Leyla Aliyeva Visits DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity in Baku
Baku, The Gulf Observer: On December 27, Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, along with Alena Aliyeva, visited the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity in Baku.
During the visit, Anar Aliyev, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, provided a detailed briefing on the activities of the Center, which was initiated by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. He noted that the Center plays a vital role in nurturing the creative potential of persons with disabilities, members of martyr families, children deprived of parental care, and individuals from other vulnerable groups.
It was highlighted that since its establishment in 2021, the DOST Center has become the leading inclusive creative space in the South Caucasus, benefiting more than 900 individuals through a wide range of vocational and artistic training programs. These include fine arts, pottery, music, tailoring, carpet weaving, artistic carving, culinary arts, and stage performance.
Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva presented gifts to the beneficiaries of the Center and toured an exhibition showcasing handicrafts created by the participants. They were also presented with unique handcrafted gifts produced at the Center and its regional branches.
The DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity, operating under the Heydar Aliyev Center, gained international recognition in 2025 through its successful participation in the Osaka Kansai World Expo in Japan. In addition, the Center organized more than 150 inclusive events throughout the year.
As part of the visit, a concert program dedicated to December 31 – World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day and the New Year was held. The event featured performances by residents of Social Service Institution No. 2 for persons with disabilities under the age of 18, alongside the Center’s trainers and beneficiaries, accompanied by the Inclusive Chamber Orchestra and Inclusive Ensemble. Renowned People’s Artists Zulfiya Khanbabayeva and Natig Shirinov also performed together with talented individuals from vulnerable groups.
The guests were later introduced to a pilot project involving a newly developed online portal aimed at selling handicrafts produced at the Center. The initiative seeks to promote the creative works of vulnerable groups to a wider audience.
Leyla Aliyeva and Alena Aliyeva concluded the visit by engaging in warm and sincere conversations with trainers and beneficiaries and taking commemorative photographs with them.
