You Are Not Alone, Lola Tillyaeva’s Foundation

 

As parents, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and her husband, businessman Timur Tillyaev, have a personal understanding of what children need to thrive. They also share a deep love for their native homeland of Uzbekistan. Recognizing the paucity of assistance provided to poor families and especially orphans in that country, in 2002 they decided to do something about.

 

The result was the foundation, You Are Not Alone. Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev set themselves a very specific, ambitious goal. They aimed to use the organization to provide comprehensive help and support to disadvantaged Uzbek kids. As the couple say, “Education is at the heart of everything the You Are Not Alone foundation does,” (http://timurtillyaevtimurtilliaev.over-blog.com/you-are-not-alone-foundation-timur-tillyaev-lola-karimova). Since that time, it has proven itself remarkably successful.

Now working with the new Karimov Foundation, You Are Not Alone has seen hundreds of children through both primary and secondary schooling. On occasion, stand out students are also offered bursaries to enable them to pursue university level studies either inside the country or abroad.

 

However, Lola Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev do not wait for kids to reach school age before stepping in. One of the first phases of the program was focused towards orphanages. Several institutions across Uzbekistan received funds to enable upgrades to both their physical facilities and the range of services they could provide. Speaking at the time Lola said the aim was to, “ensure that vulnerable children grow up in a caring and loving environment.” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/about-the-foundation).

 

As time went on, the organization began to broaden its reach. Identifying a need at the State Perinatal Centre in Tashkent, You Are Not Alone acted. They generously provided a range of specialized new equipment such as x-ray systems, cardiac monitors and ultrasound machines. The benefits of this material to mothers and their new-borns was immediately apparent. Rarely are the positive consequences of philanthropy so immediately evident, (https://www.lolakarimova.com/healthcare-assistance).

Another strategy has been to form partnerships with other NGOs with more specialized expertise. For example, they’ve teamed up with the French organization, Association La Chaîne de l’Espoir (Chain of Hope). In this way they are in a position to assist children with chronic cardiac conditions. The foundation provides access to the best specialists, whether they be Uzbek or foreign. If necessary, kids can be flown to international hospitals to ensure they receive the best care. So far, the partnership has seen over 130 Uzbek children receive life-saving cardiac surgery.

 

Lola Karivoma´s great work was recently recognized by the Fashion 4 Development organization. On the 24^th of September 2019 they awarded her the coveted Fashion 4 Development award at the 9^th Annual First Ladies luncheon in New York. In Lola Karimova they see someone who is committed to “supporting the UN Millennium Development Goals and ‘Every woman, Every child through education, empowerment, enhancement and enrichment,” (http://www.fashion4development.com/aboutf4d).

 

Lola Tillyaeva spoke after receiving the award, saying: “It is a great honour for me to be the recipient of this award that recognizes not only my efforts but also the efforts of other people who are committed to safeguarding the health of our planet.” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/news/lola-karimova-tillyaeva-receives-fashion-4-development-leading-lady-award).

 

 

 

The Magic of Lola Tillyaeva’s Coloring Book, Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Color

 

Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Color, is a stunning foray into the world of adult coloring books. It’s an ambitious, unique work that is bound to inspire imitation. Handsomely bound and packed with stunning illustrations, it is the work of Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and spans 2,000-years of Uzbek culture and history.

So as not to overwhelm the reader, the huge array of artefacts and artworks depicted are organized by theme; architecture, murals, carvings, textiles, etc. Together they tell the story of Uzbekistan’s rich and diverse cultural legacy - a captivating blend of influences spanning Persia, India, China and Siberia.

Though superficially an adult colouring book, Lola Tillyaeva’s ambitions run far beyond the standard offerings of this genre. Each image is accompanied by an informative text which helps position it into its correct cultural context. The opposing page presents the reader with a detailed line sketch of the same. A blank canvas, it invites readers to color the object as the spirit moves them.

A brief glance through online reviews is revealing. One mum praised Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s book for stimulating discussion with her “four-year old about the importance of the preservation of art and artefacts and learning about other cultures…” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41093451-uzbekistan). This was exactly the reaction Lola had aimed to achieve.

The line sketches purposely incorporate blank areas to reflect any missing sections in the original. In this way, the reader is confronted with the conundrum faced by museum curators the world over; to try and replicate what has been lost or emphasise what remains. As the above reviewer went on to say, “We have art books in the house that the children examine, but I don’t think they internalized or made as much a connection as this one did,” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41093451-uzbekistan). In this way, Lola Tillyaeva’s publication transcends her subject and engenders a wider interest in art for its own sake.

Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour is not Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s first artistic project. She is also responsible for The Droplet. 12 meters in height and constructed of aluminium tubing, the installation represents a stylised droplet of falling water. First launched in Paris in 2017, it will tour other European cities and is designed to stimulate debate around the issue of water scarcity. In Lola Tillyaeva’s own words, “I believe that art has an incredible capacity to inspire, encourage and unite people around a cause, due to its ability to touch the human soul,” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/the-droplet).

 

A hardcover publication containing 144 pages of gorgeous, lovingly presented images, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s book would also make an eye-catching coffee-table piece. An Uzbek herself, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva is well-known for her pride in her nation’s history and culture. One suspects that Lola is also aiming to foster interest more generally in Uzbekistan’s diverse, colourful and fascinating heritage. This is the great success of Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour. The book effortlessly bridges several disparate worlds. Not merely a source of hours of relaxing artistic expression, it also manages to educate and provoke reflection.   

