Rushan, Tajikistan, August 10, 2023 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in partnership with the Government of Tajikistan completed and inaugurated a new drinking water supply system and a school latrine in two villages of Rushan’s Bartang valley. The drinking water supply systems will provide uninterrupted access to clean water for72 households (397 people) in Pasor and Bopasor villages. Additionally, 40 schoolchildren and teachers will have access to sanitary toilets in school #40 of Bopasor village.
In the remote mountainous villages of Pasor and Bopasor, lack of access to potable water was a significant problem. Although the villages are blessed with an abundance of water, the absence of infrastructure forced the residents to fetch water from a distance of 500-800 meters at an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level during harsh winters that last for five months. The USAID and AKF joint partnership, Thrive Tajikistan, works hand-in-hand with the Government of Tajikistan and people of the Bartang Valley to tackle this monumental challenge.
To date, Thrive Tajikistan has provided 14 potable water supply systems and 14 school latrines in Farkhor, Hamadoni, Nosiri Khusrav, Panj, Qubodiyon, Roshtqala, Shahritus, and Rushan districts. These systems provide 43,558 people with access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation/ hygiene services to 8,344 people.
The five-year (2018-2023) “Thrive Tajikistan: Partnership for Socio-Economic Development” program expands the partnership between USAID, AKF and the Government of Tajikistan to improve the quality of life for people in all 16 districts of Tajikistan along the country’s border with Afghanistan in Khatlon province and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast.
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a lead actor driving development results. For more information, visit the USAID/Tajikistan website: https://www.usaid.gov/tajikistan and the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDTajikistan/
AKF partners with communities, nonprofits, businesses, governments, and local leaders to make long-term investments, build permanent institutions, and cultivate an active civil society with the aim to improve quality of life and break the cycle of poverty. For more information on how to support AKF, visit www.akfusa.org.
AKAH, which merges the capabilities of Focus Humanitarian Assistance, the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, and the Aga Khan Development Network’s Disaster Risk Management Initiative, focuses on preparing for both sudden and slow-onset disasters and works on increasing safety, promoting resilience, facilitating service delivery, and creating enabling habitats. Read more about the agency at: http://www.akdn.org/our-agencies/aga-khan-agency-habitat.
