Skip to main content

Eurasianet

Main Menu

  • Regions
  • Topics
  • Media
  • About
  • Search
  • Newsletter
  • русский
  • Support us
X

Caucasus

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia

Central Asia

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan

Conflict Zones

Abkhazia
Nagorno Karabakh
South Ossetia

Eastern Europe

Belarus
Moldova
Russia
The Baltics
Ukraine

Eurasian Fringe

Afghanistan
China
EU
Iran
Mongolia
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
X

Environment

Economy

Politics

Kazakhstan's Bloody January 2022
Kyrgyzstan 2020 unrest

Security

Society

American diplomats in Central Asia
Arts and Culture
Coronavirus
Student spotlight
X

Visual Stories

Podcast
Video

Blogs

Tamada Tales
The Bug Pit

Podcasts

EurasiaChat
Expert Opinions
The Central Asianist
X
You can search using keywords to narrow down the list.

Central Asia: Trying to Give Social Entrepreneurship a Boost

Katya Kumkova Feb 12, 2014

A non-profit alliance co-founded by organizations including the Agha Khan Foundation, USAID and Ashoka, is aiming to promote social entrepreneurship in Central Asia.

On February 11, the Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship presented its initial report, “Mapping Social Entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan,” in New York. A second presentation, featuring the report’s author, Myrza Karimov, will take place February 12  in Washington, DC.

“There is no incentive from the government [to promote social entrepreneurship], that’s our biggest problem,” stated Karimov in New York, a pair of felt dolls made by women in Kyrgyzstan's Naryn province resting in front of him. “There is a lack of legislation. If you want to do this kind of work, you pay the same taxes as a for-profit company.”

The project defines “social entrepreneurship” as any venture, whether it is for- or non-profit, that prioritizes social change above earnings. One problem with adopting the model in Central Asia, Karimov said, is the region's lack of experience and understanding of this kind of hybrid thinking.

“People say they are an NGO, or they say they are in small business, even if part of what they are doing is social entrepreneurship,” said George Khalaf, director of Synergos, an organization coordinating the initiative.

As a first step, the alliance is focusing on Kyrgystan and Tajikistan, examining practices and problems in what are Central Asia’s two poorest states. In Kyrgyzstan’s case, the country’s dependence on foreign aid constitutes a hurdle for social entrepreneurship, said Karimov, a former employee of USAID. He cited 15,000 NGO's registered in his home country, with only some 150 still operating, and only a dozen or so operating in a self-sustainable manner.

“The first question is ‘how much money do you have?’” Karimov stated. “I say, ‘No, sit down. Then we can see: if you have really good ideas, maybe we can replicate this idea.' [...] We talk to the people. We are trying to identify their needs. Not just pushing: ‘let’s give more money.’”

For potential investors, as well as potential founders, in Central Asia, the word “social” in “social entrepreneurship” evokes projects aimed at marginalized groups – the disabled, for instance. Ideally, though, social entrepreneurial projects can involve entire communities and extend beyond engaging a particular group. Karimov referred to Altyn-kol, the makers of the felt dolls on display at the talk, who have drawn on women in rural communities to sell their products online. Some of the company’s profits go to support local orphanage schools.

Setting up social entrepreneurial ventures in Tajikistan is more of a challenge, Karimov admitted, particularly since students have been forbidden by law from attending meetings sponsored by foreign organizations. Interest is high among business students in Kyrgyzstan, he reported, saying that most who attends the classes he teaches at the Agha Khan-funded University of Central Asia in Bishkek have businesses they are trying to run on the side, some of which could be considered, or be developed, into social entrepreneurial ventures with support and training.

Karimov’s full mapping report is available here.

Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.

Popular

Hail to the victors! Turkmen football team secures a cup
Tajik-Taliban relations slowly warm, but both sides hedge their bets
Alexander Thompson
Armenia: Pashinyan goes into “attack mode” against political rivals

Eurasianet

  • About
  • Team
  • Contribute
  • Republishing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact
Eurasianet © 2025