National awareness campaign "Every child needs a family!"

National awareness campaign ‘Every child needs a family!’ has been launched by Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Labor and Population’s Social Protection Ministry, Azercell Telekom LTD and UNICEF. 

The opening ceremony of the campaign that took place November 20 at Park INN Azerbaijan Hotel was addressed by Ganira Pashayeva, head of department at Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP, Natig Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Population’s Social Protection, Irada Huseynova, Deputy Minister of Education, Sedaget Gahramanova, Deputy Chairperson of State Committee for Family, Woman and Child Problems, Ali Agan, Vice-President of Azercell Telekom, and Muhammad Bendris Alami, Acting Head of UNICEF Azerbaijan Office.

Noting education and health of the youth, protection of children is priority to Heydar Aliyev Foundation led by Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP, Ganira Pashayeva informed of projects performed by the Organization in the sphere. It is not by chance that the first project Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which has an active position in the society since 2004, realized was the Children Homes and Boarding Schools Development Programme. The project contributed to radical change of conditions in many of children homes and boarding schools in the country, improvement of children’s social circumstances, lifting quality of training, and the most important, their growth under conditions close to family environment. Heydar Aliyev Foundation has implemented repair and reconstruction at more than 30 children homes and boarding schools so far. To increase attention to children deprived of family care the Foundation arranged in 2005 Round Table ‘Giving Children from Children Homes to Families and Alternative Care in the Republic of Azerbaijan’ with participation of the Azeri Government, international and non-governmental organizations, representatives of children homes and boarding schools, fruitful discussion was held.

G.Pashayeva talked of the ‘State Programme on Giving Children from Public Children Institutions to Families (deinstitutionalization) and Alternative Care in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2006-2015)’ approved by Presidential Decree of March 29, 2006, underlined significance of the document, calling on all to take close part in the national awareness campaign.

Speakers mentioned in Azerbaijan about 17,000 children live in the public institutions, stressing reforms carried out in the country in field of child protection must be supported by assuring the public awareness. They said the State Programme mentioned aims to revive the child protection system in the society and reduce the number of children abandoned to children homes by supporting families. All forces must come together for this mission. Today, there are thousands of children deprived of love and needing family care.

Special videos were shown in the event, Sema group of the Republican Child Organization performed national Azeri dances.

MPs, government officials, representatives of international organizations, public and mass media were present in the ceremony.