Since its establishment in May 2004, Heydar Aliyev Foundation as a non-governmental and non-commercial organization has been actively involved in supporting the efforts by the national authorities to further strengthening of Azerbaijan and to improve general socio-economic living conditions of people.
The main goals of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation (HAF) headed by Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador are directed towards supporting the realization of large-scale programs aimed at exploring rich heritage of the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and promoting achievements in the field of science, education, culture, sport, public health, environmental protection and economy.
Developing equal educational opportunities in Azerbaijani society, obtaining knowledge by young generation and supporting the integration of Azerbaijan into global educational system is among the priorities of the Foundation. It cooperates with educational enterprises of Azerbaijan and abroad, grants scholarships to especially talented pupils, students as well as assists in developing children’s homes, boarding schools, and cultural and educational centers.
In the past years, the Foundation has implemented and has been still carrying out projects aimed at upgrading level of education and to improve the livelihood of children deprived of parental care and juveniles. Reconstruction and repair work were conducted in 23 children’s homes and boarding schools along with the provision of these institutions with necessary modern equipment, establishment of libraries and making classrooms compatible to interactive education.
Currently, the HAF is engaged in constructing modern school buildings across the country to have educational process planning in line with present-day requirements. More than 120 schools in various parts of Azerbaijan have been reconstructed on the basis of monitoring of the school buildings. Construction and/or substantial repair of another 100 schools are expected in the framework of the second phase of the programme.
At the same time, the Foundation attaches special attention to the educational opportunities of children belonging to the most vulnerable segments of the population, including in the first place the refugees and internally displaced community in Azerbaijan by distributing various school accessories and creating necessary conditions for these children from educational opportunities. The « Support to education » Programme also envisages supplying the children getting education in languages of national minorities living in the country with the textbooks. In the framework of this programme, 1st grade pupils of Georgian-language schools have been provided for the first time with national textbooks in 2005/2006 educational year in their native language. This is just one segment of the activities that have been planed for the years to come and dedication and commitment of the HAF and its President will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the improvement of the education system in Azerbaijan.
