Enhance participation of children with disabilities with successful testimonials in Kyrgyzstan

"Children should strive to help each other. People must respect and appreciate each other. Every child needs to learn now to not put education off much longer" said Kalyk Mambetakunov during an information campaign in Ak-Suu school, Moskowskii district, a semi-urban area not far from the capital city of Bishkek. The event was organized on September 16th, 2014  by Save the Children in the framework of the project "Promotion, protection and enforcing  the rights of people with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan" funded by the European Union.

Kalyk used to be a Kyrgyz teenager like many others. He was the only boy in his family. His father was a shepherd and Kalyk, to support his family, was herding sheeps in the mountains. After a cold night in the mountains, Kalyk got very sick and during his illness, he lost his sight. Kalyk was only 16 years old. “Since that moment, the promise I made to myself was to “live and not give up”, explained Kalyk, now 62 years old.

Kalyk is now the president of the Kyrgyz Association of Blind and Deaf. He is also a member of the executive committee of the World Blind Union (based in Oslo), the Vice-President of the Asian Blind Union (based in Delhi) and a member of the Regional Union of Blind and Deaf.

As a testimonial, Kalyk shared his story-life and his dreams with school children, parents, teacher and representatives of Social Protection Department: "It was very hard for me. I learned Braille in 3 days. Everyone was surprised that I was able to do it. I understood that something was happening to me and I could have made it" said Mr. Mambetakunov.

The event aimed at providing school-children with the opportunity to informally talk with people with disabilities who overcame challenges and discrimination, offering positive examples and successful life-stories against negative stereotypes.

The meeting continued with a dance performance by Tumar, a Kyrgyz-traditional dancing group that included children with disabilities dancing on their wheelchairs. The group has been invited to several festivals in Austria, Germany, Istanbul, China, Hong Kong. Adina Samyybek kyzy, 15 years old and a member of Tumar group, has been studying dance for 5 years. Adina trains everyday to keep fit. “My dream is to become a primary school teacher” Adina said, “Children don’t ever give up. You set a goal and you achieve it”.

The European Union funded project works to creating a positive community environment where rights of children with disabilities are enforced and their participation is enhanced. Save the Children has been working on Inclusive Education in Kyrgyzstan since 1998 with support of different donors, being the leading agency in the country for advocating the rights of children with disabilities.