Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and her husband, businessman Timur Tillyaev, share a profound attachment to the nation of their birth. Though professional commitments led them to base themselves outside of Uzbekistan, their love for the country remains. This depth of feeling is reflected in the fact that the couple operate three separate foundations to assist Uzbeks in need.
Founded back in
2002, the You Are Not Alone foundation directs assistance to
Uzbek orphanages and care homes. The aim here is to, “ensure that vulnerable
children grow up in a caring and loving environment,” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/about-the-foundation). For
nearly two decades, with Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev’s
assistance, institutions across the country have been able to upgrade both
their facilities and level of care.
For example,
between 2012 and 2014 the organization provided for the complete renovation of
the Tashkent Orphanage for children under the age of three. It also funded the
upgrading of mercy homes in towns outside of the capital like Chirchik and
Samarkand. Beyond that, You Are Not Alone has also overseen the
construction of purpose-built facilities - one recent example being Mercy Home
No. 6 in Samarkand in 2014.
Working in
partnership with You Are Not Alone, is the second charitable
organization set up by Lola Tillyaeva – the National Centre for the Social
Adaption of Children (NCSAC). Created in 2004, it “provides medical
and financial support for children with disabilities and their families”.
The scope of
support is comprehensive and wide ranging. It includes, “diagnosis, orthopaedic and neurological treatment,
speech therapy and education,” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/about-the-centre).
All of these services are provided without
charge. For both the child concerned and their entire family, this kind of
assistance is life-changing in every sense.
Beyond
this, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev’s foundations also make
funds available for hospitals more generally. For instance, after identifying a
need at the State Perinatal Centre in Tashkent, You Are Not Alone
generously provided new pieces of equipment such as; x-ray systems, cardiac
monitors and ultrasound machines, (https://www.lolakarimova.com/healthcare-assistance).
Lola
Karimova and Timur Tillyaev have also formed partnerships with international
organizations to allow for more specialized health services. Perhaps the most
celebrated example of this is the relationship they have with the French
organization, Associaiton La Chaîne de l’Espoir
(Chain of Hope). Specializing in the treatment of congenital heart conditions,
Lola and Timur see to it that their patients get the best medical attention
available. Since its launch in 2015, over 130 procedures have been conducted.
Some of these operations were so delicate, that Lola and Timur’s foundation
sent children all the way to France to ensure they received the best possible
care.
In 2016
Lola Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev launched a new venture – this time directed
towards education. Called The Karimov Foundation, it provides
scholarships to “enable talented students to pursue their education at some of
the best universities in Europe,” (https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2019/11/12/the-karimov-foundation-discover-lola-karimova-and-timur-tillyaevs-project/). To
date, 36 students from Uzbekistan have received two-year scholarships for
post-graduate studies in universities in countries such as Germany, Italy,
Switzerland, UK, Russia and Poland.
