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The Little Earth provides 20 solar-powered equipment sets to mountain families in Tajikistan

14.08.2023

The Little Earth, a member of the Mountain Partnership, provided 20 sets of solar-powered equipment to vulnerable mountain families in villages of the Yaghnob Valley, Tajikistan, on the eve of the Idi Kurbon holiday in June. The recipients included 20 women participating in the project "Sustainable use of natural resources and women's participation in the mountain communities of Yaghnob". The equipment will benefit them and their families, counting over 100 people in total.

Villages in the Yaghnob Valley are not connected to the central power grid. In some villages, there are small hydroelectric power stations that only produce enough power for basic lighting. Residents use coal, firewood and dried manure for cooking and heating. The donated solar-powered devices will help the families to reduce their need for fuel, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving the families' budgets, and reducing the negative impact on the environment.

The Little Earth's initiatives to introduce energy-efficient equipment and devices are of particular importance given that the villages in Yaghnob are located in the territory of the national natural and ethnographic park created in 2019.

"Our trip was postponed several times due to problems with the only road that can get to the valley. There was still a lot of snow in the spring, so the road was closed for a long time. Closer to summer, several large avalanches and rockfalls descended here. We again had to wait until the road was cleared using heavy construction equipment. Only at the end of [June] were we able to reach our target communities," said Anton Tymoshenko, executive director of the Little Earth.
Each of the sets of equipment donated to the women includes a parabolic solar kitchen, a solar lighting system with three tube lamps, and a USB port for charging devices and a pressure cooker. As a bonus, all project participants also received thermoses.

"Solar kitchens allow you to cook food and boil water using a clean, renewable and free source of energy: the sun. They are easy to use, durable, and smokeless, so there is no need to scrape soot from the dishes. New solar lighting systems will allow residents to give up candles and kerosene lamps, making life safer and brighter," explained Timur Idrisov, senior advisor at the Little Earth.

Employees of the Little Earth carefully demonstrated how to use the equipment, explaining in detail how to use the devices safely and correctly. All participants received short operating instructions in Tajik and Russian.

"We have been waiting for this equipment for a long time. In neighbouring villages, the Little Earth has already distributed solar kitchens, solar powered lanterns, and pressure cookers. I have seen how our friends use these devices and heard from them that they are very efficient and save fuel. Now we have similar devices. I hope they will make our life easier," said Atoeva Savri, a project participant from Makhtimain village.

The project "Sustainable management of natural resources and the participation of women in the mountain communities of Yagnob" is supported by the Swedish association Forum-CIV and implemented with the assistance of the Swedish partner Centralasiengrupperna.

News and photo by the Little Earth