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.
Professors from Chungbuk University (Republic of Korea) visited Kyrgyzstan from June 26th to 30th, 2023, to monitor and evaluate the Integrated Rural Development Project in the Kyrgyz Republic, "Berekeluu Aymak." The purpose of their visit was to assess the project's effectiveness and its impact on improving the living conditions of communities residing in 30 villages in the Osh and Batken regions.
During their visit, they inspected various project facilities, including development centers, football fields, gas and water supply systems, health posts, drinking water reservoirs, paved roads, and kindergartens. The professors actively engaged with local farmers, learning from their experiences and gaining insights into agriculture in the Kyrgyz Republic. It is expected that the monitoring and evaluation results will make a significant contribution to achieving the project's goals, playing a crucial role in project management through consultations and recommendations.
*Integrated Rural Development Project in Kyrgyz Republic, jointly with the Government of Kyrgyz Republic represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and KOICA, aims to reduce poverty in 30 villages over 4 years. It focuses on improving socio-economic conditions, promoting women's rights, sustainable agriculture, and advocating for rural development policies.
Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic has launched a large-scale project - "National Testing training for schoolchildren" (NTT*) for graduate students in 15 schools as part of community development projects. NTT* is a mandatory test that replaces entrance exams for admission to universities in Kyrgyzstan. The course lasts 3 months and includes preparation for the main test (Kyrgyz / Russian, mathematics) and a subject test (history, mathematics, biology, chemistry, etc.) at the choice of the student.
The NTT course covers 320 students from 4 regions of the country. Project goal: Increasing schoolchildren's access to quality education and assistance in enrolling in universities. The project will help our students enter universities, including state-funded places.
Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic on February 2023 finished the improvement of the Health Center in Mirnoe village at Kok-Chu CDP* (Community Development Project). The heating system was installed, and a better water supply system was provided, also needful facilities were given. Most of the residents of Mirnoe village couldn’t stay inside the health center while receiving medical check-ups in the winter season due to the absence of a heating system. With support from the Branch nowadays Health Center can be comfortably operated in any season. Providing development of infrastructure with the main objective to improve access to necessary services for the community and children mainly is always one of the priorities of Good Neighbors Kyrgyz Republic while implementing of CDP* projects.