Hissor, Tajikistan, August 19, 2021 – U.S. Ambassador John Mark Pommersheim and USAID/Tajikistan Acting Mission Director Randy Kolstad joined Minister of Education and Sciences Imomzoda Muhammdyusuf Saydali to celebrate USAID’s donation of 464 new Braille and large print books during an event at the Hisor Boarding School for visually impaired children. Education officials and local authorities visited the school community at the event and received the donated books.
Minister of Education and Science Imomzoda, in his welcoming remarks, noted how valuable USAID’s assistance is in strengthening an education system that enables children, particularly the most vulnerable, to access quality education in Tajikistan.
During the event, Ambassador Pommersheim remarked that “since 1992, the United States has partnered with the Ministry of Education and Science to create children’s books, including in Braille and in large print, so that all children have an opportunity to develop a love of reading and achieve their potential.”
The additional nearly 500 books will be sent to specialized schools for children with visual impairment in Vahdat and Dushanbe before the school year starts in September 2021.
Improving early grade literacy is a focus of USAID’s education portfolio in Tajikistan. USAID supports 80 percent of primary schools in Tajikistan with books, education materials, and teacher professional development. Since 2018, USAID has donated 1.3 million books to more than 3,000 schools, and, as of this donation, 7,320 Braille and large print books to schools across Tajikistan.
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information, visit the USAID/Tajikistan website: https://www.usaid.gov/tajikistan and the Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usembassy.dushanbe
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