The world is too round to sit silently in the corner

On April 23-24, volunteers of the MDG Youth Network joined forces to organize the unique interactive tours to the world of MDGs at two schools in Tashkent-school 107 and 171. The idea to carry out this project came out in order to celebrate the Global Youth Service Day, which is celebrated annually around the world and to raise awareness on the Millennium Development Goals among future generations.

Initially, Global Youth Service Day is the largest annual celebration of young volunteers, where millions of young people in countries everywhere highlight and carry out thousands of community improvement projects. Previously, in 2006 volunteers from the network have already celebrated GYSD by organizing the gender training for the children at the orphanage in Chirchik, Uzbekistan.

 
Before visiting schools, volunteers have prepared and gave out the handouts for children describing each of the MDGs in global and local context, so that the children could compare the situation. All the children then had to read carefully given handouts in order to be able to participate and answer the questions on MDGs.

 
Moreover, volunteers of the MDG youth network prepared a short play showing the life of a poor family having many children and surviving their days until they find out about the MDGs and why it’s important to get quality education, have equal opportunities, take care of mother’s and child’s  health and sustain the environment. As the play shows this all can prevent living in poverty and eventually mean a better life for all. After the school children watched the play they gave some feedback on what helped the family to get out of poverty as well as what could happen to the family once they didn’t realize the importance of MDGs.

Later on volunteers asked questions  and played interactive games based on the handouts given earlier to the school children. Those, who answered correctly were awarded with small MDG prizes. When answering questions children expressed their views as well. For example, several of them were mentioning the situation with the dump that was close to their school and how they are trying to fight throwing garbage on the streets around school. When talking with volunteers about volunteerism and importance of helping to improve communities,  children shared their own experience of helping their community by organizing the book drive for children form the local orphanage. 

At the end children had a chance to express their vision on MDGs, when drawing colourful posters. And as a reward to all of them for participating in the project and to strengthen their interest in MDGs children were given books “Adventures to the MDG World” published by UN office in Uzbekistan.