USAID AND ACCELS ANNOUNCE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURE

Dushanbe, July, 2009. The USAID Community Connections Program provides an important opportunity for people from the United States and Tajikistan to work together to address common professional challenges while expanding their social and cultural understanding.  As business and professional communities of both countries become more integrated, opportunities for positive relations between American people and the people from Tajikistan are increasingly important.

This program offers home stay-based, three-week practical training opportunities in the United States. Participants will observe how small and medium size agribusinesses are successfully managed in the U.S. and increase understanding for initiatives of the private-sector led industry standards such as in area of quality assurance, benefits of branding, calibration, processing, packaging and storing; determining pricing policies, identifying potential export markets, cooperation and lobbying of interests through legislators etc.

Candidates will be identified through a nationwide, open competition. Applications will be accepted from anyone who owns a small or medium size production/processing/storing/marketing/export agro businesses and active representatives of agro business associations.

The professional group will travel to the U.S. in November 2009.  All candidates should have experience working for the SME sector and live and work in Tajikistan.  Candidates should be able to demonstrate their commitment to improving the SME sector in Tajikistan.  English language is not required for this program. To be considered, the completed application form must be submitted no later than August 24, 2009.

Application forms can be received from our official website www.cc-car.org or requested by e-mail from Aziza Ernazarova at ccassist@americancouncils-tj.org
Also, applications can be obtained from the following addresses:

In Dushanbe:
American Councils, 
86 Tolstoy Str.
(37) 2212103/2211795

Consultation hours:
Monday - Friday
12:00 to 13:00  In Khujand:
Khujand Educational Centre,
183 A  Lenin Str.
(37) 2212103/2211795

Consultation hours:
August 10 and 15, 2009
from 10:00 to 15:00

For more detailed information call us at (992-37) 2212103; 2211795

Press Release in pdf format