Mid Year Report Fiscal Year 2009

EFN consists of four local foundations in Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Ukraine that work in partnership with the U.S. foundation. In the first half of the 2009 fiscal year, EFN continued to support projects ranging from Tajik-Afghan trade initiatives to small business development in Belarus, to economic reform at the municipal level in Russia. Working with local citizens and institutions, Network partners improve the lives of citizens at the grassroots level by helping small businesses to succeed, local governments to become more responsive, and enabling a budding middle class to emerge. The Network partners with local NGOs to build their capacity and sustainability, serving as coalition builders to engage NGOs in developing consolidated positions on issues affecting their citizens. In Moldova, the Eurasia Foundation won an award of more than $180,000 from the European Commission to support balanced electoral information before and after the 2009 parliamentary elections. In Armenia, the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia received $162,000 from a local cell phone company, a contribution that underscores the foundation's leading role in the region's tradition of corporate social responsibility. In Ukraine, the East Europe Foundation has focused on four key program areas and has more than 30 active donors. The Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia has been building ties between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in the spheres of trade, education, and culture. In 2008, 15 teachers from Afghanistan received training in primary school teaching methods at the Tajik State Pedagogical University. All of the teachers, who represented schools from different parts of Balkh province, are now using the new methodologies of teaching at their schools. The Network has the experience and infrastructure to unleash the creativity of citizens throughout the region and to mobilize the finances necessary to advance their aspirations. With the continued support of partners, friends, and the US Government, the Network will continue to link the citizens of Eurasia with Americans and others around the world and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the Eurasia region for many years to come. The Network has raised and leveraged over $3.5 million from non-US government sources in the first half of fiscal year 2009, with a goal of continuing to attract non-US government funds despite the current global economic crisis. In Ukraine, the East Europe Foundation has implemented the Municipal Partnerships for Better Energy Use program, providing more than 100 entrepreneurs, local governing bodies, and households with consultations on solar power equipment. The project also facilitated the creation of a unique training center for renewable energy technologies in the Vinnytsia Oblast, demonstrating 15-25% savings in the community's energy supply budget. In Moldova and Belarus, Eurasia Foundation programs are leaders in their fields, with the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections monitoring the election process and providing essential support to government institutions implementing the process.