The Socio-Economic Development Centre “SABR”, Samarkand City, Uzbekistan (Central Asia) has worked in partnership with The Haven Wolverhampton since 1996. SABR’s employees have visited The Haven Wolverhampton on many occasions for training purposes and to learn from our experiences of working to help women and children affected by Domestic Violence and Homelessness.

SABR has worked with The Haven Wolverhampton as part of the Partneship Agreement on technical support with the aim to protect the interests of and improve the living standards of SABR's target group - the most deprived sectors of Uzbek society, a large percentage of which are women and girls.

In 2009 the 'Pearl of the East Women's Cultural and Business Forum UK/Uzbekistan' was held to celebrate the partnership between the two organisations and display the work of women supported by SABR through the receipt of micro-finance loans.

1996  – The Trust Center “SABR” is created.
1998 – The Center is officially registered in the Samarkand oblast Department of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
2001 – SABR branches out, implementing a micro finance program to target the rural area of Samarkand oblast.
2005  – The Center’s is re-registered as "The Socio economic development center SABR".
2006 - A daughter enterprise of SABR - The Microcredit organization “SABR”is created.

SABR works for the benefit of women and children by providing support, encouragement and the opportunity for an independent life in a safe environment.

June, 1998 
 “SABR” becomes a laureate of the Democracy and Civil Society Award of the USA and European Union “In recognition of achievements in promoting  democratic values and a civil society”
SABR develops partnership relations with the Netherlands Organization of International Development (NOVIB). SABR receives a donation from NOVIB in order to develop the project “Organizational and Institutional development of the Trust Center “SABR”".
April, 2000  
Secretary of State Washington - Ms. Madeleine K. Albright, visits SABR. Ms. Albright states that she "highly appreciates SABR's contribution to democracy development and gender equality".
June, 2000 
SABR participates and shares experiences at the 23d special session of the UN General Assembly: “Women in the year 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace in the 21st century”.  
November, 2000
SABR participates at the World Forum Against Violence (Spain, Valencia), organized by 'The Queen Sophia Center on Violence Studies'.
2001  
SABR assists in the creation of crisis centers in the Republic of Uzbekistan due to the support of 'The John and Kathryn Mc Arthur Foundation', offering methodological and practical assistance.
2001
SABR receives a grant from NOVIB (Netherlands) to further develop the organisations micro finance program. The grant signified the start of lending of micro loans to low income members of the population in rural areas of Samarkand oblast. SABR becomes the first NGO rendering micro finance activity in Uzbekistan independently. 
2001
SABR’s participates in the process of  discussion and preparation of normative-legal decrees regulating the activity of microfinance institutions in the Republic of Uzbekistan. SABR pilots activity in the frameworks of the enactment of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan to distribute loans among low income layers of population: “ About micro finance development in the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
2003
SABR creates cocational training centers which aim to impart professional skills to girls from low income families in rural areas of Uzbekistan.
April,  2004
SABR receives technical and methodological support from ACDI/VOCA, USAID, CAMFA project (Central Asian micro finance alliance).
“SABR” enrters the WECF (Women of Europe for Common Future) (European Union) as a member.
2005
“SABR” becomes a member of the MFC (Microfinance Centre for Central and Eastern Europe and NIS), Poland.
May, 2004
SABR participates at the 7th Annual Micro Finance Organizations International Conference:
“Thinking about the Future – Strategic Choices for Microfinance” (Warsaw, Poland)
May,2005
SABR participates at the 8th Annual Micro Finance International Conference:
“Success of Microfinance: How do We Use this Success to Maximize Benefits for Clients” (Bucharest, Romania)
2005 
Entry of “SABR” into the  of Women’s NGOs of Uzbekistan “MEHR”.
 2005  
SABR participates at the 49th Special Session of the UN General Assembly on women’s situation and position “Beijing: Ten Years Later in the Way Towards Gender Equality, Development and Peace”.
2005
SABR joins a working group of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan: “Millennium’s goals achievement in the light of the women’s position improvement national action platform”
2005 – 2006 
“SABR” actively participates in the development and discussion of the Olyi Majlis (Parliament) legislative drafts preparation  “About micro finance in the Republic of Uzbekistan” and “About micro finance organizations of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
June, 2006
Participation at the 9th Annual International conference od micro finance organizations:
“Microfinance  with a  Mission: Learning Together” (Budapest, Hungary)

There are three priority programs operating in “SABR”

• Social program
• Micro finance program
• Information and resource center

  Social Program
  The long term goal of “SABR” is to create an experimental model of socio-economic protection for the most vulnerable layers of the population.
  Main objectives:

  • Offer psychological  and advisory support to the population;  
  • Deliver training and education activity;
  • Disseminate information, organize and deliver campaigns and surveys directed towards the prevention  of illegal  actions regarding women and their dependent children;  
  • Vocational training for girls and women from low-income families

  "SABR" renders psychological, legal and medical support by counselling over trust telephone lines and internal counselling.
  Future newly-married couples speak with “SABR” psychologists about matrimonial relations psychology, marriage hygiene, other issues regulated by Family legislation.
  Since its creation 'SABR' has supported the following:
  -  14 859   people -  over the trust telephone line, 75% of which were women and children 
  -  4 408  respondents -  internally, 78% of which were women and children  
  -  3134 - newly-married couples
  
