Press release 

London, Paris, Tashkent – 15 June 2020 

A new not-for-profit initiative, Solidarity with Uzbekistan, was recently launched by Uzbek expats in response to COVID-19. Uzbek charity Ezgu Amal was chosen as the main partner to deliver humanitarian aid to people in Uzbekistan severly affected by the pandemic. The target is to raise EUR 50,000 from the community through charitable events.

Fellow Uzbeks working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)^[1] applied and received approval for a grant funding of up to EUR 50,000 under the EBRD Community Initiative Programme to support Solidarity with Uzbekistan. Funds collected by the campaign will be matched by the EBRD up to a maximum amount of EUR 50,000 subject to fulfilling all conditions and providing satisfactory documentation.

To date, over EUR 22,000 have been raised from the community thanks to the efforts of Uzbeks living in Europe, USA and Canada. The fundraising campaign continues worldwide until 1 December 2020 and the final sum will be matched by the EBRD Community Initiative.

COVID-19 hit the poorest communities in Uzbekistan very hard and the consequences could be tough and prolonged. Ezgu Amal has pledged to allocate funds to support society’s most vulnerable as well as frontline medical staff.

The Solidarity with Uzbekistan campaign is also supported by Bilim Uzbek Cultural Centre in London, Uzbek embassies in France and the UK, Uzbekistan Airways office in Paris, the British Uzbek Society, Safenetpay, Tezparcel and OshPaz. 

Donations can be made via GoFundMe. Funds can also be wired directly to Ezgu Amal’s dedicated account in Uzbekistan (UzCard: 8600 0304 9286 9502)^[2].

About Solidarity with Uzbekistan

The brainchild of Uzbeks living in France and the UK, this new initiative is a project that will enable individuals and organisations who care about Uzbekistan to show active solidarity with the most vulnerable sections of society, people who now find themselves in even more difficult circumstances because of the devastating coronavirus pandemic. The project began as a crowdfunding initiative, first in France then in the UK but with the support of the wider Uzbek diaspora and diplomatic representatives, the initiative soon spread and was further strengthened by charitable cultural initiatives such as #dance4uzbekistan and #cook4uzbekistan. Adhering to clear principles of transparency and motivated by concern for their homeland, the project’s initiators are all volunteers with no political or financial interest in this platform. 
https://swuz.org

About The Ezgu Amal Foundation

Founded in November 2018, the Ezgu Amal foundation is a non-profit NGO approved by the Republic of Uzbekistan’s Ministry for Justice. The charity helps those in need, including children, to receive treatment for cancer and other serious medical conditions. The foundation also works with the homeless as well as helping large and needy families. The charity is noted for its transparent work ethic.
https://ezguamal.com

About The EBRD Community Initiative

The EBRD Community Initiative was established in 2016 to mark the 25th anniversary of the EBRD’s founding. It provides a framework for the engagement of staff and the institution in philanthropic, social and cultural activities in the countries where it works. The Community Initiative matches funds raised by the EBRD staff in support of local charities and philanthropic activities in the countries where it invests.

The Community Initiative aims to support staff fundraising activities in three main areas: Humanitarian and Disaster Relief; Health and Social Care; Education.
https://www.ebrd.com/who-we-are-ebrd-community-initiative.html

Contacts for Press:

Solidarity with Uzbekistan: [email protected]
NGO Ezgu Amal: [email protected]