In Fergana Valley, 600 Uzbek students have become the latest Line Up, Live Up graduates

17 February 2020 - UNODC's Line Up, Live Up initiative, developed by the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, has been gaining popularity around the world with its innovative use of lessons on both the physical and intellectual levels to keep youngsters away from trouble. An evidence-based curriculum which uses sports and life skills training to build young people's resilience to violence and crime, it has been widely praised by practitioners and beneficiaries on several continents.

Last month, over 600 students in Uzbekistan completed the training in 18 different schools in Andijan, Namangan and Fergana. The students learned how to resist social pressures which could lead them to engage in delinquency; they also learned how to cope with anxiety, and how to communicate effectively with peers through a set of fun and interactive exercises. To celebrate the students' achievement, a graduation ceremony was held by UNODC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

"An initial analysis of the results of the piloting showed that the initiative met all our expectations; children became more involved in sports, their academic performance improved, and the solidarity between classmates was strengthened. Students themselves said they highly appreciated the programme, having learned to say no," commented Akbar Tagaev, National Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Education. "Based on the results of piloting," he added, "the initiative will be scaled up to other regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan."

The initiative was received just as well by teachers. Lilya Objigailo, a teacher in Andijan, confirmed that Line Up, Live Up had raised much interest among students: "They learned to express their opinion, to work in teams and to support each other. I used the participatory elements of the methodology in other lessons with other classes, and I saw that such new approaches give positive results. All school students are happy to be part of Line Up, Live Up."

Teachers also reported the positive impact of the initiative on the promotion of gender equality and mutual respect, by bringing together boys and girls and serving as a kind of friendship bridge between them, while empowering girls and promoting their active participation in sports. 

Reflecting on his participation in Line Up, Live Up, Bakhrombek a 16-year old student from Andijan, said that it had helped raise his self-esteem: "I learned how to set goals for the future. The initiative also motivated me to study; I used to skip classes very often, and I did not show much interest in school lessons. Now, after participation in Line Up, Live Up, I have set a goal for myself - to enter a higher educational institution."

Line Up, Live Up is a unique tool that transfers the accumulated expertise of UNODC and various partners in implementing life skills training for crime prevention. Uzbekistan is one of 12 pilot countries where the initiative has been implemented, and has so far included the training of 37 secondary level educators, sport coaches, social support teachers, and psychologists from Fergana Valley and Tashkent city.

Additional information
Youth Crime Prevention through Sports