When speaking of childhood, we think of sun, smiles, carefree fun, and unadulterated joy. This is a miraculous time of life, when the sky is blue, the water is clear, the grass is green, and everlasting joy abounds. At the same time, each child feels he is lavished with attention from good magicians – family and friends.
One such place is the Talap JSC health camp in Uralsk, where boys and girls arrive each summer from the rural districts of the Burlin District (Berezovka, Uspenovsk, Priurale and Zharsuat) using KPO’s money.
All needed conditions have been created to make the children feel at home, and they can have a vacation from school and return home in full energy with many new friends and warm memories. Overall, 160 children aged 7 to 14 years take 10 day holidays at the camp. These children are from large low income families, and are excellent pupils. In total, about 1,000 children took a rest in the Talap camp from 2004-2010.
“Summer is a time when all our children need to have a rest,” Raimkulov, the Priurale Village Akim says “Because of this, we need to set up summer camps, where children can have a vacation, socialise and learn to commune with nature”.
Head of the Camp Tatiana Larioncheva talked about what the Talap summer health camp has to offer. “Our camp has been working for more than 15 years. Children from different cities across Kazakhstan have a holiday here. We have a 10-day programme, as part of which we hold a Day of Joyful Entertainments, Boys’ Day, Girls’ Day, a Pirate Party, Banana Partyetc. We organize daily dance evenings, and the Days of Self Government is held.”
“The camp programme includes an excursion to Uralsk city each day after lunch, and in the evening we have club activities – chess, painting, choreography and others. We have excellent teachers that organise various events to help the children adapt to the camp so nobody gets bored and the children feel at home. Also, we have “communications training” in which trainers play socialization games. The children are divided in to pioneer units, and the events they take part in are appropriate for the children’s age.”
The children get 6 meals a day, which are very good, balanced, and full of vitamins. An expert who has been working in this area for a long time is responsible for this. Breakfast, a fruit brunch, is followed by lunch, a late afternoon snack, dinner and the last meal – yoghurt all wait the campers.
One very important thing is the child is “torn away from” mobile connections and computer games at the camp. “We ask the children to call home and tell their parents everything is ok; and then we switch off the mobile phones, put them in the safe. We only give their phones back at the end of the season. The same applies to money as well. We do not allow them to buy any food during the excursion, as we can’t control the quality of products. We are responsible only for the food we feed them,” Tatiana Uriyevna said.
Our vacation ends with work, and for our children, it ends in study. School is at the edge of the fanciful world of childhood. The district pays a lot of attention to this area, four of nine projects have already been finished. The remainder are planned to be put into service by September 1 and the end of the year. Investors will completely supply equipment, furniture, supplies and learning materials. The construction of a 1,200 pupil school is at the completion stage in the northeast part of Uralsk, the most crowded part of the city.
KPO is also an investor in this project . “This is the third school building constructed using KPO’s money. The building is 15 thousand square metres in size. It consists of 5 sections. There are 48 classrooms, a conference hall, a sports complex, a library, a canteen and medical centre. The school occupies 4 hectares. The day the school is equipped and delivered turnkey is coming soon. The first school bell will ring on September 1,” Director of Zhaykcelstroy LLP Erdenbek Akhmetov said.
The construction of educational facilities is underway in the villages. For example, KPO financed the construction of two schools at the same time in the AkZhayk District: one for 230 pupils in the Aksuat Village and another in the Saykudyk for 198 students. These were very important events for the village residents, since earlier, the children studied in schools that were built more than a half century ago.
According to Dauren Nurgozhin, director of one school with a new building, lessons will be conducted using modern technology. In any case, the school has retained its former name. Sultan Oshanov received the distinguished title -- Hero of Socialist Labour during the hard years after the war. His son, Esekesh Sultanov continued his dynasty, and was also awarded some orders for his achievements in livestock husbandry.
A long-expected housewarming party will take place on September 1 in the Koneketken Village of the Terekty District. Also, the construction of a school for 198 pupils is underway full speed. Five teams of workers from SKF Otdelstroy LLP are carrying out the construction on rotation.
Company Director Valentyna Mykhno says it is 150km from the oblast centre to the village, and only one third of the road is covered with asphalt. But all materials deliver to the object in time. KPO controls strictly the schedule of done work, where considered the construction should be finished less than in one year.
Studying will carry out in accordance with cabinet system, and physical training lessons will be held in sport halls as well as three specially covered grounds designed for primary, secondary and high school students. An individual boiler delivers heat to the school. Construction experts are working with special diligence. Valentyna Mekhno believes each project designed to benefit children is a big responsibility. In the new school everything should be pleasing to the eye. Otdelstroy will put the school into service on time and at a high level of quality.
Thanks to close cooperation and dialogue with the local communities, a number of social important projects have been executed over the last few years. These include the repair of village schools and outpatient clinics, and the refurbishment of schools and medical institutes. Also, a reconstructed school was opened in the Priurale Village of the Burlin District for the 20th Anniversary of Independence.
In a few months, the boiler building was reconstructed along with the water and heat supply systems. Also, in accordance with the plan of the Burlin District, schools in the Uspenovka, Dmytryvo and Karachaganak Villages were repaired along with outpatient clinics in the Berezovka Village. KPO purchased equipment and furniture for recreation centres as well as education and health institutes. Six buses were purchased for district schools.
The list of new buildings that have been financed by KPO during the last two years is quite extensive. A kindergarten for 350 children and a music school in the Zhympyty Village, as well as a school in the Ushagash Village are among these. All these projects are designed to help solve ordinary peoples’ problems and increase their quality of life.
Music is an integral part of life. With the help of music we can express the most exalted feelings and the deepest emotions. Music accompanies us in sorrow as well as in happiness; it makes us laugh and cry, while at the same time it inspires and makes us stronger.
Thus, it was no surprise when at the end of 2011, the administration of the Children’s Music School of the Burlin District wrote to the company with a request to help them purchase a piano, which is need for conducting lessons for piano, dombra, kobyz, flute, violin and chorus. And KPO did not say no.
The ceremony to hand over the piano was held on May 17, 2012. The administration cut the ribbon to the sound of applause and KPO presented a beautiful piano. We hope in the future this piano will bring the students of the music school many victories at national as well as international competitions.
“To ensure the learning process is taking place at the proper level, children need practice along with theory. Instruments wear out. The last time a piano was purchased was 1982. Today it is being used for a third decade. Solid, professional instruments are very expensive and not everyone can buy them,” Director of the Music School, Nurmakhanova said.
The music school pupils played their best performances at their recital while teachers demonstrated their mastery. The participants in the recital could feel the music radiating magic and power. Without words – with sounds along – it captures all and everyone. The musicians onstage played famous compositions from M. Tariverdyev, Chopin, and Oscar Riding. The performance of the Childrens’ Choir (concertmaster – Mayer, choirmaster - Mezyna) won the audience with real mastery over international classic compositions.
The Children’s Music School is the real keeper of pure art in the Burlin District. It opened in 1962 and continues to operate successfully to the present. The faculty includes 43 teachers, a large part of which are graduates from the school. This is the oldest school in the West Kazakhstan Oblast and this year it will celebrate its 50th anniversary. For the present, it has 300 pupils.
The administration of the Children’s Music School expresses its deep thanks to KPO for supporting childrens’ art schools. It believes this considerable investment will not only help develop the culture and art of today, but of yesterday’s as well.
The piano will serve as an example of the unlimited kindness of those that appreciate art and believe in the future of creative young people. It will also serve as an incentive to achieve new peaks of musical achievement for the graduates of the music school.
