Uzbekistan: Tatyana Chabrova

I am a happy woman, because I can make grown-ups and young people happy. And I adore making my students believe in their abilities.

— Tatyana Chabrova

Tatyana Chabrova (born 1955) is an educator and director of the NGO Bolalar va Kattalar (Children and Adults) which she founded in 1998 to explore, understand, and link the interests of both adults and children. Tatyana is a pioneer in developing new teaching methodologies and including social, governance, and rights issues in education. She has published over 30 books on children's education and has developed and delivered many methodology courses for teachers and educational experts. She is also the creator of a newspaper written by children called "Our Rights."

For the past 25 years, Tatyana Chabrova has been involved in educational, cultural, and social initiatives with children and adults. She began her teachers’ training in Uzbekistan, and in 1988, she left for Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod to further her studies in that field. In the same year she won the prestigious Republican Contest of Educational Games in Developing Children’s Creative Ability. Tatyana is the creator of new teaching methods for which she has received recognition from Mrs. Putin, wife of the Russian President, who sent her a letter in which she wrote, “I am excited about your books as these can serve to develop important ties between Uzbekistan and Russia.” Tatyana initiated a theater project in which children and adults act together. The actors create performances devoted to exploring social problems—AIDS, drug abuse, and children's rights. Because of her efforts in this regard, Nane Annan, Kofi Annan's wife, wrote to her: “You do wonderful work for AIDS awareness and drug prevention in Uzbekistan.” Tatyana also set up a free art school for talented children, and organized children’s art exhibitions in Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, USA, and Israel. In 1999, she and her children's group participated in the International Conference, Aral Sea—A Children’s View, in Karakalpakstan. Since 1998, she has worked as the director of the NGO, Bolalar va Kattalar (Children and Adults) that she founded. The children in her organization created a newspaper called "Our Rights" for which they interview, draw, write articles, and take photos. She also published a book titled "A Constitution for Children" in which students learn about the Uzbek Constitution and practice writing and implementing a constitution. Tatyana says, “My books are my children and I always give all my heart to my children. If my work helps people, I am happy.”

Bolalar va Kattalar (Children and Adults)