Citizens Empowered Through Community Development Success
In the village of Yengiyan, Sheki, the winds of change are blowing. The village's Community Development Council (CDC) is promoting the welfare of its citizens while recruiting two nearby villages into the USAID Community Development Activity (CDA) program. To participate in the CDA program the villages of Gandakh and Kapanakchi submitted an Expression of Interest form to USAID implementing partner CHF. In anticipation of receiving approval to join USAID’s Community Development Acitivity (CDA) program, the nominated community leaders are participating in all events taking place in Yengiyan.
Yengiyan CDC is represented by a group of six men and six women. Within the CDC, there are two members under the age of 30 and one member serves both on the CDC and with the Yengiyan Municipality. The first project that the Yengiyan CDC completed was the extension of a pipeline for the village's water grid. This project provided the impetus to bring local Executive Committee (Regional Governor) and municipality together for its implementation. The new pipeline has helped to improve hygiene and save time for women of the village who were responsible for securing and transporting water for their families.
The CDC’s latest project is the construction of a medical clinic to be staffed with a medical doctor and three nurses to serve the community health needs. Yengiyan citizens’ appeal to the Regional government for the assignment of medical staff to the facility was successful and medical equipment was secured through Child Family Help International by Joshua Noonan, a local Peace Corps Volunteer.
At a recent community meeting attended by over 75 people, citizens expressed interest in sponsoring debates and meetings to find solutions to community problems. As this community moves to a new process level, 12 newly elected CDC members await training on methods for interacting more efficiently with government. The new CDC will continue an independent project – rehabilitation of the village hall – started by the outgoing CDC. As the meeting closed in the pre-Soviet designed community hall, people still determinedly debated ideas. It was a reminder that the democratic process can sometimes be messy, but it is through these means that CDA communities foster sustainable growth and positive change in Azerbaijan.
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| Jannatgul Alimammadova, an ordinary Azerbaijani citizen, participates in the Community Development Council re-election that was made possible through USAID’s Community Development Activity program in northern Azerbaijan |
Abbas Gasymov, a skilled Azerbaijani tradesman works on the foundation of the new Yengiyan medical clinic |
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