IATP News

Turkmenistan’s Small Businesses Modernize, Increasing Profits and Salaries

When the CEO of Melhem, a firm specializing in the shipment of building materials, decided to send his employees to ICT training, he had no idea how quickly it could improve their overall efficiency or that it would quadruple company sales.

In June of this year, Melhem employees attended ICT training at the IATP center in Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan. The employees learned basic computer and internet skills and achieved proficiency in various MS Office applications. Throughout the process, participants focused on how to apply their ICT skills in their jobs and realized how much it could improve business operations. Not long after the training, the company invested in three computers and connected them all to the internet.

Now the company keeps track of their clients through e-databases and finds and maintains new contacts online. Thanks to the modernized system, the company estimates it has improved its efficiency by almost 70 percent. The majority of employees’ time is now spent developing the company, which suits workers well, as their salaries are based on a percentage of the company’s profits. Melhem accountant Margarita Hemraeva explains, “Before learning IT skills, we spent most of our time doing paperwork and did not have as much time to seek out new clients. Our new IT skills are allowing us to spend our efforts in achieving our real goals—to expand our customer base and increase profits.”

From Ministry Officials to Farmers — IATP Tajikistan Brings ICT to All

After more than nine years of working to close the digital divide and promote civil society, IATP Tajikistan will close its doors on December 10. IREX’s USAID/ECA-funded IATP program has provided free internet access and technical training to more than 15,000 local residents in the last two years alone, forming close partnerships at all levels of society—from Tajik Ministries all the way down to rural farmers.

In IATP’s e-Government project trained more than 250 ministry officials in ICT skills necessary to make full use of their modern office equipment, improve bureaucratic efficiency, and streamline services for Tajikistan’s citizens. Migration Service Senior Lieutenant Istat Shomirzoeva recalls before she learned to use her computer it took her at least an hour to prepare a simple letter. Now it only takes her 20 minutes using word processing software. Her colleague Sergeant Ismoil Zokirov also explained that the office can now process documents required for passports much more efficiently and provide more timely feedback to their citizens via e-mail.

IATP also assisted organizations in developing electronic databases to improve their services for the public. A notable example is the International Organization for Migration, who worked with IATP to develop an e-database for shelter workers designed to document reports of human trafficking they receive from the public. The national database collects, stores, and cross-references information on both victims and alleged perpetrators of trafficking.

Over the years, however, IATP in Tajikistan learned that more than just white collar workers were interested in ICT training. Rustan Nasritdinov, a businessman and head of the agricultural NGO Lola Farming, has partnered with IATP for the past several years to streamline his own organization and provide more than 145 rural farmers with mobile training programs on how to use computers and the internet. Now, farmers research questions on the use of imported feed additives and treatments for common livestock diseases on the internet at their local IATP centers. Other graduates of the training conduct online market research to price their produce competitively and stay abreast of the latest developments in their field. Nasritdinov explains, “Earlier, most of the farmers in my region conducted business in the traditional way—buying and selling crops at the local market. Now, many of them do it online.” Some farmers have even established clients and partners abroad, selling and shipping to foreign markets.

Although IATP in Tajikistan will close its doors in December, the centers will live on and continue to serve their communities as Independent Internet Centers (IICs). IATP partners will sustain the mission of bringing internet access and IT skills to more individuals in Tajikistan, where still less than five percent of the population uses the internet. Upon graduation, Tajikistan will have a total of six IICs in cities and regions across the country: Kulyab, at a branch of the Technological University; Khujand, at the Pulatov Private School; Kanibadam, at the headquarters of the local NGO Civil Bridges; Dushanbe, at the Science Academy Library; Garm, at the NGO Rasht; and Khorog, at Khorog State University. Director of the Science Academy Library and soon-to-be head of the Dushanbe IIC Alla Aslitdinova remains deeply committed to the program, “The IATP program made a considerable impact on a wide range of individuals in Tajikistan by providing opportunities for all levels of human development—from as lofty as broadening an individual’s worldview, to as concrete as helping them find a job. Our goal is to help these centers continue to do just as well in the future.”

