There were four of us, UNV Interns, at the Sub-Regional Retreat organized in the summer of 2007 by the UNV country offices in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. We had a retreat recently, and it was a wonderful experience. We had the possibility to get to know the realities in these three countries, to bond and feel like ONE Central Asia Team and to enjoy the glorious scenario of Issyk-Kul lake, in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

For us, it was the perfect occasion to share our feelings and experiences and to compare how each succeeded in adapting to a completely new working and living reality. We discussed similarities and differences of the three Central Asian countries and compared our UNV experiences, which we found very different among each other, though  equally challenging and important in the personal growth of all of us. Read

Bonn, Germany: In 2006, over 7,500 UNV volunteers supported communities, non-governmental and civil society organizations as well as governments all over the world to foster sustainable development. In more than 140 countries, UNV volunteers, the majority of whom hail from developing countries themselves, worked in key areas such as poverty reduction, crisis recovery, elections support, governance and HIV/AIDS. Read

Bonn, Germany: In 1996, Kyrgyzstan was the last country in the world to be removed from the World Health Organization’s list of countries considered HIV free. Read

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstani youth are the focus of a new project launched today in the country’s capital aimed at increasing their participation in activities to improve their social conditions within the country. Funded by the Japanese Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan, the two-year UNV Youth Volunteerism Project will be carried out in all seven of the country’s provinces, reaching an estimated 1,400 youth participants. Read

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev has presented national UN Volunteer Maluda Tynaeva with the "Dank" award, Kyrgyzstan's highest state medal given to nationals and foreigners who have excelled in public service and have made substantial contributions to the country's development efforts. Read