Baku (Turkey News): Leyla Aliyeva and Elena Aliyeva, Vice Presidents of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, visited the Dost Inclusive Development and Creativity Center in Baku. During the visit, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Anar Aliyev provided a detailed briefing on the center’s activities.
The minister explained that the center was established on the initiative of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to promote the creative skills of disabled individuals, families of martyrs, children without parents, and other vulnerable groups. Since its establishment in 2021, Dost Center has become the leading inclusive creative hub in the South Caucasus, benefiting over 900 people through various professional and creative training programs. These programs include painting, pottery, music, sewing, carpet weaving, woodcraft, cooking, and stage performance.
During the visit, Leyla Aliyeva and Elena Aliyeva distributed gifts to the center’s beneficiaries and observed a handicraft exhibition. Unique creations from the center and its regional branches were presented as gifts.
In 2025, Dost Center gained international recognition through its successful participation in the Kansai World Expo in Japan. Over 150 inclusive events were also held throughout the year. On December 31, marking Azerbaijani Unity Day and the New Year, a special music program was presented by residents under 18 from Social Service Institution No. 2, the center’s instructors, and beneficiaries. The program featured performances by the Inclusive Chamber Orchestra, Inclusive Ensemble, and renowned artists Zulfiya Khanbabayeva and Natiq Shirinov.
Guests were also briefed on a pilot project introducing a new online portal to sell handicrafts created at the center, aiming to make the creative products of vulnerable groups accessible to a wider audience.
The visit concluded with heartfelt interactions between Leyla Aliyeva, Elena Aliyeva, the instructors, and beneficiaries, followed by commemorative photographs.
