The PHIP operates in Murghab rayon in the Eastern Pamirs, the biggest rayon (district) of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of Tajikistan. ( Background information)
PHIP is an integrated development project implemented by the international NGO ACTED (Agence a la Cooperation Technique et au Development, seated in Paris ' www.acted.org ). It is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) since 1999 and receives since 2002 additional funding by UNESCO.
The pilot phase started in 1999 and resulted in an integrated project design aiming at improving the livelihood of the local population by opening up sustainable economic options. The project is organized into departments tackling various aspects of Murghab problems (
Departments) :
"Agriculture, Environment and Livestock" - encourages and trains people to work on kitchen gardens with adapted seeds in order to contribute to food security and diversification of incomes. It further cooperates with the district's Veterinary Department to distribute vaccines for livestock to a fair price. It is also is in touch with "combat desertification" programmes run by GTZ and implemented by the Pamir Bio Institute. ( High mountain agriculture)
"Community Social Infrastructures" - is an engineering department rehabilitating and building public infrastructure (schools, medpoints, bridges) after a prioritization was done in participatory way (communities, district rehabilitation commission). After years of simple "upgrading", energy efficiency and use of passive solar energy are becoming prominent. ( Energy efficient engineering)
"Social and Poverty Alleviation" - is a program specially targeting the layer of population which is not reached by the credit programme: the poorest of the poor. It is composed of in-kind credits (goats, chicken) to be returned after a certain time (up to one year) and small, interest free credits to vulnerable families. Being in a constant process of improvement, the goat program and the small credits are currently being redesigned. (A pro poor approach)
"Support to local handicraft" - is one of the most successful departments: it gathers 250 women in an association producing modern design handicraft based on ancient techniques. The products are marketed in Murghab, Khorog, Bishkek and Dushanbe, links to France are being sought. This program is currently extending into the far fletched villages of the district, encouraging more women to grasp this opportunity for alternative source of income (The Yakhouse)
"Credit and Capacity Building" - is tackling the problem of cash deficiency: the department is part of ACTEDs Micro Finance Project (MFP) all over Central Asia. Cash credits are given to groups of herders (in order to build their herds) and to small enterprises. Additional credits are given to tontine groups to more favourable conditions. (MFP)
"Culture" - This department works intensively with the mixed platform of civil society and government representatives to prepare cultural and sports events. With grants and loans, the local theatre as well as music and sports schools have been equipped, the renting of equipment flows back into a culture fund to facilitate additional activities. In addition, oral literature has been collected and published in the local Kyrgyz dialect, a work of literature which has greatly revived discussion on local history and tradition. (Culture)
"Ecotourism"- Being dependant on external cash influx, tourism offers wide potentials in a region as mythical as the High Pamir. The program proceeds twofold: training of local service providers (homestays, Yurts, guides) and research on various potentials in order to create proper marketing products (brochures, map, identification of treks etc). An Association of Ecotourism is in the process of creation, in order to permit benefits to remain with communities, to design a code of conduct and to act so that the natural resources are used and displayed in a sustainable way, including nature conservancy action. (Ecotourism)

 

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