Mikaela Meredith served as the Mission Director for USAID in Uzbekistan from June 11, 2021, to July 31, 2023. During her tenure, Mikaela Meredith accomplished significant achievements in expanding the organization's programs and networks. Under her leadership, a team of 34 development experts from the United States and Uzbekistan effectively implemented the first bilateral country strategy for USAID in Uzbekistan. During this period, USAID introduced four new initiatives to reduce reliance on the USAID/Central Asia regional platform.
As a Chief Development Advisor to the Ambassador, Mikaela Meredith established robust relationships with Uzbekistan's government, private sector entities, and donor organizations. She played a significant role in USAID's comprehensive outreach and communications initiative, frequently interacting with the press, hosting press conferences, and speaking at public events to highlight USAID's accomplishments. Her professionalism and leadership were instrumental in strengthening USAID's reputation as a trusted partner in Uzbekistan.
Dear Mrs. Mikaela Meredith, could you kindly share your primary responsibilities as the Mission Director of USAID in Uzbekistan?
I arrived in June 2021 to serve as the first Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uzbekistan. Until then, USAID/Uzbekistan was a small office with few staff who reported to USAID's regional Mission in Almaty. USAID/Uzbekistan did not have its country strategy or Director.
The establishment of a USAID Mission is not a small matter. It requires authorization by the United States Congress. In September 2020, Congress authorized USAID to elevate its status to a full-fledged, independent Mission. This decision was made to recognize the United States Government's long-term commitment to the Government and people of Uzbekistan by supporting its ambitious reform agenda; enabling USAID to address better-unanticipated challenges, such as addressing the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Uzbekistan and make the USG a donor of choice.
Today, USAID/Uzbekistan is one of over 80 USAID Missions worldwide. What we built in the past two years has laid a strong foundation for continued partnership to advance Uzbekistan’s development. I invite you to check us out on our Facebook page.
As USAID/Uzbekistan's first Mission Director, I expanded USAID's operations, programming, and relationship-building in Uzbekistan. I led a team of 34 highly skilled development professionals from Uzbekistan and the United States. I also oversaw the implementation of USAID's first bilateral country strategy for Uzbekistan, transition away from dependence on the USAID/Central Asia regional platform, and the launch and design of four new activities. I served as the Ambassador's Chief Development Advisor and deepened relations with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, donor agencies, and the private sector. To amplify USAID's results, I supported our robust, multifaceted communications and outreach campaign by often engaging with the media, conducting press conferences, and speaking at public events.
What are the most challenging and exciting aspects of your job?
USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world and accounts for more than half of all U.S. foreign assistance—the highest in the world in absolute dollar terms. Serving as a diplomat in USAID's Foreign Service is extremely rewarding. It comes with many opportunities to travel and build relationships with people from other countries.
As a diplomat for the past 30 years, I have had the honor and privilege to work in many countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo; Yemen; Nigeria; Azerbaijan; Albania; Washington DC, where USAID is headquartered; and now Uzbekistan. I experienced different cultures in each country, met interesting people, visited unique sites, and tasted delicious local cuisine.
Uzbekistan was my seventh assignment, and deeply meaningful. I visited Tashkent and Samarkand 34 years ago with my parents. To this day, I remember seeing many wonders of Uzbekistan's stunning architecture and magnificent landscape, experiencing the kindness of the people, and tasting the delicious food. Since then, I have always dreamed of returning to Uzbekistan and was honored to be assigned here to establish the USAID Mission.
The life of a diplomat requires moving every two or three years and adapting to changing situations and cultures other than our own. Having grown up overseas and moving every two years due to my father's profession, I enjoy this part of the job and recognize that these opportunities are rare and unique.
However, the life of a diplomat is also challenging. It means being far away from family, missing out on essential celebrations like weddings, funerals, and graduations, doing a new job every few years; and leaving behind friends we may never see again.
Could you provide some insight about the projects implemented under your leadership and the total amount of aid Uzbekistan received from the USA during your tenure?
Since 1993, USAID has delivered over $621mn worth of assistance to Uzbekistan. Today, USAID's annual budget is over $30mn to:
- ECONOMIC GROWTH: Diversify the agricultural sector; facilitate Uzbekistan’s international and regional trade; make its customs and other border services more efficient; promote the tourism, textiles, green economy, and information technology sectors; foster regional power systems and the development of renewable energy; promotes sustainable transboundary water resources management; and help restore the Aral Sea zone.
- EDUCATION: Reform and modernize Uzbekistan’s education system; strengthen the instruction of literacy, numeracy, English as a Foreign Language, and Information and Communications Technology in the public school system; improve work readiness and employability skills of youth to ensure a successful school-to-work transition, while giving special attention to women, girls, and youth with disabilities; and leverage private sector partnerships to create opportunities for hands-on training of youth through job shadowing, internships, and mentorships.
- HEALTH: Improve health systems and services for tuberculosis (TB), COVID-19, and other emerging infectious diseases; support the pharmaceutical regulatory authority for improved access to quality medicines; and provide food to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, health challenged, and orphans.
- DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE: USAID helps citizens develop the skills they need to participate in government decision-making processes and strengthens government institutions to improve the effectiveness of public services. USAID also supports Uzbekistan’s efforts to enhance adherence to the rule of law; build the capacity of the judiciary, legal professionals, and training institutions; enhance citizens’ access to justice; improve the legal operating environment for civil society; promote gender equality and combat gender-based violence; and create a healthier investment climate. In addition, USAID works to combat human trafficking; and promotes safe migration for prospective migrants and at-risk individuals.
Some examples of the impact of USAID work include:
- Co-financing $2.4mn in investment by local businesses and facilitated $4.5mn in private sector investment.
