On October 24, the opening ceremony of the cardboard and printing workshop No. 1 of the Society of the Blind and Deaf of Turkmenistan (SBDT) was held in Ashgabat within the framework of the project “Accessible work for persons with disabilities in Turkmenistan: transformation of social enterprises for educational opportunities and decent work”, implemented jointly by UNDP and SBDT.

The workshop was renovated and re-equipped with a full set of modern cardboard and printing equipment, designed specifically to facilitate the work of people with visual and hearing impairments. The new equipment will help SBDT employees to significantly increase the production of a wide range of goods, including paper bags, cards and any other types of printed products, the UNDP press service reports.

In June, the UNDP Office in Turkmenistan organized training for employees of the SBDT cardboard and printing workshop on the operation and maintenance of newly acquired equipment and ensuring optimal use of new technologies.

The project “Accessible Work for Persons with Disabilities in Turkmenistan: Transforming Social Enterprises for Educational Opportunities and Decent Work” is implemented with financial support from the Fund for Global Development and “South-South” Cooperation.

The project aims to improve the business activities of three SBDT social enterprises operating in Ashgabat, Turkmenabat and Mary, as well as strengthen the organizational capacity of SBDT to more effectively support its members, achieve a sustainable model of vocational training, support employment and transition to an open labor market.