A new 3245-meter water pipeline was installed, a 500 m³ reservoir was reconstructed at water intake facilities, a 180-meter-deep well was drilled, and a new deep-well pump with electronic control was installed. Water pipelines have been installed in 848 households and now more than 5,800 inhabitants of Oktyabrskoye and Kedey-Aryk villages of the Bagysh municipality have access to clean drinking water 24 hours a day.

This work was done thanks to the Public Service Improvement Project financed by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by a consortium of organizations composed of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and the Development Policy Institute.

“Our residents are immensely happy that they finally have access to clean drinking water. People are willing to pay for water at the approved rate, as they understand that these funds will result in sustainable provision of water”, says Mr. Murzabekov, the head of the Bagysh municipality. 

A new tariff for drinking water was agreed upon during public hearings and then approved by the local council. This tariff covers all current costs and also includes depreciation, which allows the Association of drinking water users, as the supplier of water, to be financially stable and efficient.

"I am glad to note that the water system has been rehabilitated. However, it is also of utmost importance that the management capacities of the local self-government have been improved and a new tariff has been established in consultation with the population. I hope it will ensure sustainable, affordable and quality service to all”, says Danielle Meuwly Monteleone, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic.

In total, the Swiss-funded Public Service Improvement Project supports the implementation of 36 Service Improvement Action Plans of rural municipalities for a total of 92 million soms, including contributions of 30% from the municipalities. The priority services supported by the project include sustainable access to safe drinking water, rehabilitation and accessibility of preschools and schools, improvement of communal and housing services in municipalities, etc.

The “Francophonie Week” is the festival of the French language and cultures of the French-speaking countries, which is celebrated in the middle of March across the world. The organizers have prepared a program for the broad public to show the linguistic and cultural diversity of the French-speaking countries.

French is the fifth language spoken in the world and the third language for business. French is an official language in 29 countries and there are more than 274 million Francophones or French speakers worldwide.

The Francophonie week will be launched in Bishkek on March 12 with the French movie “Le sens de la fête” to be screened at 18:00 at the “Ala-Too” cinema.

The Belgian movie “Je suis mort mais j’ai des amis” (I’m dead but I have friends) will be shown on March 14 at 17:00 and the Canadian film “Maïna” at 19:00 at the Academy of Tourism (99 Chui avenue).

The Swiss animation film “Ma vie de Courgette” (My life as a Zucchini) will be screened on March 17 at 18:00 at the "Rossiya" cinema. All films are in French with Russian subtitles.

The Francophonie program will have 19 events during 6 days consisting of sport, cultural and artistic activities, such as competition of French songs, the French game "Petanque", and a quiz night, and many other events.

There will also be conferences on education in the French speaking countries (March 14 at 2pm in the Alliance française 242 Ogonbaeva street) as well as on the “Erasmus plus” programme in Europe (March 16 at 2 pm, same address).

All interested people are welcome to join.

The detailed program is presented online on the Facebook pages of the “Alliance française de Bichkek”, the “Ambassade de France au Kirghizstan”, “Swiss Embassy Kyrgyzstan” as well as on the website of the French Embassy.