Activities

The You are Not Alone Foundation guides children from childhood into adolescence and adulthood by providing legal, social and psychological support to children brought up at orphanages. It is You Are Not Alone’s mission to ensure that all children are able to transition into their adult lives as independent and confident individuals.

The assistance ranges from career training, to housing support and legal advisory services frequently related to property and inheritance rights and recovery of formal identification. 

Over the years, You Are Not Alone provided 550 former Mercy Homes residents with housing and helped more than 750 children restore their lost housing rights. 

Over the years, the You Are Not Alone Foundation has expanded its medical support and assistance helping disabled and vulnerable children receive life-saving surgery and medical care. With the help of the Ministry of Public Health of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan, You Are Not Alone not only ensures that children in orphanages receive regular medical checks, but also provides funding for advanced treatment, including surgery for children with serious medical conditions. 

Over time, the You Are Not Alone Foundation equipped many hospitals in Uzbekistan with advanced medical equipment, including humidity cribs for new-borns, ultrasound machines, life support systems, cardiac monitors, and air purification systems.

To respond to the need for specialist treatment for children with congenital heart diseases, You Are Not Alone started a collaboration with the French Association La Chaîne de l’Espoir (Chain of Hope) in 2015 bringing French specialist surgeons to Uzbekistan and in some cases bringing children to France for surgeries. More than 130 children with congenital heart conditions have received medical operations and care through the initiative, 21 of which were operated in France.

The You Are Not Alone Foundation puts education at the heart of most of its projects. Our priority is to ensure that all children we support have the opportunity to access quality education. We believe that education is crucial for ensuring a better future for children and is indispensable for a tolerant and happy society. This is why You Are Not Alone founded its Educational Centre in 2003.

The Educational Centre encourages and supports children growing up in orphanages to be curious and excited about education. From behavioural trainings to develop a positive attitude to learning, preparing children for their entrance exams, and funding higher education abroad for talented students, You Are Not Alone is promoting a holistic approach to education and learning. 

Specialists at the Educational Centre play an important part in the children’s development. Often taking on a parental role, they encourage the children, motivating them towards higher academic achievements, better overall behaviour and regular attendance by taking a caring interest in their day-to-day progress and helping them develop a positive attitude towards schooling.

Over the past 15 years, more than 2,500 children from orphanages and low-income families as well as children with disabilities have attended classes at You Are Not Alone ranging from sciences and humanities to public speaking trainings and creative skills in dance, singing and painting. Over 240 of You Are Not Alone graduates continued higher education in Uzbekistan and abroad. 

You Are Not Alone’s Educational Centre aims to create a positive culture of learning and boost children’s confidence by treating them as unique individuals, acknowledging and building on their strengths and guiding them to a career path they are passionate about.

You Are Not Alone’s original mission was to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable children in Uzbekistan by renovating, refurbishing and equipping orphanages, so-called ‘Mercy Homes’, across the country. Over the years, You Are Not Alone supported the reconstruction and renovation of more than ten Mercy Homes in Uzbekistan providing a comfortable home with medical, educational and recreational facilities to hundreds of children. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity You Are Not Alone has had to improve living and studying conditions for many orphaned children. Today, many Mercy Homes in Uzbekistan have all the modern facilities needed to provide a home in which children can grow and develop in a healthy atmosphere. I am hopeful that these improvements will support Mercy Homes and their ability to raise children in a loving and caring environment, providing them with a solid foundation for future.” – Lola Tillyaeva.