Alumni Organize Therapeutic Dance Classes for Youth With Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan

From September 2 to 11, Aicholpon Jorupbekova, a 2004 Muskie alumna, organized therapeutic dance classes on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan for 25 young people from Obereg, a rehabilitation center which serves children and youth with autism, epilepsy, Down’s syndrome, infantile paralysis, and other conditions. The classes combined medical treatments with competitions and games using balls, hoops, and jump ropes.

Aicholpon and fellow volunteers Satkyn Beketaeva (Muskie 2005) and Tahir Ahmetov (Muskie 2003) consulted with Obereg's instructors to develop a plan for the activities. According to feedback from the instructors, the classes helped participants improve physically as well as letting the young people enjoy the treatment process.

Aicholpon won a Project Smile grant to implement the project and received co-funding from Kalikova and Associates, the Bishkek law firm where she heads the mineral resources practice. Aicholpon also teaches mineral resources law to senior law students at the American University in Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Project Smile is a community development program for alumni of select Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) sponsored programs. Grants are awarded to alumni to implement community service activities that will benefit an underprivileged group in their local community such as children at an orphanage, the disabled or the elderly.