Child sponsorship update from Cholponata, Kyrgyzstan

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Cholponata, Kyrgyzstan from November 2008.

Dear sponsors and friends!

It is so good to have the opportunity to write you with the latest news and developments from SOS Children’s Village Cholponata, which exists only due to your generous support and gracious heart. On behalf of all the inhabitants of the SOS Children’s Village Cholponata let me tell many thanks to you! With your care, attention and support you brought real delight into lives of children and helped to make their lives happier and brighter. You touched the lives of children with benevolence and kindness and we do appreciate that. Thanks again!

Regarding the general situation in the country we can say that world economical crisis touched Kyrgyzstan as well as a part of the world’s community, which brought price increase for food, all kinds of services, electricity, high rate of unemployment etc. Besides, Kyrgyzstan is on the verge of energy lack. The key reason is the drought, which curtailed water supplies to Central Asia’s biggest Toktogul water-storage reservoir. So people are suffering from prolonged energy switch-offs.

So now let me describe you the Children’s Village Cholponata which became reliable and dependable home for kids from different parts of Kyrgyzstan. As you know the SOS Children’s Village is located in small town called Cholponata between snow-capped mountains and amazing, never freezing lake Issykkul. The word “Issykkul” is translated from Kyrgyz language as “Hot lake”. The lake is in 10 minutes walk distance from the village. All children of the village love the lake and spend lots of time in summer swimming in the lake. Some of the village teenagers run to the lake and back home every morning which is very good exercise for them. Some SOS families go to the lake beach even in autumn and winter weekends too for playing with ball, looking at winter or autumn view of lake, breathe lake air and just to have fun. So we can say that lake side is the favorite place of all Village residents. Moreover, village children are fond of hiking in mountains. During summer time SOS families had a good rest in mountains. For instance, during the reporting period village youngsters visited Jety-Oguz gorge.

Activities for children at Cholponata, Kyrgyzstan

As a rule, when youngsters finish 9th grades they are transferred to Youth Facility where they study in colleges in order to get a profession. The Youth Facility of the Village is situated in the capital city of Kyrgyzstan which is Bishkek. And there were only 4 teenagers before but this year 10 more youngsters joined them in this academic year. The past academic year was very special for those 10 kids as they prepared a lot to take state examinations on several subjects and get certificates, after that take again exams in order to be enrolled into colleges. They worked very hard and eventually they all entered to colleges due to their abilities and desire.

Among the professions they chose are cooks, accountants, sportsman, designer, tourist agent, florist etc. So this academic year they began in a new environment and in a new place with new people. So when they left it was not as painful and sad as last year but still their mothers cried on the farewell party and so did the youngsters, especially girls. Youngsters organised a farewell party where they sang, showed danced and with tears in their eyes expressed their gratitude to their SOS mothers and gave them flowers on the farewell party. At the end of the concert SOS mothers gave their blessings and warm wishes to youngsters. There were lots of presents and gifts.

Growing up in Cholponata, Kyrgyzstan

During the year, 3 new kids were admitted to Children’s Village Cholponata with their own life stories. They found real caring families here and adjusted very quickly to their SOS mothers and SOS siblings. One of them is the youngest child in the whole village, she is 3 years old. At the moment the activities on admitting new kids are being held for the places of those youngsters who left for Youth Facility.

One more significant event with which we want to share is that final continental meeting of the pilot project called “Quality development in public schools and nursery schools” took place in the Children’s Village Cholponata. Within this project the public school after A. Osmonov which is attended by village children and 2 local nursery schools of Cholponata town received methodological literature, computers and furniture. Different trainings were held for school teachers and nursery school educators. Also this year A. Osmonov School, to which we help, received a status of “school-gymnasium” due to good quality education and high standards.

In the frame of the Global Peace Games 2008 football match was held in SOS Children’s Village Cholponata. The game was between the teams from SOS Children’s Village and team from the local community. Football instructor and village workers explained kids the aim of this event that it was not only fun and amusement but also contribution for the creation of peace in the world, to learn about peace, tolerance, harmony and respect for opponents regardless of gender, ethnicity, faith, abilities, health or any other attribution. The team from Children’s Village won the game with the score 1:2. They were on the seventh heaven with their victory. They got a Global Peace Games Cup.

The game ended up with the friendship handshake of all the team members.

On a regular base trainings are being held for village teenagers, SOS mothers, aunts and other staff of the village.
At the end of the report we want to express our gratitude again for your kind and generous support and ask you to accept our sincere thanks and God’s blessings. And also we congratulate you with coming Christmas and New Year 2009!

We wish you and your loved ones all the best in coming year!!! We do hope that economical crisis will not influence on our cooperation. May God’s blessings be upon you!

Village Director: Mr. Bakyt Abdiev