  Training topics:

  • Reproductive health, women’s reproductive rights protection
  • Family conflicts and their prevention
  • Family relations psychology
  • Marriage hygiene
  • Early marriages problems
  • Gender and gender equality
  • Drugs abuse problem and measures for its prevention

  "SABR's" social program training team is made up of psychologists, legal advisors, medical doctors and sociologists. Modules and methodology developed by "SABR's" team of professional trainers are used during training sessions.
  366  seminars and informational meetings were delivered for the period from 1996 to 2006, with 9102 of  participants.
  The “SABR” Center works in close cooperation with Oblast, City and regional women’s committees. In the frameworks of that partnership activity informational meetings with rural populations are rendered together with women’s problems experts.

• More than 70 mutual training and methodological seminars, meetings and workshops were delivered in the City of Samarkand and regions, of which 2, 756 women took part.
  To make social and economic problems of women and girls from low income families easier dress-making skills training centers were created in three target rural regions .
  Young women and girls master sewing industry as part of three or six months courses. Seamstresses then, either deal with individual labor activity or work within entrepreneurs’ business structures. Graduates are later able to receive loans from “SABR's” micro finance program for their business development. The given activity is carried out in partnership with the regional labor exchange office, “Hunarmand” craftsmen association, oblast Hokimiat and local makhalla committees.
  

More than 380 girls and young women were trained in "SABR's" vocational-training centers between 2003 and 2006.
Enlightening and research activity of the Center is aimed at the prevention of illegal activity against women and children which includes:

Information and resource center
Since it was established the “SABR” Center has accumulated considerable methodological and practical experience. “SABR” has worked as an informational and resource center since 2000.
Types of services:

105 judicial bodies, health service, public education and mass media representatives were trained at “SABR” on the subject of prevention of violence against women and children.

The following conferences were held together with partners to raise awareness of population and stakeholders, to build partnership relations, share experience and cover the balance of work carried out.

Regional conference “The role of NGO's in socio-economic development of Djizak, Kashkadarya and Samarkand oblast”.  September 20, 2000.
Aim: To inititate discussion between NGOs and state bodies. 
Participants:  Republic of Uzbekistan Olyi Majlis representatives , 3 oblasts NGO, mahalla and women’s committees representatives,
 
Regional conference “The role of NGO's in the consideration of Domestic Violence” Samarkand, April 26-27,  2001.
Aim: Share experience and crisis centers network creation, building partnership relations with stakeholders.
Participants: Crisis centers of Uzbekistan, Samarkand oblast NGOs.
 
International conference “Women’s rights in independent Uzbekistan”.
Samarkand,  January, 29 2002.

Aim: Media campaign results presentation as to family conflicts prevention in Samarkand, Jizak and Karshi; contacts and partnership relations between local state bodies, judicial bodies, mass media and NGOs as to the prevention of conflicts in families, rising of social status of women and their role in the family.
Participants: Representatives from Oblast and city Hokimiats in Samarkand, Djizak and Karshi, judicial bodies, NGOs, Olyi Madjlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, National Human Rights center, Tashkent Juridical institute, regional and republican mass media representatives, international organizations: Winrock International Ukraine, Winrock International Uzbekistan, USAID.

International conference: “Women’s rights improvement and reproductive rights problems in Uzbekistan”. Samarkand,   September 30 2002.

Aim: Join efforts to solve family conflicts, foreign countries experience presentation in the sphere of reproductive health, assistance in development of educational programs on the given topic.
Participants: Representatives from World Health Organization, USA and Uzbekistan health workers, Mass media representatives from Russia and Uzbekistan.

International conference “Social partnership in solving the problems of law violation against women and children”. Samarkand,     November 21 – 22 2005.

Aim: Highlight the results of joint activities of state bodies and public organizations as to law violation against women and children prevention, experience dissemination through other regions of the country together with joint memorandum conclusion about further cooperation between NGOs and stakeholders from the state bodies.
Participants: Scotland Yard  (Britain) representatives, Women’ Aid Federation of England representatives, General Prosecutor office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic of Uzbekistan, departments of Internal Affairs, public education, public health service, justice and prosecuting representatives, Women’s Committee and women’s NGOs and mass media of Samarkand oblast.

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south. It used to be part of the Soviet Union (dominated by Russia), but gained its independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up. The capital city is Tashkent. Samarkand, its second city, was a major stop on the Silk Road, and the country has some of the most ancient cities in the world and a rich history to match. This is reflected in the mixture of languages spoken - mainly Russian, Uzbek and Tajik; many Uzbeks are bilingual. It is now the most populous country in the region. The main religion is Islam, although the state is secular. It is a major exporter of cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles and motor vehicles. Average temperatures range from -20°C in the winter, to +40°C in the summer, and it tends to be dry, relying heavily on a massive network of irrigation channels in order to grow crops. The landscape is predominantly sandy desert, interspersed by intensely irrigated river valleys, and bordered by mountainous regions.