «Umid» Humanitarian and Social Support
Center believe that just development is the neatest and sustainable
support in every activity. For this reason that the special attention is
paid just to development aspect in preparation of any project, and this
approach makes foundation for project activities.
Development target of «Umid» HSSC covers all intervention objects within
projects – community development, CBO and NGO development, social
infrastructure and economic opportunities development, development of
initiativity, responsibility, feeling of ownership, transparency, and
finally development of logistics and human resources. This approach
played a vital role in «Umid» HSSC’s performance during 2007.
Capacity development component is of great importance amongst «Umid»
HSSC development activities. During its performance «Umid» HSSC
mobilized the communities all over the Republic, and developed all of
them into initiative, self-governing and self-confident community level.
Community development indicators are based on identification of general
community problems, ways and means of their solution, capacity of
elaboration and implementation of project proposals, skills on sharing
achievements with other communities, mentoring to less experienced
communities, handing over the practice, competence on economical and
effective usage of natural and local resources etc.
Education for Development
Capacity building and economic opportunities extension of IDP youth
Logistical support to the vulnerable IDPs in Azerbaijan
The project was implemented in Sumgait and
surrounding areas under the financial support of UNHCR.
Extension of education facilities of IDP schools
In order to improve the education facilities of IDP schools, 2
classrooms and 1 community room were repaired or rehabilitated in each
of the following 3 schools – Fuzuli region secondary school #9, Gubadli
region Damirchilar rural school and Kalbajar region secondary school
#117. Primary education problems were solved, sessions and contests were
organized through application of active training methods within
education reforms, and measures were taken towards interest to
compulsory education among pre-schoolaged children. All community
members – parents, teachers, pre-schoolaged children, primary and
post-primary schoolchildren benefited from the project.
Schoolrooms and communication lines were repaired, renovation and
greenery works were conducted in surrounding areas in above-mentioned
three schools under community contribution.
Community Development
Within community services, training and round tables were arranged in
communities, community members’ knowledge and skills were raised,
community-donor relations were formed, sustainable community funds were
formed, communities’ coordination was formed, number of members of
Inter-Communities Mutual Assistance Fund increased, inter-communities
integration was promoted.
76 community meetings with participation of 1208 people and 90 RT
(number of attendees – 1705 people, men – 539, women - 1166) on topics
covering problems existing in community and education were provided.
To foster development of Teacher Parent Associations formed in
communities targeted under repair and rehabilitation works, 24 training
sessions (number of attendees: 331 people, 242 women, 89 men) on 10
different topics were arranged. Community activists, whose awareness was
raised through trainings, resigned 13 trainings to other community
members (number of attendees: 216 people, 148 women, 68 men).
Strengthening the vocational skills of IDP youth through
apprenticeship method and expanding economic opportunities
40 IDP and vulnerable local youth from 20 target communities acquired
vocational skills on 11 trades (auto-motor, auto-metal craftsman,
photo-video, hammersmith-dyer, welder, making plastic doors and windows,
confectionery, dress-maker, hair-dresser and barber, mobile phone
repair) from 12 on-the-job trainers.
Logistical support to UNHCR programs in Azerbaijan
Distribution of humanitarian relief items was realized based on the
«Guidelines on Reception, Documentation, Division and Distribution of
Humanitarian Assistance Items in Azerbaijan». Prior to commencement of
distributions, meetings were arranged with the local and international
NGOs to be involved in distribution, assessments were conducted, needs
were identified, areas and target groups were selected. Relief items
were distributed in the areas densely populated by IDPs: Baku, Sumgait,
Absheron, Saatli, Sabirabad, Kurdamir, Imishli, Beylagan, Agdash,
Goychay, Shaki, Gabala, Agdam, Khizi. 51123 people were provided with
non-food relief items during the year.
Improvement of potable water provision in communities – the 2nd stage
«Improvement of potable water provision of
communities – 2» project was implemented in Ujar and Kurdamir regions
under financial support of BP and its partners in 2007.
