Myrzagul Baialieva obtained a master's degree in economics from Ankara University in Turkey. She has professional experience as the Executive Director of the local non-governmental organization ProKG, which focuses on youth capacity building, as well as a research and consultancy institute.

Currently, Myrzagul is Thematic Lead for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at Search for Common Ground, a prominent international NGO dedicated to peacebuilding. In this role, she oversees and coordinates various projects aimed at preventing violent extremism, promoting economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs, and enhancing social cohesion within communities. The primary objective of these projects is to bring about behavioral, attitudinal, and mindset changes through outreach campaigns. Myrzagul's current area of focus is centered around women's issues in Kyrgyzstan and advancing women's empowerment. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Eco Guardians: Begin Making a Difference Today

This educational media campaign refuted fake information that is prominently circulated among the residents of Bishkek about the waste recycling system. The media campaign raised the awareness of city residents about the importance of waste sorting and debunked fake and unverified information that all sorted garbage is eventually sent to the city's landfill. The project changed the thinking and behavior of the city's residents and created a shift towards protecting the surrounding area. More than 100 people expressed their commitment to adopting waste sorting practices and a new Instagram account had more than 6,000 followers.

"I want to contribute to the improvement of my community and change people's thinking and behavior for the better." - Myrzagul Baialieva

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Myrzagul participated in the IVLP Project 21st Century ChangeMakers: Engaging Youth in the Battle Against Disinformation, organized by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global in partnership with Global Ties Alabama, Gulf Coast Diplomacy and the Georgia Council for International Visitors.

Myrzagul's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "In this program, we learned [about] combating fake news, [and about the] importance of debunking disinformation. We learned ways of providing verified information, I will use this knowledge during [my project]."

U.S. Communities Visited

Birmingham, AL; Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Atlanta, GA

"IVLP gave me great motivation and confidence to be a real changemaker." - Myrzagul Baialieva

Country: Kyrgyzstan 

Click here to go back to the IVLP Impact Awards Main Page