KAZAKHSTAN: UNICEF and Special Olympics Sign Agreement

UNICEF Kazakhstan and Special Olympics Kazakhstan signed a Momorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the UNICEF Country Office in Astana on 1 June 2009.  The agreement was signed by Hanaa Singer, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan, and Olga Bakhareva, National Director, Special Olympics Kazakhstan. 

Both organizations agreed to “develop a partnership to advance their shared goal to improve the lives of children with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities…[with] the major objectives [being] advocacy for social policy that benefit children with disabilities in the area of health care, education, recreational sports and employment, raising of public awareness and knowledge of children with disabilities, their abilities and rights, and addressing barriers that impede inclusion and development…” 

UNICEF's Singer said: ""We hope to have more fruiful and deep cooperation with Special Olympics Kazakhstan. This is a general Memorandum of Understanding. It should definitely have additional information regarding our cooperation. We will have to work on it and attach to the MoU."

Already, UNICEF and Special Olympics Kazakhstan have successfully worked together on health promotion for children with intellectual disabilities in eastern Kazakhstan.

The agreement is the ninth to be signed as part of the UNICEF-Special Olympics partnership that was started in 2007. 

The signing took place as part of a Special Olympics Kazakhstan national table tennis tournament involving 150 athletes from nine regions.  Also as part of the tournament was a FunFitness screening which all of the athletes benefited from.

UNICEF supported the tournament.  Sponsors included KazRosGas and the sports complex Duman.

The signing and the tournament were reported in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Ogni Alatay and The Almaty Herald.

Photo:  Special Olympics athletes march in Parade of Athletes at UNICEF-supported table tennis tournament in Astana.  Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Kazakhstan.