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Bakcell launches new project

23 December 2010 12:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Vahab Rzayev - APA-Economics. Bakcell, the first mobile operator in Azerbaijan is successfully expanding its Corporate Social Responsibility Program â€œBakcell Starsâ€ that supports child - focused educational projects. In November 2010, Bakcell and Social Services Initiative (SSI), one of the four Bakcell Stars partner organizations launched Sport for Development and Inclusion (SDI) Project for children with hearing impairments.

The overall goal of SDI project is the use of sport and play to improve psycho-social development of children living in the state institutions. The project targets over 500 children aged 8 to 17 years with hearing impairments from the state boarding schools No 1 and No 3 in Nizami district of Baku. â€œWithin the project, SSI will provide training to 30 physical education teachers from the target institutions to increase their knowledge and practice on sport and play who will then organize Play Days among children to serve the promotion of power of sport and play for all, especially children with disabilitiesâ€, says Mr. Mehman Karimov, SSI Executive Director.

In December, 2010 Social Services Initiative within SDI project organized a football tournament dedicated to the International Disabled Peopleâ€™s Day to raise awareness on the sport for the disabled. The tournament was supported by the Football Federation of Disabled People and Azerbaijan Football Federations Association (AFFA). Five teams from the special purpose boarding schools of Baku participated in the tournament.

According to Mehman Karimov, SSI Executive Director, this tournament will be remembered by the sportsmen and supporters not only for its intense sports competition, but also for its social and entertainment program. As opposed to the previous tournaments, this time a great number of supporters from the boarding schools were joined by â€œOlimpâ€ dancing group, Rollers Group, â€œMushfigâ€ Support to Children with Disabilities Union and young footballers of Lachin football team. â€œThese talented young children joined this event to support their peers and show solidarity with the message that â€œDisability is not an illness, it is just the difference in capabilitiesâ€, Mr. Karimov said.