On the move with Uplift

People, both big and small, are on the move with the green kite

Teenager in the creative work in a museum

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, Uplift was on the road a lot. Due to Corona, only Issyk-Kul Summer Camp has been realized since 2020.

People, both big and small, are on the move with the green kite in different ways, being themselves in their own manner. A disabled child and its family take their possibly first vacation together. Or a teenager, growing up in the orphanage, going on a very special educational excursion to the capital. Others arrive per plane at Kyrgyzstan to get to know uplift and make their own touching experience throughout their stay. All travellers on the move with Uplift have in common their reflection on life and are often speechless with amazement.

Holidays for children with special needs and their families

Children with special needs, thanks to the regular donations of an engaged entrepreneur from Kyrgyzstan, are put in a position to recuperate at the beautiful Issyk-Kul Lake during summer with their parents and siblings. They are experiencing a part of life they usually have no access to: Easygoing, playful and carefree they enjoy the energizing beauty of nature. We have been organizing holidays for our “Uplift families” since 2014, where 2019 a total of 100 people participated. 66 were disabled children from the orphanage. Due to the pandemic, no trips could be made in 2020.

Altynai K., mother to a disabled child and participant in one of our self-help groups, about her trip to the Issyk-Kul with her son in 2016:

"My child and I had never laid eyes on the Issyk-Kul, even though we don’t live too far away from it. This nature experience at our Kyrgyzstani ocean was like spiritual healing for us. Due to his disability, my son could not swim like the other children. This did not trouble us greatly, then we sat in the sand, looked at the lake, and listened to the screams of joy coming from the other children and just felt happy with them. It is hard to put this joy into words. My special son and I returned home with renewed energy, to continue on and keep fighting. We give our thanks to the people at Uplift, who made this happiness possible."

With Uplift to Bishkek – cultural and life education for children in care

An excursion to the capital, only 30km away, can be an unfulfilled dream for a teenager who grew up in a state run orphanage in Kyrgyzstan and additionally suffers from a physical disability. His questions remain unanswered. In what kind of a country am I growing up? What does my capital city look like?
And who on earth is Tutankhamun?

This question may be answered when the youths visit the art museum during their Uplift-trip to Bishkek. Here they spend half the day with the museum’s educational service, which adds to the guided tour through interesting installations with drawing, building and crafting for each of the topics.

A special highlight of our Uplift trips is always visiting the restaurant. Here, restaurant owners from the capital volunteer and invite the adolescents from the orphanage for dinner. The youths order food and drink to their heart’s content and enjoy the attention, the exchange and the special form of societal exchange. No wonder that there is so much anticipation towards the next Uplift excursion.

Donors from all around the world meet Uplift activists in Kyrgyzstan

Since 2016 we organize meetings with Uplift donors and supporters from all around the world and Uplift activists on site in Kyrgyzstan. We want to give a first-hand account of our on-site work and connect people.

These meetings are building even more momentum from all sides regarding Uplift.

Many wonderful people get involved in the green kite, both inside and outside of Kyrgyzstan. They enable our work through their regular monetary donations or their abilities, talents and time. They support us in public relations, the creating of post cards, calendars and other materials. Or they organise the airport transfers of an Uplift-child in Europe, when the needed surgery, organised by Uplift, takes place here. We have many people who support us time and time again with their service, both big and small. They all provide for an uplift. 

We would be pleased if you would also wish to support our work and maybe get to know our work on site in the future.

*In order to protect their identities, we have changed the names of the people who participate in our program and appear on our website.

Uplift – Aufwind e.V.

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