JICA Launches Project to Empower Future Leaders Among Youth with Hearing Impairments in Kyrgyzstan

On June 18, 2025, at the Cultural Center of the Kyrgyz Society for the Blind and Deaf the first meeting of the committee for the new international project “Project for Empowerment of Deaf People for the Next Generation Leadership Development” was held.

The project is implemented under the technical cooperation program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) “Grassroots,” in partnership with the University of Tsukuba (Japan) and the Kyrgyz Society of the Blind and Deaf (KOS and KOG). The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic is also providing support for the implementation of the project.

H.E. Mr. Goda Hideki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Nishigata Kotaro, Chief Representative of JICA in the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kanat Japarov, Toraga of KOS and KOG, representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration, as well as other committee members took part in the meeting. Participants reviewed the current progress of the project and agreed on the work plan moving forward.

This two-year program will engage 25 young people with hearing impairments from different regions of Kyrgyzstan. Throughout the project, participants will gain public speaking skills, learn the fundamentals of managing civil society organizations, become familiar with international sign language, and study human rights. By the end of the first year, four core leaders will be selected for a study visit to Japan, which will include visits to universities, NGOs, and participation in events organized by the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.

The goal of the project is to strengthen the participation of deaf citizens in the public and political life of the country, as well as to create a sustainable mechanism of dialogue between government agencies and organizations representing the interests of people with hearing impairments.