"Valley of Peace" Ferghana Valley NGO Network

Consolidated Project

CONCEPT

1. Project Name: "Ferghana Valley - Our Common Home III" (small grants to schoolchildren)

2. Beneficiaries:

Direct:

" Schoolchildren from 50 schools in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (25 schools in each country)

Indirect:

" Teachers

" Parents

" Adult population in the area

3. Project geography:

" Republic of Tajikistan: trans-border districts of Sughd Region;

" Republic of Kyrgyzstan: trans-border districts of Batken, Osh and Jalalabad regions.

4. Project Duration: Three months

5. Problem Description:

One of the key program priorities for "Valley of Peace" Ferghana Valley NGO network is assistance in mobilizing the youth to solve the problems of Ferghana Valley. As part of this activity, the Network sets the following goals and objectives:

Goal: Fostering the spirit of tolerance and regional cooperation in the Ferghana Valley youth.

Objectives:

" Youth capacity building;

" Assistance in improving the relations among young people;

" Restoring and popularizing traditional cultural values among the youth.

For the last two years, the network has been working on the youth project "Ferghana Valley - our common home", covering 50 trans-border schools in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

During the first phase of the project, a contest for the best essay and drawing was conducted among schoolchildren from trans-border villages of Ferghana Valley, with the aim of mobilizing them to find solutions for strengthening good neighborly relations and friendship. The children drew and wrote about the world they would like to live in, about the things that inspire and make them happy or sad, things that confuse them, things they would like to bring to the attention of those grown-ups who deal with the Ferghana Valley issues. Through their essays and drawings, the children tried to show how it is possible to achieve peace and harmony, and how they think the Ferghana Valley should live in the future

During the second phase of the project, which is currently in progress, the schoolchildren are involved in the initiatives to develop cooperation, good neighborly relations and tolerance. The Network member organizations conduct the following work:

" Training the schoolchildren from 50 schools in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the basics of tolerance, leadership and non-violent methods of conflict resolution;

" Increasing the awareness of schoolchildren in the target schools about the situation in the Ferghana Valley, history and culture of Ferghana Valley nations, International Peace Day;

" Supporting implementation of the schoolchildren's initiatives through publishing school newspapers about the life of Ferghana Valley countries and the problems of peace and development;

" Assisting establishment of positive dialog and cooperation between schoolchildren in trans-border communities of Ferghana Valley.

A Summer Education Camp for schoolchildren in trans-border schools from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan was also conducted during the second phase of the project.

To start the new phase of the project, which will become a logical extension of the previous activities, we are planning to implement a grant program for the youth in target schools, so they can take part in resolving Ferghana Valley problems not just as passive observers, but could actively make decisions about choosing, explaining and resolving problems.

6. Project Goal: Assistance in mobilizing the youth to solve the problems of Ferghana Valley

7. Project objectives:

" Assisting implementation of schoolchildren's initiatives through a small grant program;

" Increasing the capacity of schoolchildren in target schools through writing and implementing projects

8. Description of activities:

8.1. Training schoolchildren in the target schools to write project applications and implement projects

Members of "Valley of Peace" NGO network will conduct a training for the students in target schools for writing project applications. Over one month, the schoolchildren will write project applications, supported and consulted by "Valley of Peace" Network members. The project application forms will be designed by the Network Secretariat. The completed applications will be presented at Pedagogical Council meetings at schools and to local residents who will be targeted by the project.

8.2. Grant program

As part of the grant project, a tender will be announced for submitting project applications by schoolchildren from target schools of the project.

Project application selection criteria:

Topics:

- Strengthening schoolchildren's involvement in the decision-making process on the current issues of the youth;

- Cooperation between schoolchildren, school administrations, departments of education in dealing with school issues;

- Strengthening the schoolchildren's involvement in building peace, good neighborly relations and cooperation;

- Developing the initiatives to propagate tolerance and reduce conflicts in the youth environment;

- Improving schoolchildren's access to information;

- Sports and cultural events, exchange of experiences between schoolchildren from Ferghana Valley countries.

Conditions:

- Only one project application can be submitted per school;

- The project duration should not exceed two months;

- Maximum grant size is 600 Euro.

Panel:

The panel for the competition will be composed of:

- DRC representative in Central Asia;

- A member of the Network Secretariat from Kyrgyzstan;

- A member of the Network Secretariat from Tajikistan.

Applications will be discussed and decisions made over the Internet.

8.3. Conducting a regional final youth meeting to exchange experience

The final regional meeting will be conducted for the most active project participants and the winners of the grant competition. At this meeting, schoolchildren from various districts of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be able to share their experiences of working with the projects, discuss common challenges and opportunities for working together in the youth Network. Children from Kyrgyzstan will be able to tell their Tajik counterparts about the operation of "school parliaments" in their country, how these bodies help resolve school-wide issues, what was the interaction between school parliaments and small grant projects, what the pros and cons are to the work of school parliaments.

8.4. Monitoring school projects and providing reports on small grant usage

Members of the "Valley of Peace" Network will monitor the implementation of school projects on-site, consult schoolchildren on any issues of interest and help prepare narrative and financial reports. Two reports will be submitted for each project: one during the first month and one final report.

8.5. Mass media - network members

" SM-1 (Tajikistan) prepares information materials based on the schoolchildren's work, to be shown on TV;

" MGM Media will assist in designing press release and will be responsible for information campaign as part of the project.

9. Expected outputs:

" The schoolchildren will acquire new project-writing skills and knowledge and hands-on experience of implementing projects;

" Public hearing on will be conducted on the projects, which will help identify the most significant issues for the schools and communities;

" Schoolchildren will be motivated to perform social work;

" Schoolchildren will become more involved in the decision-making processes on the current issues of the youth;

" The interaction and understanding between school administration and schoolchildren will increase;

" Schoolchildren will acquire leadership qualities, responsibility and ability to converse with their peers and grown-ups alike;

" The schoolchildren will become interested in resolving school issues;

" 10 school initiatives will be supported, in accordance with the general topics;

" "Valley of Peace" network members will improve their skills in preparing project proposals and conducting training;

" Information materials will be prepared and shown in information broadcasts on SM-1 TV;

" Ten press releases will be prepared and published in various mass media.

10. Operations sustainability (long-term effect of the project):

Grant program will help schoolchildren resolve the most urgent issues of their schools. The example set by small projects implemented by schoolchildren will help other students in these schools become involved in social activities. As a result, a new generation of children will grow up, learning from the example of their older fellow students.

The knowledge and experience gained while working on the projects will be used by schoolchildren in their future life. They will learn to set goals, plan their activities, be more responsible and punctual, which will be useful for them in life.

11. The strategy of monitoring project activities:

Network Secretariat will conduct the external monitoring of project implementation at schools by taking part in school events, studying secondary documents, surveying event participants. Monitoring will be conducted based on the project plan and logical framework. Monitoring results will be reflected in monitoring reports and secretariat reports, which will be presented to the Network partners, Coordination Council and the donors. The Secretariat will design the reports once every two months.

12. Project funding:

Project will mostly be funded the Danish Refugee Council.

13. Project action plan:

Project beginning

1. Training on writing project applications - January

2. Preparing project applications - January

Public hearing - January

3. Submitting projects for the competition (deadline) - February 5

4. Meeting of the grant pane - February 10

5. Implementation of the projects - February 15

6. Providing reports February, March, April

7. Conducting monitoring February, March, April

8. Final meeting