A summer of active youth

July 22, 2010

This summer Shakhrisabz district of Kashkadarya Region bustled with ideas, youth energy and creative endeavors. As many as 500 talented and active boys and girls came together at Kelajak ovozi Summer Training Camp of the Fund Forum where they were trained by professionals from Uzbekistan, UK, Italy, Japan, Germany and Korea.

The project devised by the Fund Forum and the Youth Initiative Center is now in its fourth year. From July 8 to July 21 talented and active young boys and girls from across the Republic had an opportunity to attend training sessions, devise new projects and participate in cultural and sporting events.

This year the collaborative project of was supported by a number of foreign partners such as the British Council, UNFPA, Korean International Cooperation Agency, Japanese International Cooperation Agency, UN Volunteers, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Korean Internet Volunteers Program, DVV International, Nagoya University (Japan), Westminster University (UK) and Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent.

Each year the project organizers try to create new opportunities and make camp life useful and interesting for its participants. Last year the camp focused on economic models and the children studies the subtleties of doing business under the circumstances of the global financial crisis while this year the theme is more interesting and more ambitious. Emphasis was made on the study of issues related to international cooperation, humanitarian, cultural and economic links. The young people were divided into teams, presenting different mega cities of the world, learning the culture and way of life in different countries. They used knowledge they gained during the training sessions during forums, conferences, negotiations and other events.

Samatov Ziyodullo, a member of Kelajak ovozi Youth Initiative Centre, a Master`s Degree student at Tashkent State Technical University (Andijan):

- I like the way the camp was organized. The agenda was awesome. The training sessions given by specialists from Japan, Germany, Uzbekistan have been very interesting and useful. I got loads of new information related to my major. At the institute we get theoretical knowledge while here the trainers showed us how to apply it in practice. Innovation Day was particularly interesting to me, and we did a presentation of our project to create a webpage for the camp. We have developed the idea and now we will try to embody the idea. This is my third time at the camp and I see so many good changes in terms of the camp organization. This time I have enjoyed myself the most. It`s amazing that year after year things are changing for the better.

The camp included presentations and educational events with the participation of partner organizations. Specifically, the Representative Office of Nagoya University in Tashkent, the British Council, UNFPA, UNDP, and the Indian Cultural Center did presentations on cooperation and collaborative projects. The Social Initiative Support Fund jointly with DVV International organized a Health Day while the National Association of Microfinance Organizations and Credit Unions in collaboration with the EU provided special training sessions on financial education.

Lem Sabina, a winner of Kelajak ovozi Talented Youth Contest-2009, a laureate of Yangi avlod Children`s Creativity Festival, and a student at Social Economic College (Tashkent region):

- I am here for the first time and I`m very fortunate. I`m only 16 years old and I was a little concerned as to how I would get along with other participants. As it turns out now, there was nothing to fear. I was not only warmly welcome but also taken care of as the youngest sister. During these 14 days we were able to learn a lot, to rest and make new friends. This was a true summer and the atmosphere has been conducive to new ideas. I would be more than happy to come to the camp again next year and I will do my best to get here again.

Every day the participants could join a series of cultural events such as Mega-Vision, Miss Megacity, KVN, a concert dedicated to the 2nd anniversary of Kelajak ovozi Instrumental Ensemble, sporting competitions, etc. Kelajak ovozi Press Center and media teams issued daily mural newspapers covering camp life. Young journalists from youth TV studios from all regions covered the camp events in news programs.

Hakamova Jamila, a trainer, head of the Methodology Division of Bioecosan Training Complex (Tashkent):

- Here at the camp I oversaw training sessions on youth leadership and psychology. Having observed the children, I want to say I`m struck by how independent our youth are. I`ve been to other camps before and I can say that here boys and girls are truly dedicated to what they do. The mega city idea and camp agenda itself have enabled the children to show their skills and test their skills in many areas. They are truly interested in everything that happens here. They have all made for perfect teams. I would like to thank all the organizers for giving these children the training opportunity and giving us, the trainers, the opportunity to get to know the talented students and work with them.

During the closing ceremony for the Summer Camp the most active participants, trainers and guests were awarded diplomas and prizes by the organizers and partners. The Fund Forum, for one, gave up-to-date computers to each regional branch of Kelajak ovozi Youth Initiative Centre. The British Council made available books for regional Resource Centers. The director of the Indian Cultural Centre in Tashkent announced an allocation of grants to study in Indian universities for several volunteers of the YIC. While almost everyone received presents and prizes, the main acquisition for the young participants was new friends and knowledge.