
Community multimedia centers created in remote areas of Kyrgyzstan significantly widened the themes of publications. Currently, rural correspondents write about local life, about different events, people and talents of the village.
Recently volunteers of Uchkun village wrote about 78-year-old Ms. Salia apa, which found her lost lamb via Twitter. Searching for lost domestic animals with the help of Twitter has become common practice in this village. Community Media correspondents from Toktoyan village wrote about Mr. Ernis Ymanov, who reequipped minibus to use it as bath. This innovation was invented especially for those who move to mountains during summer time for looking after the cattle. “There is no condition for people to maintain hygiene in mountains. I came up with the idea to create a mobile bathhouse in minibus. The price is 80 som (1.5 USD) for adults and 50 som (0.9 USD) for children. Everybody was thankful about my mobile bath”- says Ernis Ymanov. Young journalists from Kyzyl-Bulak village wrote about illuminating lights established on the streets of their village.
It should be noted that in comparison with previous years the content of the materials have become more positive. For example, young journalists write materials about English courses created in their villages, about guarding water sources to safe drinking water from pollution, about building bridges, roads, creating digital libraries, creative teams. As well as rural correspondents started to write about life, thoughts and desires of young talents, and just about life of local people.

“Multimedia center has made a great innovation in our village in terms of information. All announcements, news of our village’s management distributed through loud speakers. It is very convenient and efficient. I notice how our young people involved in this process with great interest. They write about the challenges and contribute for its solution”– said Mr. Turdukulov Erkin, the head of the Mogol Aiyl Aimag (district consists of several villages in Jalal-Abad oblast).
Community multimedia centers have been established in remote rural areas of all 7 regions of Kyrgyzstan with the support of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty.
Representatives of Community multimedia centers took part in series of training sessions on creation news, interviews, articles, posting materials in website using mobile phone during last 3 years. The main purpose of creation, training, and supporting the development of Community multimedia centers was developing the standard of local population’s life through improving cooperation of people with the local authorities, as well as through developing their civic thinking. Media Workers’ Trade Union of the KR, with the support of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty, conducted series of trainings for 229 volunteers of 8 Community multimedia centers on civic journalism, on creation journalistic materials, on labor rights and activity of trade unions as a means of protection labor and professional rights.
The Project on Operationalization Good Governance for Social Justice was launched in October 2011 and will continue during 36 months till October 2014. The goal of the project is to boost the realization of the civil right to public services, especially for vulnerable groups of people – women, youth and children of 30 villages in 7 provinces of Kyrgyzstan. UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Women and UNESCO support this project. The European Union provides financial support of this project together with the above-mentioned UN agencies.
07.10.14