DUSHANBE, July 30, 2008, Asia-Plus — On July 30, 2008, Tajikistan’s Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs and the World Bank Tajikistan Country Office launched the Tajikistan Youth Social and Economic Opportunity Project to be implemented by the Committee under the USD 2 million grant from the World Bank.
Ms. Dilya Zoirova of the World Bank Tajikistan Country Office noted that the grant, by the Post-Conflict Fund of the World Bank, aims is to sustain national peace and development by providing economic and social opportunity for vulnerable youth. The primary beneficiaries of this pilot program would be the most vulnerable out of school and unemployed idle youth between the ages of 14-30 in three regions of the country.
The incidence of poverty and unemployment are extremely high with some 64% of the population living below the official poverty line of $2.15 a day and general unemployment of about 44 % of able bodied persons. About three quarters of Tajikistan’s poor live in two oblasts (regions), Khatlon and Sughd. Youth ages 15-29 are particularly vulnerable group, making up to 68% or over two thirds of the unemployed. If education and health services can be expanded and sustained and the business environment improved, Tajikistan’s youth can be a positive force for the future. Thus a major concern and thrust of this pilot project is to seek ways to make youth more employable through enhancing their human capital and connecting them to improved business and employment opportunities.
This project will enhance the social and economic potential of at-risk youth in poor areas of Tajikistan by offering (i) community-based youth-friendly activities, (ii) business-entrepreneurial skills and employment preparation; and (iii) institution building of the State Committee of Youth, Tourism and Sport (SCYTS). The grant will offer safe and inclusive spaces for learning (complementary to the formal school system), as well as opportunities for information access, skill development and income generation, and the development of leadership skills and participation in community life. The grant will address the most vulnerable youth residing in the North (Sughd province), the East (districts subordinate to the center) and the South (Khatlon province) areas of the country, which are notably poor areas with the highest concentrations of youth at risk. Young women will be particularly targeted in all programs in order to address gender imbalances in youth social and economic development opportunities.
The specific components of the project are: establishing three pilot community-based, multi-purpose youth centers in Danghara, Hissor and Isfara; business development and youth employability promotion; and institutional development of the State Committee of Youth, Tourism and Sport.
The grant will be implemented by the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, which committed to share a range of project costs. The project will be implemented within two years.
The World Bank’s overall mission in Tajikistan is to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and encourage a better quality of life. The World Bank plays a role as the catalyst of change and an institution bringing global experience to developing countries. The financial assistance committed to Tajikistan so far amounts to nearly US$456 million, in the form of grants and concessional credits.
