Inspired by a small community of Uzbek expats living in France, the COVID-19 CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN was launched on 31st March, 2020 in France on the French LePotCommun platform. It met with enthusiastic international response and donations were soon coming in from all across Europe, USA and Canada.

A few days later, on 3rd April, 2020, fundraising took off in the UK on GoFundMe under the patronage of the Bilim Uzbek Cultural Centre and Uzbeks living in Britain broadened the campaign’s reach with cultural initiatives #Dance4Uzbekistan and #Cook4Uzbekistan.

On 12th April Kamola Makhmudova launched #Dance4Uzbekistan with an Andijan Polka led by Rashid Shadat. Dancers joined in from 11 countries worldwide. On 14th May the campaign received further impetus with the launch of #Cook4Uzbekistan with an online plov class led by celebrity chef Bahriddin Chusty.

Funds raised by the COVID-19 CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN will be used to provide food aid to poor people who are struggling due to COVID-19 lockdown, personal protective equipment and medical supplies to hospitals, aid to people who suffered from COVID-19 directly or indirectly as well as to fight with the consequences of COVID-19.

On 30th April and on 15th June all funds raised in the French LePotCommun platform (EUR 6,580 after fees) were transferred directly to the UK and GoFundMe becomes a sole active crowdfunding platform used by the campaign.

On 1st June, the application for a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was approved under the auspices of the EBRD’s Community Initiative scheme. This will see all donations matched by the EBRD with a maximum overall donation from EBRD’s Community Initiative of EUR 50,000.

To ensure maximum benefit from the EBRD grant, the campaign deadline has been extended until 1st December, 2020. This will enable Solidarity with Uzbekistan to offer assistance to those suffering in the aftermath of the pandemic too.