- The creation of 1,254 jobs and upgrading of another 1,000. In addition, more than 7,000 farmers were trained in soil analysis and the proper use of fertilizers.
- USAID's technical expertise and recommendations were included in the final legislation adopted by the Government of Uzbekistan in April 2023, criminalizing GBV. This is an essential milestone for Uzbekistan since, for the first time, there is a solid legal basis to hold perpetrators accountable.
- Providing free legal aid to over 600,000 people (as of July 2023), including at-risk groups such as victims of human trafficking and GBV. As a result of free legal aid, beneficiaries could resolve legal issues and rebuild their lives.
- The inclusion of Countering Trafficking in Persons as a funding category under the Uzbek Parliament's Public Fund for NGOs. This guarantees local NGOs will receive public funding to support migrants and human trafficking survivors.
- The purchase and adoption of English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning materials it piloted in 213 schools in the 2021-2022 school year. Subsequently, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education distributed these high-quality English learning materials to every school in the country in the 2022-2023 school year, reaching over 6mn students and tens of thousands of teachers.
- The donation of cold chain equipment and computers worth $1.3mn to the Ministry of Health to strengthen Uzbekistan’s national immunization system. Also, USAID provided over $16mn in assistance to Uzbekistan’s COVID-19 response during the pandemic. USAID also facilitated the delivery of 9.6mn doses of U.S.-manufactured COVID-19 vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative.
Some individuals may question why the USA assists other countries. How would you address their concerns?
Since USAID's founding more than 60 years ago, we have helped tackle many of the challenges of our time. Yet despite this remarkable progress, today's development challenges are more formidable than those the world has faced at any time since World War II, with significant implications for America's national security.
The United States can be a leader in navigating this moment. By taking decisive action against the most challenging threats, seeking out new partnerships to drive sustainable change, mobilizing new investments, and embracing necessary reforms, we have the potential to expand human dignity in our rapidly changing world.
USAID is unique in possessing the range of tools, expertise, and experience needed to confront these massive, interlocking problems under one roof. We do so by uniting all parts of the U.S. Government, development partners, international institutions, and the global private sector toward those same goals. Of course, we do this with our local partners, elevating their visions and voices to drive change in their communities so that sustainable development gains are sustainable.
By doing so, USAID demonstrates the United States' compassion for people worldwide, our unmatched competence, and the fundamental connection between the fates of the American people and those of people across the globe. USAID's recent Policy Framework is a roadmap for our work and commitment to building a more free, peaceful, prosperous, and humane world.
If possible, could you please highlight some of the projects you are most proud of in empowering women?
At USAID, gender equality and women's empowerment are at the core of our development work. Through all our programs, we strive to reduce gender disparities and ensure women's equal access to economic opportunities and decision-making processes to reach their full societal potential. I am proud to say USAID has a long history of supporting programs that focus on achieving these goals, and gender is considered in every new program that USAID designs.
USAID has significantly contributed to the development of Uzbekistan's gender legislation. Since Uzbekistan adopted its first-ever gender equality laws in 2019. USAID provided over 500 training sessions for 12,500 participants throughout Uzbekistan to increase their ability to implement gender policy and legislation and prevent gender-based violence (GBV), discrimination, and stereotyping. USAID also developed and disseminated a practical handbook entitled "Gender Equality: From Idea to Law" in Uzbek and Russia.
O April 11, President Mirziyoyev signed a groundbreaking law criminalizing domestic violence, prescribing prison sentences for violent GBV-related crimes, and disqualifying those who committed sexual violence from release on parole. USAID contributed by sponsoring GBV research, holding roundtables with GBV experts and Government officials, and supporting studies and recommendations to strengthen the law, which were included in the final text.
In addition, USAID addresses challenges women face in the labor force by building the entrepreneurial skills of women in business. For example, USAID linked several Silicon Valley women influencers with over 1,000 Uzbekistani women. In coordination with IT Park, USAID supported women's entrepreneurship by providing technical assistance, computer literacy courses, and mentorship programs. It also expanded entrepreneurial opportunities for young women in Central Asia by supporting their innovative business ideas and creating a female startup community in the region.
In Uzbekistan, women are heavily represented in agricultural roles but with limited influence or management responsibilities. USAID trains women in their traditional roles (e.g., grafting, pruning, sorting, and grading) and in business to prepare them for processing, sales, marketing, and business management. USAID also helps businesses expand so more women can be hired and co-financing the purchase of equipment that helps create a higher value product for sales.
Could you share your unique cultural experiences while working in Uzbekistan?
During my two years here, I've had the very fortunate opportunity to travel to many regions and meet the very kind and generous Uzbek people.
Your friendliness and hospitality have warmed my heart. I've learned much about your culture and have so many beautiful memories from my time here. I cooked Uzbek plov and cut grapes with rural farmers in the Fergana region. In Karakalpakstan, I made jugari gurtik, a local dish made with sorghum flour.
In the Kashkadarya region, I met amazing women artisans who demonstrated how to make suzanis and weave carpets. I went all the way out to the Aral Sea and spent the night in a yurt camp. I also experienced the beauty and warmth of Jizzakh and Moynak. With the entire USAID/Uzbekistan team, we cooked Sumalak for Navruz! In our personal time, my husband and I visited Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva several times to see the majestic architecture. And I went camel trekking with several colleagues. Uzbekistan is an extraordinary country; I am taking so many beautiful memories with me and leaving behind a large part of me.
Earlier, Daryo reported that the USAID had concluded the Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program, which was celebrated at a final event on July 20. Over a three-year span, USAID engaged in a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education to support the educational reforms initiated by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The program implemented a pioneering, standards-driven teaching methodology that improved students' academic outcomes and positively impacted Uzbekistan's educational landscape.
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