On 7 May 2018, DVV International launched a vocational course in the male prison in Yavan. With the support of the Institute and its partners, training facilities and workshops were rehabilitated, and modern equipment was installed.
From now on, prisoners can attend vocational training courses in carpentry and welding. This will help them to gain new knowledge and skills, and offers them new prospects for life after release from prison.
The official opening ceremony in the prison was attended by H.E. Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Neithart Höfer-Wissing, by the Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, Maciej Adam Madalinski, and by DVV International’s Regional Director for Central Asia, Levan Kvatchadze.
During the visit, officials were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Justice/Head of the Penal Execution Department, General Lieutenant Izzatullo Sharifzoda, and by the Governor of the Male Prison in Yavan, Deputy Colonel Dilshod Safarov. Government officials praised the contribution made by the European Union and the German Government in providing access to education for prisoners. They stressed the timeliness and relevance of the project’s activities to the current needs of the country in general, and to those of the target group in particular. The visit included site visits to the training facilities that had been rehabilitated, as well as informal discussions with the male prisoners/attendees at vocational courses that had been launched at the male prison.
The project on “Human Rights Protection for Prisoners and Ex-prisoners in Tajikistan” is implemented by DVV International together with two local NGOs, the “Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law” and “Jahon”. The two-year project supports 450 prisoners at penal institutions in Nurek and Yavan, as well as over 800 ex-prisoners in ten cities and district centres of Tajikistan.
The project contributes to the implementation of prisoners’ social and economic rights by offering them education activities within prisons. It also provides support for ex-prisoners through social reintegration consultations and referral services.