IATP activity begins in Tajikistan: 1999
Centers offering free services: Dushanbe, Garm, Khorog, Kulyab, Khujand, Kanibadam
# users (since June 2007): 12,127
# trained (since June 2007): 3,465
# of visits to IATP centers (since June 2007): 82,693
# of training sessions (since June 2007): 624

Moldovan Community Mobilizes to Save Local School

As the IREX-implemented Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) prepares to pass the torch to local partners in December, program public access computing centers continue to bridge the digital divide and provide motivated citizens with the access to information and ICT tools necessary to make a difference in their communities.

When graduates of Comrat School No. 6 in the Gagauzia region of Moldova learned in May that their alma mater was at risk of being closed due to a lack of government funding, they were shocked; the news broke amidst preparations for the school’s 40th anniversary celebration. A dedicated group of alumni, led by graduate and local resident Vitalii Stanciu, organized to advocate to save the school. After registering an official association with the Department of Justice and leading community outreach events, they began to receive local news coverage.

Stanciu and the group then came to the local IATP Center in Comrat—the only center in the region offering free internet access and technical training—to leverage the technology and know-how to help spread their message. Working with IATP staff, they created a online wiki resource explaining the looming closure, detailing the group’s goals of the association, and calling on others to join the association’s efforts to save the at-risk school. To increase traffic to their wiki page, Stanciu and the group also used IATP resources to e-mail the site’s link to their database of graduates, both in Moldova and abroad.

Although the organization’s outreach efforts specifically targeted alumni, they were also successful in bringing the plight of the school to the attention of the broader community. IATP trainee Dorin Rusu echoed the sentiments of many Comrat residents, saying, "I personally never studied at School No. 6, but I was really disturbed by the decision of the Department of Education to close it. In two years, my son will start school, and as a parent, I want him to go to a school that is close to home. I join with all the graduates and the students of the school who are trying to revive it and return it to its former glory as one of the best schools in Comrat. Together, we can really make a difference."

Within four short months Stanciu and association members had raised enough funds to purchase a school computer, printer, scanner, copy machines, and a digital camera. They presented the gifts to the school on September 1, 2009, on the traditional Day of Knowledge ceremonies commemorating the first day of school. Addressing the crowd of students, teachers, parents, and community members, Stanciu credited the support of a wide network of alumni: "This is only our first step on the way to rescue our home school. The gifts are small but were bought thanks to the generosity of many caring individuals, including numerous graduates from all around the world.”

The association quickly got to work on a larger and more pressing goal—to repair the school’s damaged roof. Appealing to donor organizations, philanthropic business owners, and their established alumni group, the organization again employed the resources of the local IATP center to create an official website for their association, Tucaneasca, named after the local district. Soon supplies were purchased with donations received from the community’s tireless fundraising efforts and repairs were made by the association members themselves. On October 24, 2009, School No.6 in Comrat celebrated its 40-year anniversary under a newly-laid roof.

Overwhelmed, School Director Nelly Tricolici expressed his gratitude to supporters at the anniversary celebration, “This summer, former graduates took this school under their care. I never could have dreamed that within one summer, the school’s physical building could have been restored, and that on the school’s 40th anniversary, it would be buzzing proudly with students, parents, teachers, guests, and employees of the Department of Education of Gagauzia. Our pupils are again actively involved in extracurricular activities, such as writing for the school newspaper, playing basketball in the gym, preparing for theater performances, and many other things. In short, life will go on at School No. 6 because now it is safe and no longer at risk.”

