"Heroes of Children": UNICEF photo exhibition opens in Nur Sultan

NUR-SULTAN, April 31, 2022 - Today, the Country Office of UNICEF in Kazakhstan opened a photo exhibition dedicated to the 75^th anniversary of UNICEF in the world and The Year of Children in Kazakhstan. The exposition is called “Heroes of Children” and presents portraits and stories of 30 heroes who, together with UNICEF, work tirelessly to protect, promote and respect for children's rights, as well as ensure equal opportunities for every child in Kazakhstan. Among the exhibition heroes, there are teachers, doctors, youth, scientists, volunteers and civic activists who have joined forces with UNICEF to support the most vulnerable children and families in difficult life situations. They live among us, and day after day, they work to ensure that every child has the right to a happy childhood.

The heroes whose portraits are presented at the exhibition are only a small part of the hundreds and thousands of people who work every day for the benefit of children. Through this exhibition, UNICEF would like to celebrate each and every one promoting and defending the rights of the child.

The exposition was curated by Ospan Ali, a famous Kazakhstan photographer.

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with UNICEF. For 75 years now, this organization has been working across the globe. With photographs and stories of our heroes, we are telling about UNICEF efforts in Kazakhstan and assistance that the Fund, together with partners, provides to children. It was especially important for me to try to convey the contribution of each hero to the protection of children through their portrait. It was extremely interesting to work with youth, to see their projects and bright eyes. Despite their age, they are already role models for their peers. Participation in UNICEF projects opens up great opportunities for them,” - said Ospan Ali about the exhibition.

Among them, Yeldar Grebnev, who designed an electric scooter for wheelchair users after participating in the UNICEF project. There is also the creator of the air purification filter - Daniil Kim, a talented teenager from Almaty. The exposition also includes a portrait of a mathematics and computer science teacher of an Almaty school, Leila Mardenova, who, together with other UniSat participants, launched her first nanosatellite into the stratosphere last year.

A doctor, a psychologist, an immunologist, a social worker, a pediatrician, volunteers - all these heroes of the photo exhibition keep contributing to the happy and healthy future of Kazakhstan children and set an example for many others.

“UNICEF was created 75 years ago, in the aftermath of World War II. The main task set before the organization then and now was and remains the protection of the rights of every child. The world today continues to face multiple crises - pandemics, climate change, poverty and inequality. All of them have a negative impact on everyone, but the most vulnerable children suffer most. Therefore, as always, we continue to work to help build and strengthen health and welfare systems, fight diseases, provide essential social services, implement programs to improve education and skills, and create a safer environment for all children and their families. All this work would not have been possible without our partners and people who support the most important projects, who are ready to go to the front line and meet the challenge. Our 75-year history is a story of continuous change for children inspired by the people who rallied for them. With this exposition, we would like to warmly thank all of our partners, supporters and employees for making our story possible. Thank you for your continued support!" - said Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan. 

The exhibition will be open to visitors from April 1 to April 14 on the first floor of the Mega Silk Way Mall in Nur-Sultan.

Information for editors 

The stories of all heroes are available at the following link.