Press Releases

UNHCR and Mayor’s Office open children’s playground for multi-ethnic communities.

Osh, 24 June 2015 (UNHCR) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees jointly with the Osh Mayor’s office supported a vulnerable community in Osh city by constructing a playground for all children in the neighbourhood. Today, the project has been presented to the public by the Mayor of Osh City, Mr. Aitmamat Kadyrbaev, and UNHCR’s Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic, Ms. Maki Shinohara.
 
Five thousand citizens of Kyrgyz and Uzbek ethnicities reside in six soviet-type dormitories and the surrounding Uzbek makhalla in Verhne-Uvamskaya Street of Ak-Bura territorial council. Over 1200 are children under the age of ten. Most of the households consist of internal labor migrants who recently came to Osh city from rural Kyrgyzstan.

The neighborhood lacks all kinds of municipal services such as drinking water system, canalization, proper heating and gas supply. Despite all these problems, local community members put the absence of a children’s playground on top of their agenda. Many families cannot afford to pay for kindergartens and do not have an access to preschool education.  

Ms. Gulbary Ysmailova, Head of the neighborhood committee, explains: “For our residents, especially for children, there is no entertainment opportunity. There was not a single playground in the area, where children from dormitories and the Uzbek makhala could play together”.  

In order to resolve this problem, local community members approached Osh Mayor’s Office and UNHCR. Both, the UN Refugee Agency and the local authorities provided their full support of the initiative. In total 636 540 KGS were allocated by both UNHCR and Osh Mayor’s office for construction of the playground. The project was then implemented by Foundation for Tolerance International, UNHCR’s local NGO partner.

The successful implementation of such initiatives will ensure trustful relationship between authorities and the area’s multiethnic population. Through the example of this successful initiative, the local community will be empowered to mobilize support and address pressing issues with the relevant authorities. In addition, both children from dormitories and the Uzbek makhalla will use this playground, which will help to establish regular cooperation and good relations within the community.

“By supporting this project we foster the trustful relationships between Kyrgyz community living at dormitories and the neighboring Uzbek makhalla. In addition, we draw the attention of the local authorities to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable portions of the population, whose right to adequate housing are yet to be fully fulfilled. We trust that this initiative will improve trust and confidence among the multiethnic communities of Verhne-Uvamskaya Street, and between communities and the local authorities”- says Maki Shinohara, UNHCR Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic.