Samed Vurgun Community, Agjabedi, Azerbaijan:
Self-Reliance Built Through USAID Support
The past fifteen years have been a very challenging time
for the people of Azerbaijan. Located between Russia and
Iran in the heart of the Caucasus region, the country has
long been a crossroads of commerce and culture. Shortly after
gaining independence from the Soviet Union in October 1991,
Azerbaijan was soon drawn into a devastating three-year territorial
conflict with neighboring Armenia over Nagorno Garabagh,
a mountainous region in the west of the country. When hostilities
ceased in early 1994, Armenian forces occupied Nagorno-Karabagh
and a wide swath of surrounding area, accounting for nearly
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory.
Throughout the course of the war, approximately 800,000
ethnic Azeris became internally displaced (IDPs) approximately
150,000 of which sought refuge in temporary camps in regions
along the occupied territory that now forms Azerbaijan’s “IDP
belt.” The sheer number of IDPs constituted one of
the gravest humanitarian crises of the post-Soviet era. The
makeshift shelters that IDPs fled to were as rudimentary
as abandoned railway cars or earthen dugouts, hastily constructed
to fend off the harsh climate. With the country’s infrastructure
and economy shattered from the breakdown of the Soviet Union,
the Azeri government’s ability to respond to the situation
was severely compromised. Most IDPs relied heavily on the
support of international aid organizations for temporary
shelter, food and health services in the years immediately
following the conflict.
As the country stabilizes and the humanitarian crisis subsides,
the international community has increasingly focused on transitioning
assistance from relief to more sustainable development practices
in Azerbaijan’s conflict-affected areas. The United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) is leading
this transition through supporting more integration of displaced
populations within their local community and strengthening
the overall self-reliance of conflict-affected communities.
USAID-funded programs, such as CHF International’s
Social Investment Initiative (SII), is creating opportunities
for conflict-affected communities that are taking the lead
in their local development and playing an active role on
rebuilding their country. The experience of Samed Vurgun,
a rural community in a conflict-affected district of Agjabedi,
illustrates how communities are successfully developing along
the path of greater self-reliance through the support of
USAID-funded programs and organizations such as CHF.
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Local
officials cut a ribbon marking the start of the project |
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E&E
Chief of Staff Brock Bierman puts a USAID pin on a local
child's shirt |
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The
Samed Vurgun Community's school poses health risks |
Following the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, the inhabitants
of Samed Vurgun faced many difficulties typical of villages
throughout the region. Their population had grown suddenly,
from 3,075 to 3,600, as more than 500 IDPs had sought shelter
in the village. Simultaneously, critical infrastructure systems
had deteriorated. The community’s water and energy
supplies were far from adequate. Their schools and medical
clinic had fallen into disrepair, and local roads were in
poor condition. Despite the enormity of the challenges they
faced, working as a community Samed Vurgun showed remarkable
initiative in improving their situation.
In 1998, Samed Vurgun democratically formed a representative
community management council for the purpose of identifying
priorities, mobilizing resources and addressing their priorities.
Samed Vurgun also proactively engaged a number of international
and local organizations to assist them in addressing their
development priorities. Most significantly, Samed Vurgun
used their skills and experience to implement several community
development projects on their own, including the installation
of a badly needed potable water supply system, the disposal
of accumulated hazardous wastes and the repair of major roads
within the village.
Following the successful implementation of these community-managed
projects, they were a perfect applicant for CHF’s demand-driven
SII program in 2001. Samed Vurgun’s high level of initiative,
capacity and commitment enabled the community to meet the
significant community investment requirements of SII and
address some of their larger priority projects, such as the
expansion of their electricity supply and school rehabilitation.
From the beginning, Samed Vurgun has been one of the most
vigorous of CHF’s partner communities. In rehabilitating
their electrical supply through the SII, they demonstrated
commendable teamwork and strong relationships between the
local and internally displaced populations. They exceeded
the in-cash community contribution requirement of five percent,
providing more than three times the necessary amount. Community
members effectively mobilized their internal resources, providing
the labor to install four transformers and completing the
project a week ahead of schedule. Residents now have a reliable
energy source with which to heat their homes and cook. The
incidence of disease in the community has declined remarkably,
especially during the cold winter months. Local businesses,
such as a photo studio, a carpentry shop, and a car repair
workshop, have all become more economically viable.
More Than A Construction Project
“Before the times of recent hardship, our community was proud
of our school’s reputation. It offered one of the highest quality educations
in the region. With the completion of this project, we will be one more step
towards reclaiming that pride and once again offering the children of our region
the hope of a bright future.”
-Mammad Gadimov,
Samed Vurgun Community Leader |
Samed Vurgun is a leading community in Azerbaijan. It is
one of the few communities to be selected to implement a
second project with CHF’s SII program and meet even
higher community investment requirements of 30% towards the
project, 10% of which must be made in cash. Samed Vurgun
prioritized the rehabilitation of their secondary school
for their second project with SII. The roof currently leaks
and most of the windows and doors are broken, preventing
students from attending classes and posing health risks due
to damp and mold. Some IDPs are still seeking shelter in
some of parts of the school.
When the community was interviewed on the project’s
status, they noted that a major challenge related to the
project’s successful implementation is the safe disposal
of the existing asbestos roofing. The designated community
engineer, Nadir Ismayilov, thinks that the environmental
awareness training offered through the program has made the
community aware of this issue and prepared them on how to
deal with it.
After addressing immediate social priorities, Samed Vurgun
began to focus on ways to sustain their social investments
by increasing economic opportunity within their community.
Small business owners and farmers signed up for fee-based
business development services offered through USAID-funded
programs. Using the skills acquired through these services,
Samed Vurgun intends to establish a milk-processing unit.
In addition to improving the situation of their own community,
Samed Vurgun has shared its experiences with other communities.
Using lessons and materials from the SII program, they trained
several neighboring communities on how to organize themselves
and establish community funds.
Through USAID support and CHF’s SII program that promotes
a “can-do” spirit, Samed Vurgun has moved beyond
being merely a recipient of international development; they
have become active catalysts of development, promoting progress
and demonstrating effective community leadership within the
conflict-affected regions. One of the greatest hopes for
local development in Azerbaijan lies in the fact that they
are not alone. Samed Vurgun is only one outstanding example
of the many communities who, through partnerships with CHF
and other USAID-funded programs, have greatly increased their
capacity to realize a sustainable future for the Azeri people,
one community at a time.
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