Alumni Organize Another End-of-Year Charity Drive for Orphans and Disabled Children

01/10/2013

It’s all smiles at the orphanage in Chirchik. (Photo courtesy of alumni of USG exchange programs)

IVLP Alumna Larisa Khodjaeva meets the children with disabilities and their parents for the holidays celebration. (Photo courtesy of alumni of USG exchange programs)

On December 21, the day when the world was to come to an end according to the Mayan calendar, the alumni of various U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs had other worries: how to bring together fellow alumni and friends to make a difference in others’ lives.

2009 Youth Exchange Opportunity alumnus Bobur Mirakhmedov did all the legwork to prepare for the alumni new year party at X-club. The night was filled with holiday festive spirit, dancing, networking and socializing activities, but most importantly, it was a chance for alumni to make a contribution to the annual alumni charity drive.

1,350,000 Uzbek soums were collected at the party, out of which 600,000 was spent to buy small gifts for the orphanage. Shahnoza Suyarova, the 2008 Global UGRAD alumna who led this project and collected additional funds among her friends and colleagues, organized a trip to Chirchik orphanage #14 on December 23, where 97 children met Father Frost (Ded Moroz) and the Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) and received gifts.

The remaining 750,000 collected was equally divided among 15 children with disabilities of Bektemir, a district on the outskirts of Tashkent. The money was used to purchase medication and given as small monetary stipends to the children. 2007 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumna Larisa Khodjaeva, an active advocate for the rights of children with disabilities, emphasized how happy she was to “see that my fellow alumni helped these children to feel their support this holiday season. Once again, I feel proud to be part of a group of people with great social awareness.”