The story of Tucaneasca and School No. 6 is just one example of what concerned, dedicated community members have achieved by harnessing local ICT resources to assist them in their missions since IATP first opened its doors in Moldova more than ten years ago. Moldovans from all walks of life and professional backgrounds have used the training, technology, and free internet access available at IATP centers across the country for personal, professional, and community development. More than 100 young women gained ICT and leadership skills through the Tech Age Girls (TAG) program, which helped them find employment opportunities and reduced their vulnerability to human trafficking; over 240 medical professionals representing 13 institutions and six regions participated in the MedIT program designed to improve patient services across Moldova through digital record-keeping; and dozens of librarians have graduated from the IT4Librarians program with the knowledge to leverage online information resources and provide modern library services in their communities.

Beginning in December, four graduated IATP centers or Independent Internet Centers (IIC) will operate in Moldova. The IATP center in Chisinau will continue offering services as an IIC under the management of Moldova State University, providing free internet access and training to community leaders—such as NGO representatives, librarians, entrepreneurs, and media professionals—as well as Moldova State University staff and students. Similar services will be offered by the center in Comrat, whose operations will be overseen by the Gagauzian Department of Education. The center in Tiraspol, Transnistria, will continue to be the only source of free internet access in its region and will be sustained by the NGO World Window Youth Information Center. The NGO plans to offer paid technical training to cover the center’s expenses but continue to provide internet access to the public free of charge. These three will join a fourth IIC in Causeni, operated by the Creativity Center for Children. Together they will continue to be a resource for local residents and organizations, such as “Tucaneasca,” who are working to bring new opportunities to their communities.

IATP activity begins in Moldova: 1998
Centers offering free services: Chisinau, Comrat, Tiraspol, Causeni
# users (since June 2007): 3,712
# trained (since June 2007): 1,964
# of visits to IATP centers (since June 2007): 38,099
# of training sessions (since June 2007): 366

Regional Agencies in Azerbaijan Increase the Efficiency of Their Work with ICT

Azerbaijan’s fast developing economy has begun digitizing regional government and semi-governmental institutions to increase their effectiveness, however, employees are often obliged to learn how to use their new workstations or face termination. Two recently digitized organizations in Azerbaijan are demonstrating the results of increased computer and internet use at the workplace, while the 17 employees trained by IATP from those institutions enjoy increased job security.

Seven employees of Shirvan City Power Station have begun using their newly acquired computer skills to register customers, calculate payments, prepare official notices to delinquent clients, and submit reports after completing ICT training at the Shirvan IATP Center in April. Eighteen-year veteran engineer Yusif Yusifov noted, “Younger employees possess computer skills. I didn’t want to fall behind and lose my job. So, I registered at the IATP center and attended computer courses that help me a lot at work.”

At the Agriculture and Food Industry Trade Union in Imishli, Azerbaijan, ten union employees are streamlining their work after undergoing training at their local IATP center in January and February 2009. Training participants Vusal Afandiyev and Amil Panahov reported that they can now process office paperwork and communicate with management, clients, and colleagues in other branches online without aid from colleagues.

Amil Panahov commented, “Prior to the courses, I depended on my colleagues to prepare documents…I asked them to help me several times a day. But now I do not depend on them for help with office work, thanks to the training at the Imishli IATP Center…I can easily obtain legislative statements and legal codes from the internet. I can also acquaint myself with the experiences of colleagues based in other regions.”

Joint IATP-USAID-Ministry of Education Project in Moldova Improves Quality of Library Services

Moldovan librarians improved the quality of their work by introducing modern technology into library services with the help of IATP. The ICT4Librarians project co-implemented by the USAID-funded IATP program and the Ministry of Education of Moldova improved the skills of 50 librarians from Chisinau, Cahul, and Soroca between March 24 and May 24. Many of the librarians that attended the training used a computer for the first time in their life, and learned not only how to use technology to improve their institutions, but also to connect with colleagues and establish new partnerships.

During the training, the librarians also applied their new skills, creating MS PowerPoint presentations on their libraries for use in conducting public outreach, websites on their libraries based on easy-to-update wiki platforms (bibl-gcalinescu.wikidot.com, bibl-sulac.wikidot.com, biblioteca-traian.wikidot.com), and blogs on shared interests (it4librarians-gr2.blogspot.com, tib-n.blogspot.com). Two participants from Chisinau, Elena Cortac and Nadejda Pruteanu, demonstrated their new skills to their director, who immediately recognized the use of their skills and procured a computer to incorporate into their library’s services. Cortac and Pruteanu are currently planning to create a database of the library’s books and readers.

