On July 9-10, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Azerbaijan Edward Carvardine, and President of the International Eurasia Press Fund Umud Mirzayev visited the frontline regions of Azerbaijan — Terter, Barda, and Goranboy. 

 

The purpose of the visit was to monitor the joint project of UNICEF and IEPF — the Azerbaijan Youth Advocacy Program (AYAP). Foreign students from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, who are interested in learning about the life of young people living at the frontline areas of Azerbaijan, also took part in the visit, reports Eurasia Diary. 

 

Events in Barda 

 

At the meeting with the Head of Executive Power, Vidadi Isayev, he expressed his full support for UNICEF and IEPF in implementing projects related to children and youth in the region and promised to encourage young people to improve their educational, cultural and social life. 

 

 

UNICEF Representative Edward Carwardine said he was pleased to see many people as well as young people interested in the development of youth from regions of Azerbaijan. According to him, the participation of young people in the decision-making process and their opinions are very important. He believes that this will help them feel more confident and develop leadership skills. 

 

Later, a meeting was held with the previous and current members of the AYAP program, who shared their impressions on the initiative. 

 

Planned events have been completed at the book cafe located in the area. The participants of the AYAP project have prepared music performance and flash mob. 

 

 

Trip to Terter 

 

On the same day, representatives of UNICEF and IEPF traveled to Terter, a frontline region of Azerbaijan, close to Barda. 

 

After the official meeting with the head of Executive Power of Terter region Mustaqim Mammadov, the monitoring group visited the 3D cinema, located in the Youth and Sports Center, to meet with the children. Note that the opening of the cinema has recently been carried out within the framework of AYAP. 

 

 

Instead of long opening remarks, Edward Carvardine began talking to the local children. On the main question of the UNICEF representative about what else should be constructed in the region, the children vied with each other and called a public swimming pool for girls, education courses, and tutoring services, and Olympiads. 

 

“The most important thing to do whatever you want is to formulate the right arguments and convey them to the district executive. He recommended that efforts should be made to overcome the interests of young people and the authorities. For example, these projects will benefit young people from the region for their future and will naturally support all the necessary structures if they help them gain new professional skills for the improvement of local economies and industries. 

 

If you want your project to succeed, responsible individuals should believe in its success. However, for achieving it, you need to be self-confident and be a leader, and we, UNICEF representatives together with IEPF, will organize trainings for you.” said UNICEF Representative. 

 

 

 

“Sport for Everyone” in Goranboy 

 

The main event of monitoring group's visit was the opening of a sports stadium in Safikurd village of the Goranboy region, as part of the AYAP activity. The opening ceremony was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the “Youth for Sport” sports festival. 

 

 

Head of Goranboy Executive Power Nizamaddin Guliyev opened the event. In his opening speech, he said that such initiatives will also be supported in other settlements of the region. He also thanked the UNICEF and IEPF representatives for their support and great interest in the development of youth. 

 

 

UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan, Edward Carvardine, said the invitation to the opening of the stadium was a great honor for him. 

 

“The advantage of sport is that it combines different people, and it gives girls, boys and disabled young people the chance to see children at different ages living in different villages of Goranboy.” 

 

IEPF President Umid Mirzayev said that Safikurd, one of the oldest villages in Azerbaijan, has more than 300 years of history. According to him, many intellectuals of Azerbaijan, including one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, were born in Safikurd. 

 

 

Speaking about the Sports Festival Umud Mirzayev said that the best proof of the positive impact of the sport on young people is the child's happiness. 

 

“Sport is not only giving benefits to the health but also it helps to develop communication, self-discipline and healthy competition skills.” 

 

A former member of AYAP, Fuad Mammadov, author of the idea of building sports structures shared with the audience how he came up with the idea of opening a stadium for all youth regardless of their physical and financial status. 

 

The Sports Festival continued with women's and men's volleyball matches, wrestling and short and long runs. 

 

 

 

After cutting the red ribbon, more than a hundred children held a flash mob dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

 

 

 

 

In the end, the most active participants were awarded certificates, medals, trophies, and balls. 

 

 

 

Commenting on the results of the two-day visit to Eurasia Daily, UNICEF Representative Edward Carvardine, said that their monitoring group was convinced that UNICEF and IEPF are actively working together with the AYAP at the frontline. 

 

“We have seen that AYAP unites children and young people and helps them to participate in the decision-making process, which is a very positive experience for young people, and they want to play a part in society, and be active in the future. They are very enthusiastic about learning new skills to help to improve their regions,” said Edward Carvardine.

 

 

 

Natalia Guliyeva

EurasiaDiary © Must be hyperlinked when used.

Follow us:
Twitter: @Eurasia_Eng
Facebook: EurasiaEng