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Osh, Kyrgyz Republic, September 29, 2014 – A new soccer field was inaugurated at Kirov high school №4 in Osh. Over 2,500 children now have the opportunity to train and play on the modern field which meets all the modern standards. The field was construction was made possible thanks to the project Women's Peace Banks implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) with the financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The school was built in 1938 and over the years many buildings and sports grounds became run down and unfit for use. "The old soccer field badly needed renovation. The goals were almost destroyed. There wasn’t any fence around the field, so the ball often hit the passers-by on the sidewalk or cars driving on the road nearby," said the chairman of the school board of trustees Venera Sabirova.  She was the author of the project proposal approved by Women’s Peace Banks.

The field construction was a great example of community collaboration. 400 thousand som were allocated by the Women's Peace Banks project to build the new field. In addition, the school collected another 250 000 som. 150 000 som were given by Osh mayor's office. The rest was donated by parents and alumni of the school.

The construction of the new field promotes sport and healthy lifestyle and strengthens the mutual understanding and friendship between people of different ethnic groups. There are children of 14 nationalities in the school who can now play together at a new convenient facility.

The project Women’s Peace Banks is implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) and is one of many projects made possible with the support from the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to empower women in Southern Kyrgyzstan to lead inter-ethnic reconciliation initiatives and promote women’s peacebuilding role. Additional information can be obtained here: http://kg.ef-ca.org/project-view/womens-peace-banks/