The Cahul City Education Department Director Vladimir Calmic remarked, “I would like to thank IATP, especially the trainer, Denis Colta, for organizing such a useful project and for paying attention to Moldova’s libraries, which are in a very difficult situation at the moment. We do hope that in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we will be able to bring at least one computer to every library in the region.” With the new resources, including 40 MS Power Point presentations, 40 wiki sites, and four blogs, these libraries are now equipped to reach out to the public, attract new clients and provide them with new services. The resources developed during the training can be found at it4librarians.blogspot.com.

Local NGOs in Dnipropetrovsk Use Mobile Technology to Disseminate Important Information

The local NGO Tamarisk was among several local NGOs in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, that launched pilot projects in cooperation with IATP using mobile phone technology to promote social change. At the beginning of 2009, IATP began conducting training for local NGOs on mobile technology and the use of FrontlineSMS, open source software developed specifically for the non-governmental sector.

Tamarisk serves as an information and resource center for similar organizations in the region. It manages an online portal on citizens’ initiatives in Dnipropetrovsk, runs a media center for NGOs, and regularly organizes training sessions, roundtables, and other events for representatives of local NGOs and media outlets. FrontlineSMS is thus a valuable resource for organizations, such as Tamarisk, to send important information to large numbers of people. Tamarisk staff found that FrontlineSMS might be helpful for contacting their target audience in Dnipropetrovsk, as well as surrounding rural areas. Having mastered the software, Tamarisk staff compiled an SMS mailing list with 50 mobile phone numbers of local NGO representatives, and sent SMS notifications on events. The staff was impressed by their ability to inform dozens of people in a few minutes instead of spending half a day to contact them by phone.

Tamarisk still uses e-mail to send the same information, but not all NGOs and citizen activists have access to e-mail, especially in rural areas. More people have mobile phones and are likely to read messages they receive immediately.

Disseminating information using FrontlineSMS has had a positive impact on Tamarisk’s ability to reach its target audiences. For instance, at an April 2009 event held at the NGO’s office, 60% of attendees heard about the event via SMS. Participants expressed their gratitude to Tamarisk for using a convenient form of outreach, allowing them to get timely information and facilitating their participation in what was an important event for the local civil society community.

Tamarisk is constantly adding new contacts to their SMS mailing list and plans to divide it into several sub-lists for NGOs working in different fields. The NGO’s President Tatyana Barashkova commented, “We started working with IATP less than a year ago. Since that time, they have introduced us to a number of new and useful technologies. First, we participated in a series of training on Web 2.0 applications, and organized other NGOs to take this training at IATP. Now we learned about a new opportunity to increase the effectiveness of our work through mobile technology. We are sure that the positive impact of IATP activities on our local community will be noticeable for years after IATP is officially closed in Ukraine.” IATP is graduating its centers in Ukraine to Independent Internet Centers in May, ending over a decade of programming in the country.

Student Lands Job Thanks to ICT Skills Gained at IATP Center in Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan

Twenty-one-year-old business student Timur Saparov received a job as an advertising designer at the private company Shohle – Express, which specializes in outdoor banner advertisements in Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan.

Saparov completed advanced training in graphic design for twelve students at IATP’s partner organization and local training firm Hemayat Economic Association in March. Over the course of four weeks, Saparov and his peers acquired graphics editing and internet research skills and developed slogans, trademarks, and presentations as part of their business projects at the Turkmenabat IATP Center.

Hemayat offers ten-month courses on management, marketing, and accounting, promoting business education and teaching entrepreneurship to local youth. Thanks to the partnership with Hemayat, IATP has been able to provide ICT courses to large numbers of aspiring entrepreneurs. This group used their improved ICT skills to complete their projects and pass their first final exam on April 11.

