Over 160 Children in Challenging Life Circumstances Received Support Through ASU's "Alphabet of My Family" Projec

Adyghe State University celebrated the closing of the socially significant project "My Family's Alphabet: Socially Oriented Activities for Children and Families with Children in Difficult Life Situations." The project was implemented by the ANO "Helping Hand," established within the Department of Social Work and Tourism at Adyghe State University with funds from a grant from Adygea for the development of civil society in 2025. In addition to the non-profit organization, the project was organized by the ASU "Adygea - Territory of Health" project team, part of the Priority program.

From August 2025 to June 2026, the organizers held 12 events, including meetings, developmental and uniting games, master classes, useful psychological trainings, and activities to help build individual development trajectories. The goal was to improve the resilience and social adaptation of children in difficult life situations and preserve family ties in their families. During this time, 43 families and 166 children in need of support participated in the project. Participants included children with disabilities, residents of the "Ochag" shelter and the Maykop Specialized Closed-Type Educational and Correctional Institution, families of SVO participants, and residents of the Adygea Integrated Social Service Center. 

Socially oriented activities were developed using social pedagogical technologies. The project's value also lies in the fact that it was organized by student volunteers from ASU majoring in Social Work. During the project's implementation, they became "Significant Adults" for children in difficult life situations, assisting their parents in raising and successfully socializing their children. Having gained this experience, the student volunteers will form a future talent pool for Adygea's social services sector. Interestingly, this project, for the first time, also offered the children the opportunity to experience the role of "Significant Adults" and explore the prospect of choosing a career in the social sector. For example, at one of the meetings, students from the Maykop SUVU, who had found themselves in the institution after experiencing life's challenges, helped conduct a master class and training for families. 

"We managed to involve everyone—adults, children, teenagers, and students—who served as volunteers. The students saw how all these activities are implemented in practice and experienced this interaction with children and families," said Dana Khashkhova  , the project's social educator and assistant professor in the Department of Pedagogy and Social Psychology at ASU .

At the closing ceremony, the organizers described the work they had accomplished, recalled touching moments, and watched a social performance on drug abuse by students from the Maykop SUVU. The team also presented gifts to the most active families and participants. 

Representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of Adygea and the heads of subordinate agencies that acted as project partners were invited to the event. Minister Janbech Mirza thanked them for their work and expressed his wishes for the development of future socially significant projects vying for a republican grant for civil society development. He stated that Adygea’s Head  Murat Kumpilov aims to involve as many nonprofit organizations and nonprofits as possible in addressing pressing social issues. He emphasized that it is important not only to meet stated targets but also to work with ministry specialists to identify societal pain points and develop new, effective tools to address them. The minister identified the topic of supporting families in difficult life situations as a way to prevent social orphanhood as one of the most challenging and pressing priorities. He invited the university team to participate in next year's competition, expressing confidence that the new project will reach social groups across all districts of Adygea.

More photos are available here.