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  • The privilege of witnessing change: Franca Crestani, ETF country manager for Tajikistan

    Franca Crestani, the ETF’s country manager for Tajikistan, feels privileged to have witnessed life in Russia, Central Asia and other parts of the old Soviet Union both before and after the collapse of the empire.

  • Franca Crestani, the ETF’s country manager for Tajikistan, feels privileged to have witnessed life in Russia, Central Asia and other parts of the old Soviet Union both before and after the collapse of the empire.

    Graduating from Turin University with a degree in Russian in 1986, Crestani then did a diploma on Russian poet and novelist Alxander Pushkin at Moscow’s Pushkin Institute.

    She was a witness to Russia in the thick of Mikhail Gorbachev’s experiment with communism, perestroika (rebuilding) and glasnost (freedom).

    Those reforms would prove too little too late and by 1991 change would sweep through Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

    “My professional life spans the collapse of the empire,” says Crestani.

  • “This has given me the chance to see with my own eyes how the daily life of people can change and to understand how important freedom is.”

    Crestani joined the ETF in 1995 after working as an editor, translator and event organiser for cultural and film organisations in Turin. She has been country manager for Tajikistan since 2007 and for Uzbekistan since 2009.

    “I appreciate the opportunity to create dialogue among stakeholders. The ETF’s work offers the opportunity to create spaces for sharing experiences; planning for cooperation.

    “It is incredible to see how much can be achieved when people meet, when trust is established, when networks are created!”

    Franca Crestani, who played a key role in the ETF’s recent documentary film, “Learning for a better life: The cases of the republics of Moldova and Tajikistan”, also sees life at the sharp end.

    “The job allows me to visit places where simply meeting everyday needs is still very critical, where to eat each day is a privilege,” says Crestani.

    “I see schools without heating, kids sitting on freezing chairs, girls kept away from school. And I also see teachers taking classes wearing hats and coats. These are people who are determined to make a difference.”

  • Words: Nick Holdsworth, ICE

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