11 May 2009 AKIpress
Kyrgyzstan will share the experiences of sustainable development of early childhood education at a special international learning event entitled Program Learning Group (PLG) bringing together over 60 early childhood specialists from 20 countries of South and Central Asia, East and Southern Africa, the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Russia in Kyrgyzstan on May 10-16, 2009.
Organized by Aga Khan Foundation-Geneva, an agency of Aga Khan Development Network, PLG is organized to expand the success of an early childhood education (ECD) model, which provides for financial sustainability and increases access to high-quality kindergartens at affordable costs in mountainous regions. The model was developed by the Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP KG) of Aga Khan Foundation – Kyrgyz Republic and is implemented in partnership with local governments and community groups.
“PLG comes at a pivotal time when education is one of the top priorities of the Kyrgyz Government. We believe our initiative will make a contribution to mapping a road to the restoration of quality early childhood education and give Kyrgyzstan an opportunity to share its achievements at an international level,” says Nurjehan Mawani, Aga Khan Development Network Representative for KR.
During the PLG Meeting delegates will make field trips to Alai rayon where they will observe innovative alternative approaches which enable kindergartens to reach more children in rural areas, including a unique initiative of yurt kindergartens in the jailoo (pastures), which preserve the traditional lifestyle while providing children with mobile preschools. Participants will also learn about the income generation activities including vegetable growing and animal breeding at preschool institutions, which raise funds to cover different needs of children.
To date, MSDSP KG has applied its sustainable model and restored 82 kindergartens in Osh oblast and Naryn. In Alai and Chonalai districts where the program operates, the model has increased access almost five-fold – from 510 children in 2005 to more than 2,400 in 2008. In addition, MSDSP KG has developed and published 25 Kyrgyz-language books for young children, established 21 libraries with the support of local partners in villages and set up a revolving fund where profits from book sales are re-invested into publishing new books.
“ECD program influences social, cultural, economic, geopolitical and political contexts in which children are growing up and this impacts upon individual and national development,” says Burulai Aitikulova, Early Childhood Development Program officer of Aga Khan Foundation.
Previous PLG were held in Syria in 2006 and Tanzania in 2007 and pursued the same aim of laying a strong foundation for further learning, experience and expertise exchanging across countries and accelerating progress towards the Education for All, one of eight Millennium Development Goals.
His Highness the Aga Khan is founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.
In Kyrgyzstan, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) works through its local partner, the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP KG) in Osh and Naryn Oblasts where complementary interventions in education, health, and rural development converge in villages and are implemented in partnership with government authorities, community organisations, and local civil society groups. In April 2006 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth Policy and Aga Khan Development Network that enables Aga Khan Foundation to support the development of the education sector.AKIpress
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