“I cannot wait to try one of the class exercises with the children.  They are great and make working with children fun for them and interesting for me. We all know that children love learning but don’t like paying attention, these new methods are just what we need” – said Umida Naziralieva, a preschool teacher in a kindergarten in Uttizambar community. She is one of the participants of UNICEF training on interactive teaching methodologies organized within joint initiative between the EU-UNDP Enhancement of Living Standards (ELS) project and UNICEF Family Education Project (FEP) in Uzbekistan.
 

Children flock in the brand new kindergarten bright eyed with a smile on their faces. The playrooms are painted in vibrant colors and full of great learning materials and toys. “Did you know that our kindergarten has got a new water tap and we must wash our hands before lunch and turn the tap off so not a drop gets wasted?” –explained to us a round-faced Saidakbar, a preschooler from Beshariq. His care-giver comments smiling: “Thanks to the ELS and the Family Education programme, Saidakbar is growing up healthier and wiser”.

6 Communities in Fergana region are reaping the benefits of a win-win partnership between EU, UNICEF and UNDP to support one of the MDGs in the regions of Uzbekistan, improved quality of education. In 2009, the ELS programme funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP, refurbished 6 kindergartens for better access by children and care givers to drinking water, sanitation, electricity and gas. To support the MDG target on improved access to drinking water, the ELS contributed around USD 9,900 and mobilized more than USD 10,000 as in kind contribution from the communities.