Ex-female prisoner Safargul S. is awarded a Presidential grant in the amount of 10,000 Tajik somoni for the implementation of her project to establish a sewing workshop "Toji Zarrin" in Guliston village of Levakand district in Khatlon region.
“While being in the prison, I had an opportunity to participate in the vocational course on Sewing and dreamt to open my sewing workshop “Toji Zarrin” in my district. Today my dream became reality due to the knowledge and skills which I have obtained during series of trainings on business skills and project design organised by NGO Jahon in partnership with DVV International in Tajikistan,” said Safargul S.
It is to mention that Safargul S. was one of the twenty-nine (29) participants (25 women and 4 men) of capacity building trainings such as personal development and civic education, entrepreneurship skills development and project design for ex-prisoners in 2020 which were conducted within the framework of the project “Promoting Access to Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights to Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners in Tajikistan” funded by European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Safargul S. participated in all mentioned trainings and benefited from knowledge and skills of the trainers to design her own business project to obtain funding.
Safargul S. submitted her project to the Committee of Women's and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in February 2021, and in June 2021 Safargul was the only female ex-prisoner to receive the Presidential grant out of 80 women. In addition, the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan allocated six hundred square meters of land for the construction of a living house with a greenhouse in the future Safargul S. plans to set up her second business idea to grow lemons for the local and foreign markets. It is worth noting that the idea of growing lemons arose during Safargul's participation in the above trainings.
"This is not only a matter of pride, but also a great responsibility," added Safargul S. “As an individual entrepreneur, I am now registered at the Tax Department and received my patent. Now, thanks to this grant, I am able to buy sewing machines and various fabrics and provide up to 10 unemployed women in the village with permanent jobs,” said Safargul S. in an interview with national TV channel “Tajikistan”.
The project on” Promoting Access to Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights to Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners in Tajikistan” is implemented by the Country Office of DVV International in Tajikistan in partnership with local Public Organizations: “Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law” (BHR) and “Jahon”.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Zarina Khalikova, Country Director, DVV International Country Office to Tajikistan, khalikova@dvv-international.tj
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