Fellows
The range of fellows and types of projects we support are diverse, including journalists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, activists and former political prisoners working on everything from articles and books to films and comic strips.
Current Fellows
Marat Tokoev
After three years of working as a high school physics teacher, Marat went into journalism. He has worked in almost all types of media: radio, television, news agencies and newspapers. From 2006 to 2016 he was the chairman of a public association of journalists. During this time, the organization implemented more than 50 projects aimed at protecting the rights of journalists and media, freedom of speech, and raising professional standards. The association was the first to regularly conduct trainings on journalism in the Kyrgyz language. Since 2003 Marat himself has been conducting trainings for journalists and has received accolades for his work.
Gohar Khachatryan
Gohar is working on her PhD thesis on a Mental Health topic in Sociology. With a background of Social Work and Social Policy, she has over 8 years of experience working in international and national CSOs. She is also a co-founder of Change Social-Healthcare NGO and is currently dedicated to promoting human-rights-based mental health policies in Armenia. At the same time, she gives lectures at Yerevan State University on diverse and inclusive social work practices. She is actively involved in various working groups and professional bodies and has authored (co-authored) articles, research reports, toolkits, and (Draft) Laws related to Mental Health Rights and sensitive Social Services.
Viktoriya Ashirova
Viktoriya has a PhD in the field of biochemistry; a diploma in psychology and a diploma in social work. Since 2000, she has been working in the social sector at an NGO and has solid experience in managing social projects. For many years she worked in the field of HIV infection and tuberculosis, protecting human rights, fighting stigma and discrimination, and combating violence against women. Viktoriya has extensive experience in organizing psychosocial assistance among vulnerable groups, especially for people living with HIV/AIDS. Further, she has experience in coaching, developing training modules and conducting trainings for NGOs, as well as experience in financing NGOs and fundraising methods.
Manizha Babakulova
Over the past four years, Manizha has worked in project management, including socially oriented projects, online editorial offices, a cultural centre and youth festivals. From 2020 to 2023, she served as a country ambassador for a Central Asian initiative, GoViral. Under her management, GoViral became a community for knowledge sharing, networking, and talent empowerment due to various media, culture, technology and business events. Since 2019, Manizha has been actively involved in civic activism and gender equality issues. One of her notable projects, the exhibition “Break the Silence”, was dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence in Tajikistan. Additionally, Manizha recently completed her role as a mentor at the “Influencer Academy 3”, where she guided aspiring bloggers from across Tajikistan in improving their content creation skills.
Lado Javakhishvili
Lado is an experienced Justice, Human Rights, and Policy Administration professional with more than 10 years of working experience. His experience includes evidence-based decision-making and research, as well as working on complex reforms based on international experience. Further, he has experience in managing projects, data analysis, drafting reports, or initiation of legislative acts. Since November 2021, he has been working in the non-governmental sector and has launched a new NGO – Institute for Democracy and Justice. The NGO is focused on promoting democratic values and good governance, as well as strengthening the Euro-Atlantic integration process of Georgia.
Tynymgul Eshieva
Tynymgul is a specialist in the field of media and strategic communications. Currently she works as a lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications at the American University of Central Asia, teaching strategic communications for development, and supervising student internships. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of media development and public relations in international organizations. A Humphrey Fulbright Scholar, she earned an MBA and an honours degree in journalism. She participated in communication activities of programs and projects funded by the European Union, UNICEF, Open Society Foundations. From 2009 to 2016, Tynymgul worked as a public relations coordinator and today she is the author of a podcast about women in media.
Yoqub Halimov
Yoqub graduated from the Faculty of Journalism in 2010. He has been working in media since 2008 and managed to work and gain experience in a newspaper, magazine, radio, and for the last 8 years, he has been working in online publications. Yoqub works in different genres of journalism, but specializes in investigative journalism. He has participated in various trainings and conferences both within the country and abroad, including a 5-day training on investigative journalism at the end of May 2022.
Former Fellows
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