Hilfswerk International in Central Asia began its work in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2001, after the events of September 11. The main office of Hilfswerk International in Vienna then decided to provide humanitarian aid to the population of Afghanistan, where active military actions had begun. Since direct work in Afghanistan was complicated due to difficult logistics, an office in Tajikistan was opened, through which support was provided to Afghanistan and, simultaneously, projects were implemented within Tajikistan itself.
From the first days of work, the representative office of Hilfswerk International in Central Asia launched projects aimed at social support and economic development, establishing close cooperation with government agencies and local non-governmental organizations, and actively helping the population overcome the consequences of natural disasters.
Starting in 2008, Hilfswerk International in Central Asia expanded its activities, starting to implement projects in the field of economic development in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and subsequently involving Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. All projects are part of Hilfswerk International’s comprehensive program for Central Asia, the main goal of which is to support the integration of the countries in the region into global trade. Over the past 15 years, the organization has managed to build a broad partner network and established strong ties with government agencies, universities, and other key players in the region. The projects of Hilfswerk International in Central Asia cover the following groups of beneficiaries:
- business communities: small and medium enterprises, exporters, industry associations, consulting companies
- education sector: universities and research institutes
- government bodies
- other stakeholders
