USAID Advancing Nutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic organized a public concert series featuring Syimyk Beishekeyev, a musician and composer in the country. The concerts were held in Kadamzhai and Bazar-Korgon cities in the middle and end of March, extending the celebration of International Women’s Day for the entire month.

The events on March 13 in Kadamzhai and March 29 in Bazar-Korgon took place in the main cultural centers and brought together around 1,000 people in total. The concerts were free for residents of each city and were dedicated to promoting the health of mothers and children and raising awareness about the first 1000 days, known as the “window of opportunity.”

The events also included theatrical skits and stand-up performances, quizzes about breastfeeding and nutrition, and a photo shoot for guests. Concertgoers also had a chance to view photo exhibitions on USAID Advancing Nutrition’s work on motherhood and health.

Syimyk Beishekeyev is an honored artist of the Kyrgyz Republic and has won numerous national awards. A father himself, he endorses the promotion of better attention and care to the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and nutrition. Since early 2020, USAID Advancing Nutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic has organized events of this scale on a regular basis. Disseminating the project’s central messages on behalf of public figures like Beishekeyev attracts greater attention of communities to the health issues that the project aims to address.