Social Fair “From self-help to wider role in society”
On November 5, 2009, Dushanbe hosted a Central-Asian social fair of self-help groups – members of the Ishenim network. The Ishenim Central Asian network was founded in 1998 by a number of non-governmental organizations from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which use SHG (self-help group) method in their activity, and with institutional support from Act CA office. The network was established with the goal to share experience and lessons learnt in the field of development of self-help groups in Central Asia.
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Today Ishenim unites public organizations from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Ishenim has a wide regional experience in the field of mobilization of the population (SHG model).
The goal of the fair was to demonstrate the development of various SHG models in local communities as one of the ways of sustainable development in Central Asian countries.
The event brought together SHGs from different regions of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Representatives from the Tajik President’s Office, parliamentarians from Tajik and Kyrgyz parliaments and representatives of other governmental structures of Tajikistan, public, international and donor organizations were invited to the fair.
The goal of the fair was to contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between governmental, commercial structures and civil organizations for effective implementation of national development strategies by supporting the SHG movement.
The visitors have familiarized with the history of the SHG movement in Central Asian countries, the history of organizations working in the given sphere, buy products produced by members of SHGs at exhibition-fair and attend concerts given by representatives of SHGs from both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