Timur Saparov remarked, “Having completed IATP training, I realized that I would like to make my career in computer graphics and design. Now, I am confident in my skills in designing advertisements [for billboards], logos, and banners. After all, my supervisors and clients are satisfied with the results of my creative work.” Saparov received his job offer soon after he completed the IATP training course.

Each year, more than 100 youth complete business courses at Hemayat and launch their own businesses. Since 2008, IATP staff in Turkmenabat has been contributing to Hemayet’s business education by providing technical assistance and information support to 75 students.

Young People Improve Academic Performance and Public Activism Skills

State University of Moldova students Elena Balatel, Olesea Miriuta, and Zinaida Covalji are now better students and more active public citizens. They told IATP that these new successes resulted from the training and services offered by the Chisinau IATP center.

Balatel and Miriuta used their new skills to participate in a grant proposal competition conducted by the International Relief Friendship Foundation (IRFF) Moldova – but they did more than participate. These young women won a grant to support creation of a youth newspaper called "Megaphone." Another training, jointly organized by IATP and the International Republican Institute (IRI), equipped them with the necessary knowledge to become politically active.

The two young women are members of Moldova’s Liberal Party and used the IATP training opportunities to learn about creating a political organization, registering it, and conveying ideas to a public audience. Balatel commented, "Participating in this program is still showing us the way to new opportunities. At present, in addition to this [political activity] and our social life, we are working towards degrees in plant and animal physiology using the resources of the IATP center."

Foreign languages student Zinaida Covalji organized a week of language training sessions using resources and equipment from IATP to teach her skills to others. Language skills are an important need for young Moldovans, many of whom seek to market their skills outside the small domestic market.

Nearly 1,300 visits were logged at the center in February alone, including nearly 50 new users.

Online Forum on Civic Education links US, Eurasian Educators

More than 20 educators from Turkmenistan, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan, learned about civic education in the United States during an IATP-sponsored online discussion. Turkmenistan university professors taking part in the online forum mentioned it was their first chance to discuss education curricula with international colleagues online. These professors later reported they are continuing to explore teaching materials on civic education provided by the forum expert and discuss civic engagement education issues via e-mail (materials available).

From March 9 to 19, 2009, University of Minnesota’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship Professor Dennis Donovan accessed the IATP online forum, sharing his extensive professional experience with interested educators across Eurasia. Professor Donovan introduced participants to the Center’s mission and activities, discussing his student mentoring methods, and addressed the participants’ many questions.

The interactive discussion revealed interest in the strategies used by American schools to engage youth in liberal arts education. Professor Donovan explained that the best US teachers develop relationships with their students and encourage the expression of different opinions, which he called a “strategy for modeling democracy.” Later in the discussion, the Eurasian educators learned about the Center’s international partnership network and received information on Hubert Humphrey Fellowship opportunities in their home countries. This online forum is one of ten international online networking events organized by IATP this year.

IATP User Promotes Awareness of Genetically Modified Organisms

Active IATP user, lecturer, and rights activist Maksim Shirnin hosted an international online forum on the ecological and health risks of genetically modified organisms (GMO) at the IATP center in Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

Thirteen participants from Ukraine, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Poland, and Russia discussed the controversial topic on February 11.  During the online discussion, Shirnin shared his knowledge of European and American research, explained the difference between genetic engineering and genetic selection, and gave examples of genetically engineered food. He also discussed the potential environmental effects of GMO and the potential risks of GMO to humans. 

Along with other Ukrainian scientists and doctors, Shirnin has been raising awarness about GMO since 1998.  Shirnin commented, “Our rights in consuming GMO are not protected as there is little or no labeling on the products…it is crucial to inform the general public on these issues, especially through online chats and forums.”

 All of the forum participants agreed that the topic was important and that they would share the valuable information they gained with their peers.  The participants also agreed to continue online discussions on the same or related topics in the future.