Children Protection Day in Almaty

Almaty, June 02, 2009 (Khabar) - Children Protection Day is one of the oldest theme days celebrated around the world. The decision on celebrating June the 1st as International Child Protection Day was passed in the congress of International Democratic Federation of Women in November 1949. The UN supported such an initiative and declared the protection of rights, the life and health of children as one of the priorities in its activity. On the square in front of the Palace of Republic in Almaty, special fanfares announced the beginning of the children’s creativity festival “Meirym lights stars”. The event is organised by the Marat Ospanov Public Foundation together with the Almaty Department for protecting children’s rights and supported by the Fund of Kazakhstan’s first president. The main aim of the festival is to find and support young talent as well as to draw attention to talented children from orphanages and ensure conditions for their further creative development.

Akhmetzhan Yesimov, Almaty mayor:
- The President of our country, Nursultan Nazarbayev and the government as well as all other state bodies is now trying to provide a happy childhood for all children in the country to enable them to grow up educated, healthy and modern.

Natalya Toporkova, Almaty resident:
- We are the people of Kazakhstan and we love our homeland. I want my children to live in Kazakhstan. We love the city of Almaty and Kazakhstan. The country has a bright future.

Celebrations devoted to Children Protection Day in Almaty are to last for one week. Junior tennis and football tournaments supported by the Fund of Kazakhstan’s first president also took place in the city with the winners awarded with prizes. Then, the children are to take part in a junior football tournament which is to take place in Taraz to bring together top teams from all over the country.