The ANO "Public Center for Social Initiatives" from the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in the Rostov Region and the WAC team have joined their forces within the framework of a social design project.
The first trip in 2025 within the framework of a joint project with the ANO "Public Center for Social Initiatives" was carried out in the village of Pakuash, where a two-day training on the basics of social design was held, as a result of which one of the four youth initiatives developed during the trainings was selected.
The "Growth Point of NCO: Abkhazia" project of the ANO "Public Center for Social Initiatives" became the winner of the competition of the Presidential Grants Fund of the Russian Federation. This cooperation between the two organizations allows expanding the capabilities of the social design project, which in 2024 was carried out by the WAC jointly with the State Committee for Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of Abkhazia.
This year, in addition to one initiative that will be implemented in schools as part of social design, the project is expanding with the task that the "Growth Point of NCO: Abkhazia" project set for itself - creating conditions for the arrangement of public spaces on the basis of schools in four villages - Shashikuara, Aatsy, Pakuash and Uakum.
Public spaces for leisure, various trainings, entertainment, and rehearsals will be organized on the school grounds. The project will allow to purchase building materials for minor cosmetic repairs to the allocated premises, if necessary, and then the necessary equipment will be purchased to equip the space. The list of purchased equipment, furniture, and technology will be compiled according to the request of the students themselves, since they will have to take responsibility for what exactly will happen in this space and what they need to realize their plans. These may be projectors, laptops, board games, furniture, poufs etc.
The training in the village of Pakuash traditionally lasted two days: the first day included theoretical knowledge, and on the second day the participants were divided into teams and worked on creating their projects. Then the experts chose the one they liked best.
One of the project partners who participated in the trainings on social design, Rustam Aslakhanov, said that the project is of great interest to students.
"We create spaces that allow schoolchildren to study, develop further, and participate in social projects. We try to create conditions to bring this process to a new qualitative level. The children's interest is huge, the emotions and immersion of the children in the process of preparing projects are very pleasing. They are very smart. This really motivates us in our work, and gives confidence that there are great prospects for both our interaction and the children themselves," he noted.
Social design specialists Naida Abidova and Mate Tskvitariia shared their basic knowledge with the participants, helped to define and identify the problem, draw up a budget, create a project and present it.
Specialist of the Department of Youth and Sports Development at the WAC Esma Kvitsiniia shared her impressions of the interaction between schoolchildren and moderators, and also expressed gratitude to the organization financing the project.
"Every child can find something in the social project that suits their abilities and feel their importance. While working on the project, students can update their knowledge in several academic disciplines, learn to work with information, set goals and get results! Of the four projects presented, this time the sports and health project received support from the youth initiative. We are grateful to the ANO "Public Center for Social Initiatives" for the support that will be provided to schoolchildren. Equipping the gym with sports equipment and cosmetic repairs to the premises is a request from the students, and it was heard and supported," said Kvitsiniia.
The day before, a briefing on cooperation between the World Abaza Congress and the Russian Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization "Public Center for Social Initiatives" from the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region, was held at the WAC office, where an agreement on further cooperation in the field of supporting youth and educational initiatives was signed.
The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the WAC Mussa Ekzekov noted that the support of the project by the Russian Presidential Grants Fund is evidence of the success of the Congress team and the effectiveness of the working method.
"The support of our project for the development of youth initiatives in Abkhazian villages by the Russian Presidential Grants Fund is evidence of the success of the work of the entire Congress team, and, most importantly, that our working method produces results and can serve as a basis for major positive changes in the life of Abkhazia. It is equally important that this joint project with the Russian "Public Center for Social Initiatives" will allow for a close partnership between civil activists of Russia and Abkhazia and will open up new areas of cooperation between the two fraternal countries," Ekzekov noted.
Since 2024, trainings on the basics of social design have been held in the towns and villages of Abkhazia for high school students with the aim of involving schoolchildren in project activities, developing thinking and the creative process.
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