Who is Friends of Kyrgyzstan?
Friends of Kyrgyzstan is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in New York State comprised of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Kyrgyzstan.
The Friends of Kyrgyzstan network exists to:
- Facilitate communication among members of Friends of Kyrgyzstan and promote exchange of information relevant to the organization’s objectives
- Respond to requests (or needs) for information about Kyrgyzstan
- Facilitate the sharing and exchange of ideas, activities, materials, resources and expertise among members and other interested parties
- Promote interest in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia
- Represent the Peace Corps experience and support the continual learning of members in areas related to the culture, country and development of Kyrgyzstan
- Promote and facilitate projects members undertake in accordance with the objectives of the group
- In accordance with our mission, Friends of Kyrgyzstan seeks to support current volunteers in their service to further develop Kyrgyzstan.
Friends of Kyrgyzstan Volunteer Sponsorship Grant
Friends of Kyrgyzstan is calling all currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers in Kyrgyzstan to apply to the Friends of Kyrgyzstan Volunteer Sponsorship Grant.
The Friends of Kyrgyzstan Sponsorship Grant is supported by private donations made by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and other donors.
Friends of Kyrgyzstan hopes to provide more Peace Corps volunteers in Kyrgyzstan with more opportunities to access grants and to share these experiences amongst members and other interested parties. Grant funding will focus on projects that improve the volunteer’s local community. Special focus will be placed on projects that impact a large number of people, create sustainable impact, and can demonstrate a perceived need and local support.
Projects may be funded by a Friends of Kyrgyzstan Volunteer Sponsorship Grant in amounts up $500. Grant Proposals should be submitted to friendsofkyrgyzstan@yahoo.com by August 31, 2016. All questions may also be directed at friendsofkyrgyzstan@gmail.com by August 31, 2016.
Grant must include the following:
Cover Sheet including:
- Name
- Site
- Contact info. (Email, Physical Address if Applicable)
- Project Name
- Project Description
- Project Timeline
- Amount requested
Grant Proposal Including:
- Executive summary (1 paragraph long)
- Description of need/problem to be solved with grant
- Goals that will be achieved
- Proposed deliverables
- Credentials and names of those involved in overseeing the project (volunteer, counterpart, etc.)
- Describe your plan for either continuing your project or closing out your grant in the unexpected case of evacuation or change of permanent site
- Budget
- Budget narrative (optional/include if further explanation of budget line items is needed)
The grant should not exceed 5 pages including cover page and budget.
Grants will be reviewed by the Friends of Kyrgyzstan Board and recipients will be notified by September 30.
Please note: Volunteers with active grants at the time of COS will be required to notify Friends of Kyrgyzstan of their upcoming departure two months in advance. At this time, they will be expected to furnish Friends of Kyrgyzstan with a progress report on their grant project. If Friends of Kyrgyzstan deems the project has met all the goals stated in the proposal, we will officially close the grant and consider it successfully completed. If, however, the project is not completed at the time of a volunteer’s COS and not all the funds have not been spent, the volunteer must provide Friends of Kyrgyzstan with a plan as to who will continue the work after they have left. This person will be responsible for continuously communicating with Friends of Kyrgyzstan until the project has successfully finished. Ultimately, volunteers who have not spent all their grant funds will be required to return unspent money to Friends of Kyrgyzstan, along with a project report recapping what was accomplished with spent funds and a reason why there is unspent grant money along with a description of what was not completed as a result.
Download Grant Application Download Grant Report Form
Past Grants
Thank you to all who have let us be part of your projects.
| Project | Volunteer Name | Amount Granted | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Renovation Project (2005) | Tammi Spicer | $500 | This is a description |
| Kind Family Children Home Farm Equipment Purchase (2007) | Brenda Parker | $500 | The project was for the purchase of farm equipment for an orphanage so they could grown subsistence crops. |
| Talas Tractor Project (2009) | John Cervetto | $1000 | Talas is the bean cultivation kingdom of Kyrgyzstan. Bean are referred to by the locals as Ak Altin (white gold). The school owns 3.5 hectares of land but has no means to develop it for bean cultivation. The school needs a tractor, trailer, and plough to raise beans and then use the profits to purchase staples such as soap, lightbulbs, and medicine. The tractor will also be rented to community members and proceeds from that will be used to for fuel and maintanece of the tractor. |
| Training for Trainers (2012) | Meghan O'Connell | $755.83 | There will be two ToTs this fall, both for 20 PCV/CP teams, one will train the trainers in how to conduct a nutrition club for young women/new moms. The second will focus on the same target audience, but train the trainers how to hold fitness clubs in their communities. Ideally, this will turn into an annual series of trainings. To kick off the first year of the Fitness Education ToT, the third day of the training will be a 5k/10k race at the Cholpon-Ata Hippodrome to raise awareness about the importance of physical fitness in maintaining healthy lifestyles. JICA recently held an international friendship marathon in Cholpon-Ata and the local turnout was impressive. We're hoping to have the same success, though on a smaller scale, with our run! |
| Grozd Village School and Community fitness Room (2015) | John Amanda | $2000 | Renovated a classroom as a gym space for women and children |
| Caravan of Knowledge (2015) | Kelly Oberlin | $ | Business, financial, and employability training for youth ages 14 to 27 - the trainings are going to be offered in various locations throughout Kyrgyzstan. |
| Arashan Project (2015) | Sterling Garnett | $ | Grant will pay for new oxford family and friends text books for students as well as teach training. |
| Medical supplies (baby scale) (2015) | Stephanie Wolodkin | $500 | Providing new clean bedding/blankets for medical center as well as a new baby scale |
| Mental Health Training and working with students with disabilities. (2016) | Allysa Schmirler | $600 | Teach basic mental health and counseling techniques incluing active listening, confidentiality, and conflict resolution. The courses will also teach basics of helping students with disabilities. |
| Teacher Resources in Kochkor (2016) | DeAnna Heindel | $500 | Kochkor Raiono Methodology Center will purchase print resources and a color printer to better disseminate materials. |