The economic mainstay of the region is increasing but very low productivity livestock. Beside livestock, fodder, potatoes, fruit and vegetable production create some seasonal jobs. Lack of business prospects and increasing unemployment pushed young men from Alai and Chon Alai to search for better perspectives in other regions of Kyrgyzstan or abroad. These districts have one of the least industrial outputs in Kyrgyzstan with limited access to government services and to donor aid. This is why the present project shall contribute to the creation of employment in the Southern region of Alay and Chon Alay through the sustainable expansion and diversification of businesses to ensure economic growth, supporting transition processes and hence contributing to reducing tensions.

The project vision is that poverty in Alai and Chon Alai is reduced, in particular for women and youth, thus diminishing rural-urban inequalities and giving youth a more positive perception of a future for them in the region. The Project overall objective is to reduce poverty by re-orientating livestock farming towards farming entrepreneurship and by fostering local business initiatives. The project approach is to boost development of Small and Medium Enterprises (formal and informal) through improved functionality of existing value chains with stronger focus on livestock processing. It follows a “Making markets work for the Poor” (M4P) approach.

• Rural population of both districts, especially Women and Youth
• Innovative and dynamic leading private entrepreneurs, investors
• All other micro and small business enterprises (formal and informal)
• Diversified service providers and Market regulators: associations of the Business and Local self-governments, representations of the national governments, developers of standards and others 

• Increased entrepreneurship of selected livestock farming generates additional employment and income
• Local small and medium enterprises generate increased employment and income
• Project stakeholders are aware of systemic constraints and of the steps that are needed at policy and market level to support SME development in Alai and Chon-Alai 

Risultati fasi precedenti:  

The findings of the inception phase have overall confirmed the project orientations suggested in the technical proposal and preparatory studies. Pre-selected subsectors have been reviewed through an assessment based on a series of criteria relating to sustainable market demand, potential for high employment and income generating, in particular for youth and women, and conflict reduction potential, which led to the exclusion, or at least, postponement of the less promising ones. CSPM strategy has been developed, and the conflict sensitivity of the proposed interventions has been reviewed.

Fase 1 01.05.2014 - 31.05.2018   (Completed)