Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) in Tajikistan has handed over inclusive equipment to the Emergencies Committee under the Government of Tajikistan this year in the framework of the project, Fostering and Enabling Environment and Opportunities for Youth and People with disabilities to Promote Equity, Access, and Inclusion, funded by the European Union (EU).

According to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Resident Office in Tajikistan, the project aims to foster an enabling environment and bring opportunities for youth and people with disabilities to promote equity, access, and inclusion in three regions: Dushanbe, Rasht Valley, and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).  This means that youth can get a better quality of life by accessing facilities for average growth and overall development

This activity reportedly aims to better serve people with disabilities, particularly in emergencies; it will eventually be necessary to expand capabilities of the Emergencies Committee and the Committee for Environmental Protection in terms of improved technical capability, expanded reach, improved skills and knowledge, and improved technical capability.

The CEO of AKAH, Nawab Ali Khan, handed over inclusive equipment for disaster preparedness and response to local and cross-border emergencies to the Emergencies Committee chief Rustam Nazarzoda.

The equipment consist of evacuation chair for PWD, portable fire extinguishers, rescue blankets, headlamps, diving lamps, fins, masks, paddles, safety vests, ropes, and block rollers.

Rustam Nazarzoda thanked EU and AKAH for their support and stated, “AKAH and EU have a long history of fruitful cooperation; we will continue to build on that.”

In his turn, Nawab Ali Khan thanked the government of Tajikistan for the successful partnership and trust they put in AKAH, and the level of cooperation has value for AKAH; there is a big hope for future fruitful collaboration for the benefit of Tajik citizens, despite nationality, race, faith, and social status.

Through cooperation with local donors, government, and NGOs, AKAH promotes various capacities of local institutions and ensures future sustainability.

AKAH works to ensure that people live in safe, sustainable and resilient habitats with the opportunity to thrive, whether in a remote mountain village, a town, or a densely populated urban center. It works with communities to help them prepare for and respond to natural disasters and the effects of climate change.  AKAH also works to expand access to services and opportunities for people to improve their lives. AKAH helps communities prepare for the worst, provides immediate relief after disaster strikes, and helps build back better – and greener – while planning for a better future. Established in 2015, AKAH combines several agencies and programs of the AKDN that have been working on housing, habitat, and disaster preparedness and relief since the 1990s in South and Central Asia.

The Fostering an Enabling Environment and Opportunities for Youth and People with Disabilities to Promote Equity, Access, and Inclusion Project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and implemented by AKAH jointly with the Centers of Sign Language and Deaf Education (CSLDEs) in Khorog city, Rasht Valley and Dushanbe.  The project aims to promote equity, access, and inclusion by fostering an enabling environment for youth and people with disabilities.  The project's outcome provides youth and people with disabilities with equitable access to livelihood and humanitarian resources and encourages them to participate in sports and other social activities.