August 6, 2025

SGS 2024 Grantee: Oasis Foundation, Kyrgyzstan

Project: Training and Resource Centres for social workers

The project has helped create a platform for social workers and psychologists who have not only gone through training to identify victims of violence, but are also willing to work together. A total of 60 social workers and psychologists have been trained and now have sufficient skills to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable people, including victims of violence and exploitation, refugees and vulnerable migrants.

The project participants are also active in organising rehabilitation retreat camps for victims of violence and exploitation of minors, with the Oasis Foundation providing psychological assistance. Many participants admitted that this is the first time that special attention is being paid to social workers, and here at the Oasis Centre we can share the most difficult cases. Among the trainees were psychologists who work directly with returnees from the war zones in Syria and Iraq to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2024.

The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration supports the Oasis Foundation in organising training and seminars. In this way we have supported more than 300 beneficiaries, vulnerable people, including victims of violence, illegal migration, and various conflicts.

As of January 2025, the Oasis Foundation has become a member of the National Council for Family, Gender Equality, Social Welfare, and the Protection of Children’s Rights, which operates under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. Additionally, from 2024 to 2025, the Oasis Foundation has played an active role in developing a National Plan for the implementation of Children’s Rights, which is set to extend until 2028. This occurred in partnership with the Commissioner for Children’s Rights of the Kyrgyz Republic and various responsible government agencies, including the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice.

Experts from the Oasis Foundation collaborated with government agencies to develop an Action Plan aimed at combating violence and exploitation against minors, including social protection of refugees and migrant children. This plan addresses several key issues, including improving violence prevention among children, enhancing access to justice and legal protection for victims, and strengthening interdepartmental cooperation to ensure timely responses to cases of violence, as well as redirecting affected individuals to appropriate services and organisations. The Oasis Foundation has initiated the development of two legislative documents aimed at improving responses to cases of violence involving children. These documents are included in the national plan for 2025-2028:

1. To create a regulation outlining the procedures for protecting children from violence, including torture, ill-treatment, corporal punishment, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and harmful practices. This regulation aims to support the implementation of the Children’s Code and the Family Code.
2. To establish a regulation that outlines the procedures for cooperation among government agencies responsible for protecting children from violence and providing direct assistance to victims.

This Action Plan for the implementation of the basic rights of the child for 2025-2028 was approved in February 2025. This document provides for measures to develop the above-mentioned regulations together with NGOs in the next three years.

Partnership with social services and non-profit organisations has helped to establish an effective system for redirecting vulnerable migrants, refugees and victims of violence. In total, the Oasis Foundation has provided direct assistance to more than 30 refugees, displaced people, including victims of illegal migration and human trafficking from South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Syria). In addition, Oasis organised a Retreat Camp for 30 minor victims of violence and exploitation among at-risk young girls (mainly children of internal migrants, displaced people).

All beneficiaries received access to humanitarian aid, psychological and legal advice. Almost half of the beneficiaries participated in workshops on legal literacy and life skills, and gained access to non-formal and formal education. It is worth noting that more than 40% of beneficiaries have various forms of disability and health problems. The Oasis Foundation’s social workers have established partnerships with several medical institutions to ensure that beneficiaries receive high-quality medical care.   Currently, the Oasis Foundation continues to support all its clients on a long-term basis.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all our partners for their ongoing support and assistance. We especially acknowledge the Swiss Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, The BEARR Trust, and Kairesh Foundation for their valuable contributions to the operation of our Oasis Centre. Thanks to their support, we have been able to assist over 220 victims of violence and exploitation from 2023 to 2025.

Photos taken by Meerim Osmonalieva and Askat Chynali.

Contact:

Meerim Osmonalieva

Director

Osis Foundation

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Meerim.Osmonalieva@oasiskg.org