To improve potable water provision in communities along
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline and to provide the inhabitants’ need for
potable water, water purification units were installed in Chohranli,
Atakishili, Teze Shilyan, Garabork and Alpout rural communities of
Kurdamir and Ujar regions within the project.
Installation of water purification units and construction works were
conducted by «Sema-F» and «Ekvator-M» organizations selected through a
bid.
Water purification devices will be delivered to the population at the
beginning of 2008.
Future
Communities Program
Future Communities Program aims at
developing the communities located along eastern part of BTC/SCP into
enterprising, self-governing and self-organizing community level through
usage of income-generation capacity and resources. The program is being
implemented in cooperation with the International Organization «Save the
Children» and Agro Information Center under financial support of BP and
its partners.
Program focuses at the following objectives:
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Formation of continuous relations among
community groups and local authorities for sustainable community
development, as well as improvement of social infrastructure and
services through realization of second stage micro-projects;
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Implementation of Vocational Skills
Program through Apprenticeship method for the youth in order to
improve their entrepreneurship capacity, employment and
income-generating opportunities.
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The project covers Yevlakh, Agdash,
Ujar, Kurdamir and Hajigabul, as well as Garadagh regions.
Development of Star CG and Municipalities in direction of
mentoring
«Umid» HSSC built the capacity of Star CG and Municipalities via
Living University Conception, and consequently, the same Star CG and
Municipalities resigned the acquired knowledge to the leders of
developing community groups. The resigned trainings aimed at
developing and capacity building of the communities uniting around
Star CG. To organize resigning of trainings, training packages on 7
topics (Project Management, Financial Management, Report Writing,
Fund Raising, Networking and Partnership/Advocacy, Organizational
Management and Planning, Effective Presentation) were re-elaborated
and conformed to development level of developing community groups.
Total 35 trainings with the participation of
408 people (99 women, 309 men) on the above 7 topics were handed over to
developing community groups by Star CG during the year.
Income-generation
Business Development Services serving for development of business fields
existing in target areas, expansion of entrepreneurs’ knowledge and
skills are one of substantial components of the project. Entrepreneurs
were provided with 49 consultations on credit management, business plan,
marketing, financial analysis, recordkeeping, calculation of face-value
of a product, IDTP, simplified tax, and trainings on credit and its
management, recordkeeping, business plan development within the project.
Apprenticeship
Within the framework of the project 36 youth received vocational skills
through apprenticeship method and awarded with certificates.
4 apprentices with more sustainable and real business plans were
provided with grants to realize Jump Start Economic Projects.
The project implementation is going on in 2008.
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Reply of labour
It was one of the cold winter days. Agshin had to go a
barber’s saloon located 6-7 km far from the village to make
hair-cut. Weather was cold, and roads – muddy. Almost all men
living in
the village had this trouble. Men of Teze Shilyan community
inhabited by 3600 people visited «Shahmar» Barber’s Saloon,
located in the entrance of the village –at the cross of four
roads. Agshin’s childhood desire was to become a barber. Despite
of cold and mud, he went to the saloon with great enthusiasm to
make a hair-cut. Entering the saloon Agshin used to gaze at a
barber making hair-cut for a client, which made spark of his
desire to flame. Wishing to acquire this trade in his
school-ages, Agshin went to the military service hiding his
desire in his heart because of low financial condition.
