DUSHANBE, October 4, 2008, Asia-Plus — Ten loan management specialists from banks in Tajikistan have successfully taken three-week internships in the U.S. state of Western Virginia, Asia-Plus has learned from Malika Bahovaddinova, the Community Connections Program coordinator, USAID Tajikistan.
According to her, participants in the USAID-sponsored Community Connections program have exchanged ideas on various issues in the loan management field.
Participants visited various financial institutions engaged in crediting in some cities of Western Virginia as well as in Washington.
They also held meetings with clients of lending institutions and made trips to businesspeople of the private sector.
Participants noted that the professional aspects of the Community Connections program will contribute to new developments and innovation in the Tajik loan management field. They intend to introduce new ideas obtained during the internships in commercial banks of Tajikistan, Bahovaddinova said.
Community Connections provides an important opportunity for citizens of the United States and Tajikistan to work together to address common professional challenges while expanding their social and cultural understanding. As business and professional communities of both countries rapidly become integrated, opportunities for positive relations between American people and the people of Tajikistan are increasingly important. The Community Connections Program offers community-based, three-to-five week practical trainings in the United States for business and professional organization leaders from Tajikistan.
The Community Connections Program is one of the many assistance projects implemented in Tajikistan by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on behalf of the American people. Since 1993 the American people through USAID have provided about $300 million in assistance programs that support economic growth, democratic institutions, health care, and education in Tajikistan.
