[K-ODA On-site in] ① “Rakmat Kareya”… Streetlights Lighting Up Mountain Village, Planting Hope

[K-ODA On-site in] ① Kyrgyzstan Osh Zulusoo
KOICA Support Enables Installation of 80 Streetlights
Expansion of ODA Based on Resident Independence and Voluntary Participation

"Karea (Korea)! Rakhmat (Thank you)!"

Arriving at Julusu village in Alai district after driving 76 km on an unpaved road southwest from Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. The villagers, wearing the traditional Kyrgyz hat Kalpak and living by livestock farming, beekeeping, and hot spring businesses, welcomed the press on the 11th of this month (local time).

"Thanks to the streetlights built by the Korean government, the village has become bright. Now, the elders don't have to turn on flashlights when going to the Islamic mosque." - Kalbu Primkulova, Julusu village resident (57 years old)

Julusu village, at an altitude of 1,907 meters, is a mountainous area where the perennial snow of the Alai Mountains, branching from the Tianshan mountain range, can be seen all year round. Although the ridge of the Tianshan Plateau, meaning "Mountain of the Sky," is spectacular, there is no farmland and many steep mountains, so nomadism, livestock farming, and tourism are the only means of livelihood.

Residents of Julusu Village, Alai County, Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan, met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press team on the 11th (local time). Julusu Village, selected as a pilot site for KOICA's Saemaul Foundation regional development project, is a model case chosen as a 'self-reliant village' due to the residents' voluntary will and active participation, ranging from basic environmental improvements to expanding production infrastructure and increasing farm income. [Joint Press Corps of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Osh)]

In winter, the sun sets by 5:30 PM. Although it is a small village with 695 residents (145 households), the biggest problem was the lack of government budget to install streetlights along the main road. Traffic accidents occurred every year. Although the speed limit of 40 km/h must be observed in front of the school, many vehicles violated the speed regulations. Four years ago, a second-grade female student in this area was hit by a car and had to be transported to a distant hospital.

In response, KOICA collaborated with the district government to install 80 streetlights over a 3 km section of the highway. The district government's budget was far from sufficient, and this foundational project gained momentum. KOICA contributed 1,742,500 soms and the village's own contribution was 43,940 soms. After seven community meetings, a total budget of 1,786,440 soms was raised to install the streetlights.

Streetlights installed in Julusu Village, Gulcho-myeon, Alai-gun, Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan, on the 11th (local time). Due to the village's location right next to the highway, traffic accidents were frequent. With a budget from KOICA and Good Neighbors, 75 streetlights were installed, and 5 more were installed with the township government budget, totaling 80 streetlights over a 3km section. [Joint coverage by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Osh)]

The residents were delighted that the village became brighter thanks to KOICA. Akynai Mendibayeva (15), a middle school student, smiled and said, "Now I can walk at night. It's not scary." Sultanbek Karishov, deputy head of Gulcho district government (54), said, "Besides KOICA, the district government installed five additional streetlights with its own budget. Now our district government will take responsibility for maintenance and management."

KOICA 'Saemaul Regional Development Pilot Project'... Emphasis on Village Self-Reliance and Voluntary Participation

From December 2018 to September last year, KOICA, together with Good Neighbors, designated a total of 30 villages in Chui, Osh, and Batken provinces as 'Saemaul-based Regional Development Pilot Project' areas. They carried out projects related to drinking water, health, construction, and village road maintenance. Among these, nine villages with good project outcomes and high resident satisfaction were selected as pilot villages. Julusu village is one of them. Jobs diversified beyond livestock farming, and village infrastructure began to emerge. After community meetings including the district head, village project leaders, and parents, they requested support from KOICA.

Kyrgyzstan's K-ODA focuses on 'community-led development' and 'contributing to self-reliance.' Without deep communication with the recipient country, unilateral free aid from the donor country cannot be effective nor lead to self-reliance. Customized ODA that 'scratches the itchy spots' of the recipient country through village burden-sharing and participation is necessary.

In this regard, among the five Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), Kyrgyzstan, which has a higher level of democratic maturity and a favorable attitude toward Korea, showed a high project success rate. This is due to the voluntary decision-making, self-contribution, and goal-setting support method of the villagers. Since its establishment in 2015, the KOICA office has supported a total of 70.77 million USD (about 7.82 million USD annually) until last year.

Ji Yoon-geun, deputy director of KOICA Kyrgyzstan office, said, "In rural development projects, we approach in a way that can improve the quality of life of local residents," adding, "Participatory decision-making naturally increases affection for project outcomes. We provide guidelines so that residents can make decisions directly." Jeon Hong-su, head of Good Neighbors Kyrgyzstan branch, said, "The self-reliance will and desire of local residents, and gathering and participating in those desires, is the greatest driving force of ODA projects."

Another project settled in Julusu village is beekeeping. On the mid-slope of the mountain entrance of Julusu village, beehives with numbered tags were placed under apple and apricot trees. The beehives and fences were built with a total budget of 2,623,400 soms, combining KOICA support funds of 2,453,400 soms and district government contribution of 170,000 soms. After 13 meetings among residents, they judged that beekeeping was suitable to increase farm income and requested support from KOICA. They also established a system to sell honey in the market with vacuum packaging facilities. Currently, nine residents are responsible for managing and operating the village beekeeping facilities.

On the 11th (local time), a beekeeping facility located in Julusu Village, Gulcho-myeon, Alai-gun, Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan. As part of the first phase of the basic environment improvement project, streetlights were installed, and through the project implementation evaluation, the second phase production infrastructure expansion project was carried out, establishing the long-awaited beekeeping business for the village residents. [Joint coverage by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press team (Osh)]

Aklbek Zhapanoov (33), an operating committee member of this project, said, "I worked as a computer programmer in Russia but recently returned to my hometown. I am happy to be able to earn money through beekeeping where my parents and wife live." He also introduced, "We plan to promote and sell the beekeeping business through Instagram and TikTok."

The beekeeping business is currently priced at 3.5 USD per kilogram. Last year, they produced 1 ton, and this year, 3 tons are expected.

On the 11th (local time), a honey packaging facility located in Julusu Village, Gulcho-myeon, Alai-gun, Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan. As part of the first phase of the basic environment improvement project, streetlights were installed, and through the project implementation evaluation, a beekeeping project, a long-standing wish of the villagers, was established as the second phase production base expansion project. After the second phase project produced excellent results, the third phase, the farm income increase project, was carried out, and the honey packaging facility was installed. [Joint coverage by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press team (Osh)]

Kyrgyzstan Government: "Korean Experience is Valuable... Results Seen in Field-Oriented ODA"

The Kyrgyzstan government is also responding to recipient country-customized ODA. Begimai Toktobayeva, director of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, said in an interview with the press on the 10th, "Through the Saemaul Movement project conducted by KOICA, we could see and confirm that villagers realized and operated the project themselves," adding, "KOICA's sharing of experience, building and improving field infrastructure, and educating locals were greatly helpful." Kanat Abdrakhmanov, deputy minister of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, said, "Since our country is going through the stages Korea went through 30 to 40 years ago, Korea's experience is very important," and "The top priority projects now are agriculture, digital, and public administration sectors, and we want to steadily expand cooperation in the future."

On the 10th, Kanat Abdrakhmanov, Deputy Minister of Economic and Commercial Affairs, interviewed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs joint press corps [Ministry of Foreign Affairs joint press corps (Osh)] Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs joint press corps