Central Asia FLEX Ability Workshop 2018 and 25th Anniversary Reception in Almaty, Kazakhstan

On August 2-5, 62 FLEX Alumni from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan met in Almaty, Kazakhstan to partake in the Central Asia FLEX Ability Workshop 2018. This workshop focused on teaching junior alumni the basic skills of Project Design and Management. Trainers, including a team of eight senior alumni trainers, brought a wealth of experience to prepare alumni to take on designing and implementing projects in their communities.

Participants also took part in a reception in honor of the 25^th Anniversary of FLEX in Kazakhstan on August 3, to which local alumni from Kazakhstan were invited. During the reception, three speakers participated in the first ever FLEX Talks Kazakhstan, followed by a short awards ceremony honoring active alumni and noteworthy projects from the country. Over 130 people attended this event to celebrate the FLEX program and the contributions FLEX alumni have made in Kazakhstan.

On the final day of the workshop, participants presented their carefully articulated project designs to the group, with notable project topics including: inclusive leadership, personal finance skills, and mental health awareness. Each participant was given the chance to apply for a Central Asia FLEX Ability 2018 Follow-On Grant. After an application process, 26 projects were selected for funding.

This is the first workshop in Central Asia that has hosted alumni from the newest member country of the FLEX alumni community: Mongolia. Seventy percent of these recently returned alumni were able to join the workshop and learn how to be leaders in the development of a strong alumni community in Mongolia.