5 November 2021, Chimbay district, Karakalpakstan. During November 3, 4, and 5, 2021, experts from Japan and Kyrgyzstan are sharing their successful experiences in the development of small and medium enterprises within a business training on the "Basics of One Village One Product (OVOP)" that is taking place in three districts of Karakalpaksta. The event is organized within the framework of the UNDP and UNFPA Joint Programme on "Building the resilience of local communities against health, environmental and economic insecurities caused by environmental destruction in the Aral Sea region", funded by the Government of Japan.

The “One Village One Product” project is a strategic movement specifically designed for regional development that first was initiated in Japan. The uniqueness of this approach is in possibility to achieve the regional economic development by identifying and further producing goods using the local resources only, developing packaging and label design, subsequent quality control, and promoting through local and global markets.

The main goal of the training is to present the One Village One Product approach, including the history of the OVOP movement, as well as discuss methods of producing goods using available local resources, product promotion, quality control, branding and more.

The trainers of the seminar are the representatives of the Public Union "One Village - One Product+1", established within the JICA OVOP (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project under the online leadership and management of Mr. Haraguchi Akihisa - Chief Advisor of the JICA OVOP project in Kyrgyzstan.

45 participants from Bozatau, Kungrad and Chimbay districts of the project are taking part in the event to improve their skills in the development of small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurship.

It is expected that the implementation of the OVOP approach and tools will increase the knowledge of local residents, including women and youth, in conducting and developing business, improve the quality of products with added value, help local businesses become more unique and competitive in domestic and international markets, resulting in increased business profitability.

In addition, training participants had a chance to see an example of the development of the OVOP movement in Kyrgyzstan, get acquainted with real products, receive first-hand information about OVOP and ask questions and suggestions directly from the practitioners.

At the end, participants will work together to brainstorm on how to develop the economic potential of the Aral Sea region by producing products using available local resources, using the OVOP method.