STEAM through Play: Children’s Day Celebrated in Bel-Aldy and Uch-Terek
As part of the International Children's Day celebrations, Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic organized festive events for children in the Bel-Aldy and Uch-Terek Community Development Projects (CDPs) located in Toktogul District, Jalal-Abad Region. The events were held on June 3 in Bel-Aldy village and on June 4 in Uch-Terek village.
The events were implemented in close cooperation with the Abdy-Suerkulov and Uch-Terek local self-government bodies, as well as representatives of the local communities.
The concept of the events was developed based on the results of community needs assessments and focus group discussions. During the consultations, community members highlighted the limited opportunities for developing STEAM skills among children in schools and preschool institutions. In response to these identified needs, Good Neighbors organized educational activities using learning kits and creative games.
Throughout the events, children participated in various educational and creative games designed to strengthen logical thinking, creativity, communication skills, and teamwork.
By organizing activities across multiple communities, the initiative was able to reach a larger number of children and families living in remote areas, ensuring equal access to educational and recreational opportunities.
Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic in collaboration with the administration of the Zhamgyrchiev school in Issyk Kul region, Ton district, carried out the refurbishment of 3 classrooms. After the renovation, new furniture and classroom equipment were purchased, and the school administration helped with the provision of labor. Through our joint efforts, we were able to renovate the classrooms and now the students can study in comfortable conditions.
On 14th October, the first launch ceremony of the multifunctional "Development Center" took place in the village of Borko, Osh oblast.
The ceremony was attended by Chun Hong Soo, Director of Good Neighbors in the Kyrgyz Republic, Lee Won Jae, Korean Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, Lee Jong Soo, Director of KOICA office in Kyrgyzstan, and Ernis Toltoev, Deputy Governor of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as civil servants from both countries and project managers.
Following the opening of the center in Borko village, in the villages of Chon-Alai district, Batken oblast, Tepe-Korgon and Masaliev villages, multifunctional "Development Centers" also began their work, it should be noted that in total 30 facilities are to be launched in Osh and Batken regions.
"The Development Center” is part of the Integrated Rural Development Project implemented jointly with Good Neighbors and KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Villagers can use the center to meet, develop their potential through various trainings; gender/financial/leadership trainings. The Development Centre also serves as a short-term kindergarten, which allows parents to leave their children in the temporary care of caregivers in order to set aside free time for socio-economic activities.
From next year, the “Kitchen Garden” program will also take place at the “Development Center”.
Meanwhile, in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Integrated Rural Development project is being implemented at a cost of 655 million soms over 4 years and 4 months from September 2021 to December 2025. The project aims to help 85,000 residents from 30 villages in 10 aiyl okmotu of Osh and Batken regions.
Good Neighbors in the Kyrgyz Republic will continue to work on improving women's rights and empowerment.
A Garage Sale was held at the Alykul Osmonov National Library on 29 October. The fair featured a variety of handicrafts, books, baked goods and much more. There was also a lottery where valuable prizes from our sponsors were raffled off. Young talents from the Kurenkeev College and the " Antre " ballet studio supported our fair with their great performances. Thank you to all our participants and sponsors for helping us in any way you could! At the Garage Sale, we collected 81720 soms. All collected funds have been transferred to our HOPE account and will be used for the infrastructure restoration project in Batken oblast. Thank you to all our volunteers for the work you have done with us! We have significant and exciting events ahead of us in the coming months, so stay tuned.
Our sponsors at the charity fair were:
@cocacola_kyrgyzstan
@sova_macaron
@fermamarket_kg
@baanbaansouth
@koreanbbq.bishkek
@Seoul Kimchi
@avtorskaya_shkola
@eldikfamilymedicineclinic
@karisma_dental
@ken_bog_kun_kafe
@KF Silk Road Project
@kettik.kg
@thekids_bookshop
@morse_bracelet_kg
@ecolifekg