The Foundation of the First President gathered more than three thousand children and adolescents at the inclusive festival «Aman Keleshek» in Almaty
Last weekend at the Palace of Sports and Culture, named after B. Sholak in Almaty there was a laughter of children sounded, famous songs sung by young Kazakhstani people, sports games and relay races were held with the participation of norm-typical children and their peers with developmental disabilities. The VI republican inclusive festival for children and adolescents «Aman Keleshek», organized by the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy, with the support of the City Administration of Almaty, was held there.
Every year at the festival «Aman Keleshek», which has become a kind of childhood holiday, children from all over Kazakhstan participate. These are children with disabilities, from low-income and large families, children from orphanages and boarding schools, gifted children, young athletes, winners of school competitions and laureates of competitions. During the existence of one of the brightest socially significant projects of the Foundation of Elbasy, more than 20,000 small citizens of our country took part in it.
- The main goal of the festival «Aman Keleshek» is to promote broad inclusive views in Kazakhstani society. This project allows to reveal the concept of «inclusion» from different perspectives. Indeed, today the majority have a firm conviction that inclusion includes only the involvement of people with developmental disabilities in active social life, but there are many tools for inclusion. And our task, adults, is to learn how to use them correctly in relation to children who were not born like everyone else. And also to bring up normotipic children in an inclusive atmosphere, where they will not only be able to communicate with special peers, but will themselves help them in any situations. And it all starts with games, master classes and relay races. That is why the festival «Aman Keleshek» is a large interactive platform where every child can feel important and necessary for society. A country where everyone, regardless of their social status, realizes their potential, finds the opportunity to develop their talents, shows their unique abilities, can rightfully be competitive, said Sergey Tokhtarov, the Director of the Representative Office of the Foundation of the First President in Almaty.
This year the festival «Aman Keleshek» was held in a new format. The event began with a concert program with the participation of young gifted Kazakhstanis and pop stars. Little dancers performed choreographic numbers, one of which was dedicated to the symbol of the festival - bird Samruk. The culmination of the concert was the anthem «Aman Keleshek», which was sung by solo children and the choir. During the solemn composition, spectators in the stands launched paper birds «Samruk».
The Commissioner for the Child’s Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aruzhan Sain, who is familiar with «Aman Keleshek» firsthand, addressed the participants of the festival.
- Today I am doubly pleased to perform on this wonderful stage, because in previous years I was the host of this festival. I like «Aman Keleshek» - thanks to the Foundation of the First President, there is always an atmosphere of unity. Ordinary children, children with disabilities and pupils of orphanages, representing all regions of the country, at the festival find events and activities that appeal to their interests. For many, a trip to Almaty, especially for those who have never been here, is a kind of journey, because someone has never left the walls of their houses and institutions. I think that in Kazakhstan there should be more of such holidays that inspire children, allow them to prove themselves, to reveal talents, to communicate with each other. Such projects are much more useful than many concerts and public events that took place and left no trace. And here, each child takes with him a huge experience, new acquaintances, inspiration, and strives to get to the festival the very next year, said the Children's Ombudsman.
And each participant was really able to prove himself at the festival. The second part of the event consisted of three main thematic blocks - education, creativity and sports.
In the section «Education», children with special needs learned about Kazakhstani universities that are oriented towards inclusive education. University representatives presented training grant programs, as well as talked about professions in which children with disabilities will be able to prove themselves in the future. Teachers also shared success stories of their special wards, thereby inspiring festival participants to study, as well as to develop interest in science and innovation.
Public and non-governmental organizations conducted a series of trainings and master classes for social educators and parents raising children with special needs. By the way, on the eve of the festival, a workshop was held for social educators and head teachers in educational work from 40 schools in Almaty on the topic «Formation of an inclusive educational process». The training aimed at finding motivation among teachers and the formation of a new progressive attitude towards inclusion was carried out by the Center for Social Inclusive Programs.
On the «creative» site for all comers, art masters based on inclusive programs held master classes in four areas: drawing and painting, paper modeling, decorative and applied art and floristry. Children of different ages with their mentors enthusiastically made various applications, tried to create national jewelry and learned the art of origami.
Perhaps the most interesting was the sports zone prepared by the Center for Social Inclusive Programs of Saltanat Murzalinova-Yakovleva (CSIP). Sports games and relay races with the participation of norm-typical and special children were held here. The peculiarity of inclusive sport is that it is not aimed at the victory of one over the other, but at a high-quality interaction between competitors.
- The message of this festival is empathy. The festival program is aimed not at correction, but at interaction, which is very important. The most important thing in inclusive games is that everyone, regardless of their characteristics, has the opportunity to join the process. The focus is not on the result, but on the atmosphere. The team wins where there is an atmosphere of interaction, where they support each other, said Saltanat Murzalinova-Yakovleva, the head of the Center for Social Inclusive Programs.
It should be noted that the honorary guests of the current festival were Igor Rogov, the Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President, the Deputy Head of the Almaty Education Department Gulnara Aitkulova, public figure, actress, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan Venera Nigmatullina, famous Kazakhstan film director Rashid Nugmanov and other representatives of the creative intelligentsia.
The Foundation of the First President expresses gratitude to the partners who assisted in holding the festival «Aman Keleshek»: Almaty City Administration, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Kazakhstan, Almaty City Branch of the Youth Wing «Jas Otan» of the Party «Nur Otan», the Palace of Sports and Culture named after B. Sholak, JSC «Rakhat» and CF «Charitable Foundation «Rakhat-Demeu», company «Asia Su» (water «Turan»), the Center for Social Inclusive Programs of Saltanat Murzalinova-Yakovleva, the Production Center «Tandau», Almaty Management University, the Business School «Synergy», the Foundation of Bulat Utemuratov, Private Charitable Fund «Azamat Аleueti».
Press Service of the Foundation of Elbasy
PR-manager in Almaty Artur Zhumashev
+7 708 960 56 13, +7 (727) 220-92-16
