2009 Programs And Events
Ambassador Visits NGO that Teaches Art to Children with Disabilities (05/06/2009)
U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland and a group of employees at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent visited the Sanvikt non-governmental organization May 6 to express support, donate books to the group’s library and even purchase some pieces by the young artists.
Sanvikt was founded in 1999 to teach art to orphans and children with disabilities. Since then, more than 300 young people have developed their talents in painting, sculpture, clothing design and other media. Several have won international competitions and have continued their studies with the goal of becoming professional artists.
With the help of the U.S. Embassy, the World Bank and other supporters, Sanvikt has built a network of resources to support children with disabilities and their families, including publication of a newsletter about the NGO’s activities and information about living with disabilities.
Norland had seen some of the children’s artwork and met with some of the artists previously, so when they invited him to visit their studio, he said he jumped at the chance.
“They had made such a deep impression on me. A couple of them are really extraordinary artists,” he said. It has long been important for him to support groups working to help people with disabilities, in part because he had a cousin who led a rich, fulfilling life before dying from complications from a disability, Norland added.
“People with disabilities have to combat so much just to lead a normal life, you realize they can bring so much to the equation,” he said.
During the visit to Sanvikt’s studio in Tashkent, the U.S. Embassy donated about 50 books for children and young adults for use in the NGO’s library. The books include biographies of famous Americans, English-language learning materials, dictionaries, atlases and topics of American culture and government such as explanations of parts of the Constitution.
The Ambassador purchased a painting from one of the Sanvikt artists, and Public Affairs Officer Carol Fajardo exchanged art supplies for a painting by one of the students that had previously caught her eye.