ChildRIGHT Interview: Celeste Greenwood, volunteer on the Girls' Support Service project, Tajikistan

What is the Girls' Support Service project?

The Children's Legal Centre (CLC) has been working to promote and implement children's rights in Tajikistan for the past seven years.

The CLC set up the Girls' Support Service project in 2009, which aims to raise awareness of sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of girls across Tajikistan, and specifically to provide social work, psychological and legal support for girls falling within the 'target group'. I volunteered to work with the project for three months and have just returned to the UK.

The project targets girls aged between 10 and 18 who are either at risk of, or have been subjected to, sexual abuse, exploitation or trafficking. Sexual abuse in families and opportunistic sexual abuse by strangers occurs in Tajikistan as in any other country. The project offers social work and/or legal support, which may include a residential placement for up to six months at the project's support centre, placement in a semi-independent unit or the provision of outreach services.

What did you do while in Tajikistan?

A significant component of the project is to ensure that the services we provide in the capital Dushanbe, are also available to girls living in the regions of Tajikistan. The project has identified 10 regional partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to carry out the work of the project at local level.

During my stay, I assessed the capacity of the regional partners' lawyers, produced a set of manuals about child protection work and delivered training to the regional lawyers.

But we have been unable to do similar work with the dedicated social workers dealing with difficult and often traumatic cases of abused girls who have been rejected by their families. These social workers desperately need capacity and confidence building, training and case supervision.

How did you find the NGOs across the country?

To be able to experience first hand the struggles of the women operating the local NGOs in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and resistance born of centuries of cultural norms has been truly inspirational. To witness the miracle that is the creation, renovation and staffing of the residential unit (the first of its kind in Tajikistan), to see the numbers of girls being assisted by the project when otherwise they would be bereft of help and to have the privilege to assist the very passionate and committed staff has been an amazing experience.

Are you a social worker? Would you like to volunteer for the project in Tajikistan? If so, please contact Amy Winter at acwint@essex.ac.uk