Upon completion
of military service,in one of the pleasant days, while passing
by the rural municipality with his friends Agshin saw an
adverticement put up by «Umid» HSSC on organization of
apprenticeship courses. He was very happy, and after receiving
detailed information from the Head of the Municipality about
this program, he filled out questionnaire form and submitted it
to Tahir Muallim. After some days «Umid» HSSC staff members had
a conversation with Agshin. Despite of this meeting he had less
hope for realization of his desire. But a telephone ring made
him to have some hope for realization of his desire. He was
involved in apprenticeship courses organized within «Future
Communities Program». When Agshin was informed that he will
acquire secrets of this trade not farther away, but from Shahmar
Master, the barber of his own village, his happiness had no
limit. Agshin wished to become as famous as Shahmar Master. He
was as if in a dream at first days. He attended the courses
regularly. Upon completion of 3-month apprenticeship course
successfully, Agshin opened a Barber Saloon at the center of
Teze Shilyan village of Ujar region. Both his parents and «Umid»
HSSC supported him in this work, i.e. within Future Communities
Program «Umid» HSSC provided 410 AZN to Agshin whose total
project amount for opening a saloon was 1438.25 AZN. Currently,
Agshin serves to community members with great enthusiasm at the
village center.
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Vocational Capacity Building of refugees and asylum-seekers in
Azerbaijan and logistical support
The project of «Logistical support and
Vocational training for the refugees and asylum-seekers in Azerbaijan»,
started in 2003, was implemented successfully in 2007, too. The project
was realized in Baku under financial support of UNHCR.
Aiming at increase of economic opportunities, business and vocational
skills of the asylum-seekers in Azerbaijan, as well as provision of
refugee and asylum-seekers with non-food relief items, the project had
the following achievements in 2007:
35 asylum-seeker youth populated in Azerbaijan received vocational
skills through apprenticeship method;
394 refugee and asylum-seeker youth used internet service in the office,
and received consultations on internet usage (272 youth), and working on
computer (122 youth);
14 refugee and asylum-seeker youth, acquired vocational skills,
participated in business training on «Learning basics of small
business». The attendees were provided with information about business
start-up and extension, acquaintance with market, initial market
research, market study, business competition;
4 youth, acquired vocational skills, received grants and started their
businesses;
Non-food relief items donated by Lutheran World Relief were distributed
to refugee and asylum-seekers. 2388 refugee and asylum-seeker families
(6956 people) were provided with humanitarian assistance items during
the year. Distribution of relief items was organized in Refugee Women
and Youth Center, and covered all layers of refugee and asylum-seekers.
Youth’s employment and economic opportunities extension initiative along
Baku corridor
The project of «Youth’s employment and
economic opportunities extension initiative» completed the first quarter
successfully. The project, launched in August of 2007, focuses at
extension of employment and economoc opportunities of 15-33 years old
youth, as well as formation of a network among local job-seekers and
potential entrepreneurs in Baku city Khatai region Zikh area, Sabail
region 20th area, Bayil, Bibiheybat and Shikhov settlements under
financial support of BP and its partners.
Currently, 40 youth are receiving vocational skills from experienced
on-the-job trainers on the trades of welding, confectionery, mobile
phone repair, computer repair, hair-dresser, barber, painter-designer,
auto-service, air-conditioner repair, furniture restoration, radio-TV
repair, video operator, culinary, dress-maker and tailor. During the
reporting period 7 youth, completed barber, mobile phone repair,
computer repair and culinary courses, received certificates.
USAID's
Community Development Project
USAID\s Community Development Project
started its implementation in 2005 continued in 2007 successfully as
well. The project is being implemented in north-eastern regions of
Azerbaijan – Guba, Gusar, Khachmaz and Davachi regions under financial
support of USAID and technical support of International Organization
CHF.
«Umid» HSSC made the following achievements
within USAID Community Development Project aiming at development of
citizens’ initiativity, activity, advocacy skills and directly
communities’ social-economic infrastructure:
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16 community and cluster-level projects
focusing at rehabilitation of economic infrastructure were
implemented;
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76 trainings on 6 topics were arranged
in 28 communities in a direction of capacity building of community
members;
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4 youth acquired hair-dresser and barber
trades through apprenticeship method, and increased their
income-generation skills;
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Education projects were implemented in 4
communities. These projects focused at capacity building of the
communities on identification, prioritization and solution of their
own problems.
Besides the above-mentioned activities, round tables, consultation hours
and community meetings on community development were conducted in 28
target communities, and capacity building of Community Development
Council and community members was supported
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