A Charity Festival dedicated to teachers of Azerbaijan’s general education institutions was held at the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of IDEA Public Union.

The event, organized in cooperation with IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the “ThinkIn” organization, brought together nearly 1,000 teachers from 290 general education institutions across the country.

Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva also attended the festival, which was held in an open-air format at the Central Botanical Garden.

Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva toured the various activity zones set up at the festival venue, engaged in warm conversations with participants in the national zone, art workshops, yoga and meditation sessions, the handicraft fair, and other interactive spaces, took commemorative photos with them, and watched creative performances prepared by schoolchildren. They were also presented with various handmade gifts.

In her remarks during the official part of the event, Leyla Aliyeva expressed confidence that the festival would bring joy and positive emotions to everyone. She emphasized that every child is a miracle and a treasure. “The sooner we discover this, the sooner their talents will be revealed.”

Highlighting the importance of teachers, parents, and adults in general understanding children better, Leyla Aliyeva stated that kindness is the greatest happiness.

Afterward, she thanked teachers for their responsible work.

During the panel discussion held as part of the event, participants exchanged views on the importance of promoting values such as kindness, compassion, mutual respect, and empathy in general education institutions. Among the speakers, Narmina Huseynova, Acting Head of the Baku City Education Department, and Vafa Kazdal, Vice-Rector of ADA University, emphasized the vital role of teachers in shaping future generations and society as a whole.

The event also featured an award ceremony honoring the winners of the “Kindness Marathon,” held as part of the festival. The most creative social media content on the theme of kindness produced by schools was recognized in various categories. Schools No. 55, 244, 83, 156, 185, 45, 277, 144, 211, 300, and 165 were named winners in the “Most Sincere Gratitude,” “Kindness Award,” “Best Environmental Initiative,” and other categories. The marathon aimed to promote kindness, gratitude, creativity, and solidarity as part of everyday school culture.

The festival, held in a vibrant atmosphere, concluded with a grand concert program.

The main objective of the Charity Festival was to express society’s deep respect and gratitude to teachers, promote a healthy educational environment based on kindness, mutual respect, and support in schools, contribute to the development of an educational culture founded on empathy and moral values, and highlight the important role of kindness in both the education system and society.

As part of the event, the handicraft fair featured products created by representatives of Integrated Training Boarding School No. 11, the “Birga an Saghlam” Autism Center, the Zeka Yolu Development Center, the “İZ Community,” “Kashalata,” and other organizations.