With great sadness we share the news that on September 27th, 2020, ISSA lost a precious member of the network, Lola Ibragimovna Babaeva, coordinator of the Early Childhood Development Program at the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan.

Since 2002, Lola Babaeva was deeply involved in implementation and expansion of the international program "Step by Step", striving to create accessible, inclusive and child friendly preschool and school systems in her beloved Tajikistan. 

She also made a substantial contribution on Early Childhood Intervention and Inclusive Education, not only in her country but also in the Central Asian region, working closely with other ISSA members, government institutions,  international agencies and civil society organizations. She was a dedicated innovator, trainer and passionate advocate for early childhood development.  

Lola will be remembered and deeply missed in Tajikistan, the Central Asian region and widely in all ISSA’s community. We will all cherish her memory as a warm, kind, supportive and devoted professional, as well as an exceptional human being and colleague.

Although she is not with us anymore, her legacy will continue to live through the work of the teachers, NGO members, and colleagues, everybody she touched with her smile and provided with her guidance.

Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues.