by Seydi Karimov in Sabirabad
The Red Crescent Sciety of Azerbaijan
has made a distribution of books to children in schools at camps for displaced
people in southern Azerbaijan. The children's encyclopedias cover a variety
of topics, particularly ecology and sports - in Azerbaijan in particular
as well as worldwide.
The books were welcomed by sixth-graders at the school in Sabirabad camp for internally displaced and by the school's director, Mrs. G. Mammadova, since many parents in the camp cannot afford textbooks and other educational material.
"The best way for developed nations to assist other countries like Azerbaijan is to do it by investing in the education of the children. Because only well-educated young people can help a country to overcome its problems and build a prosperous future," said Mrs. Mammadova.
Sabirabad camp is one of seven camps, situated in the south of Azerbaijan, which were established in April 1993 after large population movements from the territories occupied during the Nagorny-Karabakh conflict. They are currently home to 32,000 internally displaced people.
The International Federation has been responsible for food and non-food distribution, water and sanitation programmes and preventive health services in the camps. Besides that, the Red Cross implements community development and agriculture programs aimed at increasing the self-reliance of the displaced people.
The books were donated by the Exxon Azerbaijan Operating Company, which supports many of the projects of the International Federation and the Azerbaijan Red Crescent in the camps aiming at improving the overall living conditions of the displaced. Other projects supported by Exxon include the construction of community centres, agriculture, community development, distribution of roofing sheets for huts and assistance to meals-on-wheels projects.
"The cooperation between Exxon Mobile and the Federation's Azerbaijan delegation in the camps is a good example of how the International Federation can cooperate with private companies to reduce vulnerability in communities such as these," says the Federation's head of delegation in Azerbaijan.