The "Twinned Karabakh Schools" project, held in Switzerland on August 7-13, 2023, by the Fund for Support to Azerbaijani Diaspora, has ended. According to the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, children studying at the schools of the recently liberated Aghdam, Shusha, Lachin, Jabrayil, Fuzuli and Zangilan districts have settled in the "Juvenat" camp together with the students of the "Karabakh" weekend school operating in Switzerland. 17 students and 2 teachers from Azerbaijan, as well as 11 students and 2 teacher from Switzerland participated in the project. Head of "Cultural Centre of Azerbaijanis in Switzerland" Gasim Nasirov was in charge of the camp management. The attendees of the camp were informed about the history of Karabakh, also participated in cultural and educational panels, got acquainted with the remarkable sights of Bern, Barenberg and other cities. A camp program also included a visit to the Swiss parliament, various museums, nature walks, fun games and exchange of experiences. The project started last year. Within the framework of the project, the students of the Karabakh weekend school operating in Switzerland and the children from the families of IDPs and martyrs' underwent training at the "Jirtdan" Republican Children's Recreation and Wellness Centre located in the Shuvelan settlement of the Khazar district of Baku city between the dates July 18-24, 2022. Ten students and 2 trainers from Switzerland, 14 students and 2 trainers from local schools participated in the project. Gasim Nasirov, head of 'Cultural Centre of Azerbaijanis in Switzerland', Ulviyya Gouliyeva, teacher of Kamalli village of Lachin region, Jeyhuna Aliyeva, teacher of Aghdam city school No. 88, Leyla Baghirzadeh, teacher of Karabakh school in Switzerland attended both camps. Students participated in cultural and educational panel discussions and visited charming corners of Azerbaijan and museums. Along with constant networking, the children had a chance to improve their Azerbaijani language skills. At the Fifth Congress of World Azerbaijanis held in Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev recommended to strengthen the activities in the direction of opening weekend schools and promote the mother tongue among the Azerbaijanis. This project can be considered an important step towards the implementation of the President's recommendations. The establishment of "Karabakh schools" in foreign countries has been initiated and recommended by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. The Weekend schools have already been launched in Nantes city of France, Bern city of Switzerland, Warsaw city of Poland, and Stockholm city of Sweden. The purpose of these schools is to teach Azerbaijani children their mother tongue, literature, history, and culture, and instil in them the truth about Azerbaijan.
Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency