BAKU – On October 2, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Dickerson joined residents of Lerik’s Jangamiran village to celebrate the completion of a medical facility project that will improve the day-to-day access to primary healthcare for more than 3,600 people in the community and neighboring villages. With support from USAID’s Socio-Economic Development Activity (SEDA), Jangamiran residents worked with their government representatives to replace an aging medical clinic with a new facility that is better able to meet the community’s healthcare needs. The new medical facility includes two offices for medical providers, an examination room, and a waiting room.

Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Dickerson also met with residents of Lerik’s Piran community where beekeeping is one of the main occupations. With support from USAID’s SEDA, the Piran community is currently constructing a honey processing facility which will improve the storage and packaging of local honey destined for markets, benefiting nearly 700 beekeepers from Piran and 40 neighboring communities. 

USAID’s Socio-Economic Development Activity is implemented by the East-West Management Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy.  Since 2011, SEDA communities have implemented 160 projects that improve rural livelihoods including small food processing facilities, animal feed-grinding facilities, medical clinics, roads in rural areas, water and irrigation systems, and local kindergarten and school renovations.

On October 3, Mr. Dickerson also visited the Salyan American Corner, meeting with the local students who regularly visit the Corner to practice their English and learn about opportunities to study in the United States.  

The U.S. Embassy has established American Corners throughout Azerbaijan as centers where young people can learn about U.S. culture and participate and receive training in such areas as English language and entrepreneurship.  Operated with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan University of Language, the Corners are located in Baku, Ganja, Khachmaz, Salyan, and Kurdemir. Every academic year, more than 60,000 users visit American Corners.  In 2018, more than 5,000 people visited the Salyan American Corner, which is located at the Salyan Central City Library.