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Success Story
USAID study tour alumna
creates new opportunities
for rural youth.
Reaching Turkmenistan’s Rural Youth
Photo: ACCELS
Participants of a seminar on community
health at the Beyik Turkmenbashy
resource center.
Because of Aynabad
Muhamova’s resource
center, young people in
Beyik Turkmenbashy have
new opportunities to realize
their professional dreams.
Using the knowledge and skills gained during a USAID study
tour, Aynabad Muhamova opened a resource center for youth in
the remote Beyik Turkmenbashy district in the Lebap province of
Turkmenistan. The inspiration for the center came when, along
with eight other representatives from Turkmenistan, Muhamova
traveled to Raleigh, N.C., for a 3-week USAID training aimed
at exposing Turkmen professionals to new ways of reaching atrisk
youth and new methods for preventing drug abuse and the
spread of HIV/AIDS.
“I learned a lot by observing how my U.S. colleagues work with
vulnerable populations,” said Muhamova.
After the study tour, Muhamova rallied her colleagues to create
a center that would provide training to Beyik Turkmenbashy
youth. Due to the district’s remoteness and lack of resources,
young people in Beyik Turkmenbashy had few opportunities
to realize their professional dreams. Muhamova and her
colleagues wanted to change that. The center operates a
small sewing workshop and a training facility, and serves
approximately 35 people a week. At the sewing workshop, local
girls learn to sew, so that they can earn money and contribute
to household expenses. The training facilities are also used to
conduct community health seminars for young people.
Muhamova is closely involved with the center’s work. She uses
the techniques learned during the USAID program to conduct
trainings on community health, healthy lifestyle, and fi rst aid.
She is planning to expand the activities of the center so that
the girls who attend sewing classes can receive assistance in
fi nding employment. She also wants to recruit a local textile
factory to supply materials for the sewing classes so that the
girls can earn money producing garments.
“I believe the outcome depends on your professionalism in
delivering information to people,” said Muhamova. “I have
aspirations and look for new opportunities to promote further
democratization of my country.”
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