Turkmenistan 

Sustainable Civil Society Organizations  

First success 

The start up of any public organization brings a number of problems and issues such as financial 

sustainability and professional growth. The Lebap CSSC provides information, including news 

postings by e mail, about donors agencies, conferences and activities of international organizations. 

To find appropriate information, the Center's volunteers communicate with organizations from 

around the world.  As such, they were invited by organizers to attend the Summer School of Great 

Britain. Volunteers from 50 countries will attend this event to exchange experience. By joint attempts 

of Lebap CSSC staff and volunteers a project application was developed and the Embassy of Great 

Britain approved the proposal with $1,950 to finance a trip for two volunteers to attend the Summer 

School. Also part of the proposal was the purchase of a video camera to develop a video to document 

the activities of the volunteers and local NGOs to present at the Summer School and to document the 

Summer School to present to Lebap organizations. 

Major Achievement of Junior Achievement in Turkmenistan 

It was difficult to present an example of participating of local Turkmen NGOs members in Advisory 

Board of International Organization till present time.  Junior Achievement  of Turkmenistan is one of 

the main developed and the functioning organization in Turkmenistan. 25 people (mainly teachers and 

trainers) are the members of the organization and about 8 people are the volunteers of the NGOs. The 

NGO`s mission is  to contribute transformation in market economy of Turkmenistan through local 

NGOs and youth generation educating in marketing, market economy and business planning.  Junior 

Achievement  is the target NGO of Counterpart Turkmenistan from 2000 year and from 1998 

acquires services from Counterpart Turkmenistan in such areas as consultations, grants, information, 

and training.  The leader of NGO is an experienced contract trainer in conducting about 10 CT 

training modules from 1998 and participated in CT regional trainings as: Facilitation Skills 

Development and Financial Management. This year when  Junior Achievement International  

conducted annual selection of 16 members for National Advisor Board worldwide, the leader of NGO 

 Junior Acheivemet  from Turkmenistan along with 2 other Asia countries representatives (from 

Shri Lanka and from China) were identified for being a member.  It is a big achievement of   Junior 

Achievement  and its leader Ayna Bayramova. Participation in the National Advisor Board's 

meetings will let to learn international experience and will introduce new technology in 

Turkmenistan, those would strengthen further sustainability of organization.  

Our sustainability   in our hands. 

One of the main problems of NGOs in Turkmenistan is the financial sustainability, which extensively 

depends on lack of knowledge on this issue.  To improve the situation, Counterpart Turkmenistan 

(CT) regularly conducts training for NGOs on  Project Design  and  Fundraising .  As a result, many 

of local NGOs expand their activity through making subsidiary products, those help them to cover 

current NGO's expenditures and independently finance various activities for NGO's targets. For 

example, CT target   NGO  ARMA , receiving consultation, technical and informational support 

form CT, developed project on opening laundry and got a grant from Netherlands Embassy. Providing 

chargeable services for population, organization became able to pay for office rent and to cover other 

current expenses. NGO  ARMA  renewed conducting various activities for pensioners and then, 

therefore appeared opportunity for conducting new training for pensioners. In particular, was 

conducted a seminar on basic computer literacy for member of NGO   pensioners, have opportunity 

to receive services of laundry on preferential terms. Quantity of pensioners, who received services of 

laundry, consists of 40% from total amount of laundry clients. 

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