The kick-off meeting of the project “INCLUSION: Dialogues for Inclusive Education and Employment Practices”, funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany, took place on March 25–26, 2026 in Bishkek. The two-day event brought together over 40 participants, including representatives of the European Union Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, government authorities, and key project partners of DVV International in Kyrgyzstan: the Association for the Development of Education in Kyrgyzstan (ADE), the Kyrgyz Association for Adult Education (KAAE), and the National Network “Zhanyryk.”
The goal of the INCLUSION project is to strengthen the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in providing high-quality, accessible, and inclusive education and employment services for vulnerable adults and youth. The project focuses on building CSO capacity to analyze the needs of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, enhancing their role in multi-stakeholder dialogue and advocacy, and expanding access to inclusive educational services and employment opportunities.
The event opened with welcome remarks from high-level representatives:
- Member of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, Chotonov Meder Oskonbekovich
- Chief Specialist of the Department for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Citizens, Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mambetaipova Cholpon Asanalievna
- Ambassador of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, Rémi Duflot
- Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kyrgyz Republic, Monika Lenhard
- Regional Director of DVV International in Central Asia, Galina Veramejchyk
During the two-day meeting, participants discussed:
- key components of the project and approaches for their implementation;
- financial and administrative procedures, including monitoring and reporting systems;
- communication strategies and project visibility;
- roles and responsibilities of participants and mechanisms for partnership and collaboration.
The kick-off meeting served as a key platform to align understanding of the project’s objectives, coordinate implementation approaches, and strengthen collaboration between international partners, government institutions, and local organizations.
Special attention was given to inclusivity and equal access to educational and employment opportunities for all, including youth and adults from vulnerable groups. The event also helped form a cohesive project team, prepared to implement all project components based on a unified strategy and shared accountability for results.
The INCLUSION project will be implemented over 24 months, from February 1, 2026, to January 31, 2028, in selected cities and districts across all seven regions of Kyrgyzstan.