Eight-year old Daulet suffers from a rare genetic illness that prevents him from walking without crutches or other assistance. Unable to attend classes with his peers and self-conscious about his disabilities, the disheartened boy spent much of his time indoors in state sponsored housing for impoverished families, afraid to play with his peers for fear of hurting himself. However, thanks to Bereke, a local NGO supported by the IREX-assisted BOTA Foundation [6], Daulet now takes art lessons and field trips along side other young children.
For many in Kazakhstan [7], access to quality education is an enormous challenge. It is even more difficult for those like Daulet who suffer from chronic illness. Bereke is one NGO addressing these challenges by providing services to children at risk of falling through the cracks in the absence of social safety nets. By bringing mobile early childhood development (ECD) classrooms to underserved communities around Kazakhstan, Bereke eliminates the prohibitive cost of sending children away to school. Local community and religious leaders who are involved find it a blessing, and so does Daulet’s mother.
After two months of ECD courses, Daulet overcame his fears and quickly became a favorite among Bereke staff and his classmates. His mother notes, “Previously, my son had studied with teachers at home, but thanks to the courses, he received the chance to study among his peers for the first time.”
Through the BOTA Foundation’s Social Services Program, Bereke opened two centers near Shymkent in Kazakhstan. BOTA also supports Bereke’s efforts to organize trainings and workshops on ECD methodologies as well as on NGO management. With additional support from BOTA, Bereke is transforming its mobile centers and is developing more intensive ECD coursework that will directly benefit children such as Daulet and scores of additional underprivileged children.
The above story is originally featured in our 2011 Annual Report [8]. With your help, we can continue to make education inclusive for children like Dautlet. Please consider making a gift online through our donation page [9].