Introduce, adapt, replicate
Little Earth is a flexible and mobile organization with a creative approach to solving traditional environmental problems. Over the years, dozens of organizations have taken advantage not only of our publications, consultations and help, but also of ideas, implementing similar projects and programs and adopting distributed equipment, implemented practices and approaches we used. Our initiatives and innovations have become an integral part of the environmental social movement in Tajikistan. Here are just a few examples.


2001
World Car Free Day
For the first time, Tajik citizens heard about World car free day from our organization back in 2000. In 2001, a special brochure "Pedestrian Zone" was published, dedicated to this international event and prepared on a voluntary basis. This was the first such publication in Tajikistan. In the same year, the first street actions on car free and sustainable transport topics took place. 20 years ago, Little Earth warned of the risk of turning Dushanbe into a "city for cars." Skeptics then laughed. Where are they now?!


2004
First Central Asian Biosafety Conference
The event was organized by Little Earth in December 2004 and was the first regional event dedicated to biosafety and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The conference was attended by representatives of public organizations of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia. The event was an important step in highlighting the GMOs issues in the Central Asian region and promoting the principles of public participation in biosafety decision-making.


2006
"Solar" greenhouses
In 2006, "Little Earth" for the first time in Tajikistan implemented projects for the construction of specially designed greenhouses for local mountain communities. The idea was adopted from the "Geres" after visiting communities in the Indian state of Ladakh. The unusual design with double walls and thermal insulation uses passive energy of the sun and allows villagers to increase yields and diversify their diet. A number of local and international organizations that used the experience and manual of Little Earth were involved in the construction of such greenhouses in subsequent years.

2008
Efficient "Nepalese" cooking stoves
In 2008, Little Earth launched a project to introduce energy-efficient stoves in rural areas of the republic. A specialist from Nepal was invited to work. During the year he helped to conduct practical trainings for local craftsmen, develop a manual on the construction of stoves and provide a monitoring. Nepalese type clay stoves for cooking were built in several areas of Tajikistan and later adopted by other local public organizations, which continued to distribute them as part of their own projects.

2010
First straw bales house
In 2010, Little Earth, with the support of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature, implemented a pilot project to build the first straw bales house in Tajikistan. To build it, we were helped by two invited specialists from Belarus. During the construction, they simultaneously trained the local craftsmen who worked with them. The straw bales house built in the village of Chorakoroni-Dara serves as a rural medical center. The house consumes significantly less resources for heating and at the same time "breathes". This is the first and so far the only (as far as we know) house of straw bales in the republic.

2012
Energy Efficient School Lighting
In 2012, Little Earth conducted an assessment of lighting in schools in Dushanbe, which revealed the presence of serious problems and gaps related to both non-compliance with technical standards and administrative issues. In the summer of 2013, Little Earth completed the installation of modern and high-quality lighting systems in five classes of two capital schools №94 and №60. The installed lamps meet existing lighting standards and regulations, provide a safe learning environment and save energy.

2014
Solar parabolic cookers
Little Earth is one of the first organizations in the republic, which began to distribute solar parabolic cookers among mountain communities. In 2014, the first such devices appeared in the high-mountain villages of the Bartang Valley in the Pamirs. Over the years, Little Earth has handed over about two hundred solar cookers to the most vulnerable families. They are reliable and user friendly, and their use helps to save scarce fuel and reduces the burden on nature. Other public organizations in the country followed our example and that makes us pleased.

2014
First real "Free market"
In the summer of 2014, Little Earth held the first eco-fair "Free market" in Tajikistan, where everyone could give away or exchange things and objects that they no longer needed. The event, which was attended by over 100 people, drew attention to the rational and careful use of resources. The fair was dedicated to World Environment Day and aroused genuine interest among Dushanbe residents. In subsequent years, Little Earth organized several more "free markets" in the capital of the republic.

2017
First energy cafe
In 2017, Little Earth opened the first energy cafe in Tajikistan in the mountain village of Nisur. A space provided by local authorities was equipped with solar photo panels, two laptops and a low-power all in one copy machine, printer and scanner. Now residents are typing, making a photocopy or printing documents without the need to go to neighboring villages. A local public organization planned to open computer literacy courses in the energy café. In addition, residents can get here information on energy saving and renewable energy.
Timur Idrisov, Little Earth