 

Lola Tillyaeva Defends the Rights of Those Most in Need

 

For the best part of two decades, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and her husband, businessman Timur Tillyaev have been running one of Uzbekistan’s most celebrated foundations – You Are Not Alone. Having both grown up in the country, they were no strangers to the challenges faced by poor families there.

They were determined to do something about it. Recognizing that more was needed than simply the writing of checks, they took a hands-on approach. Initially, Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev focused on supporting orphanages. Across Uzbekistan, institutions were able to enhance the quality of their care and upgrade their infrastructure thanks to this generosity. Lola Tillyaeva says their goal was to “ensure that vulnerable children grow up in a caring and loving environment”.

On hearing about the grave challenges faced by the State Perinatal Centre in Tashkent, You Are Not Alone took action. New pieces of equipment such as; x-ray systems, cardiac monitors and ultrasound machines were provided. It must have been profoundly moving to see how this assistance impacted the well-being of new moms and their new-borns.

 

As their expertise grew, Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev were able to reach out and form partnerships to help deliver more specialised care. Teaming up with the French NGO, Associaiton La Chaîne de l’Espoir (Chain of Hope), You Are Not Alone has been able to provide needy Uzbeks with top quality treatment for those with chronic cardiac complaints. Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev’s intervention has enabled patients to be seen by the best specialists available, whether they be Uzbek or foreign. This includes having kids flown for treatment to international hospitals. So far, the partnership has seen over 130 Uzbek children receive life-saving cardiac surgery. (https://www.lolakarimova.com/about-the-foundation). But providing life-changing access to health care is only half of their mission.

 

As Lola Tillyaeva explains, “Education is at the heart of everything the You Are Not Alone foundation does,” (http:// timurtillyaevtimurtilliaev.over-blog.com/you-are-not-alone-foundation-timur-tillyaev-lola-karimova). To this end, the foundation has funded the education of thousands of disadvantaged Uzbek kids. No fewer than 240 have also been supported all the way through university. Lola Karimova’s organization is having great success in helping the young of Uzbekistan turn their life chances around.

 

It is no surprise then that Lola’s deep and enduring commitment has drawn attention. Recently, she took home the prestigious Fashion 4 Development award at the 9^th Annual First Ladies luncheon in New York. In Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva they see someone who is dedicated to “supporting the UN Millennium Development Goals and ‘Every woman, Every child through education, empowerment, enhancement and enrichment,” (http://www.fashion4development.com/aboutf4d).

On receiving the award Lola Tillyaeva said;

      “It is a great honour for me to be the recipient of this award that recognises not only my efforts but also the efforts of other people who are committed to       safeguarding the health of our planet. Fashion 4 Development, thank you for the immense work you have been doing for the future of our planet, for your       strong commitment to creating the sustainable world,” (https://www.lolakarimova.com/news/lola-karimova-tillyaeva-  receives-      fashion-4-development-leading-lady-award).

In this way, Lola Karimova and Timur Tillyaev are living up to their foundation´s charter of giving the disadvantaged youth of Uzbekistan the tools to help themselves.

Timur Tillyaev Producer of the Documentary Ulugh Beg

 

Few historical figures can have been as underappreciated as Uzbekistan’s Ulugh Beg. One suspects that had he been European he would be lionized today alongside the likes of Galileo and Copernicus. This oversight is one which Timur Tillyaev and his wife, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva have sought to put right. 

 

Released in 2017, Ulugh Beg: The Man Who Unlocked the Universe, is a remarkable documentary film. Produced by Timur Tillyaev and Lola Tillyaeva, it stars celebrated  American actor, Armand Assante and is narrated by the charismatic Vincent Cassel. With its rich production values and engaging pace, the film is an engaging piece of story-telling as it is; that the story is based on real-life events is all the more remarkable. This is reflected by the fact that it has gone on to win several awards. For example, it won coveted Kineo Prize for ‘Best Foreign Documentary’ at the 74^th Venice International Film Festival and also ‘Best Documentary Award,’ at the Ischia Film Festival.

 

Timur Tillyaev and his wife must be gratified to see how well their work has been received among audiences and critics alike. Uzbeks themselves, the project was a labor of love and born of a shared desire to encourage international interest in both Ulugh Beg’s extraordinary life and Uzbek culture in general. As Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva put it herself,

        “I have been fascinated by Ulugh Beg ever since I was a child. Every time I visited Samarkand and heard about the scientific discoveries made by this celebrated scholar and peace-loving ruler – a man who in the 15^th century   turned Samarkand into the epicentre of the world’s most advanced studies in astronomy – I thought that his extraordinary story should be told to the world,”

(https://tillyaev-karimova.com/ulugh-beg-the-man-who-unlocked-the-universe-1/).

 

Ulugh Beg: The Man Who Unlocked the Universe, tells the story of a grandson of the great Tamerlane who was given a throne, whilst still a teenager. Thanks to a period of relative peace, scholars from China, Turkey and Persia were able to travel for the first time in many years. Ulugh encouraged their visits and studied the learned texts they carried, particularly those related to astrology, trigonometry and geometry. Far more than merely a patron of learning, Ulugh Beg himself had one of the great minds of his time. He produced numerous great works and made several significant discoveries in his own right.

 

He is also remembered for founding one of the first universities and constructing a huge, three-story sextant. Working more than a century before the invention of the telescope, this instrument allowed him to make precise measurements and calculations which Galileo was not able to improve upon. He also produced a breathtakingly accurate map of the night sky. With over 1000 celestial bodies listed and their location described – nothing quite like it had ever been seen.

 

Timur Tillyaev and Lola’s gorgeous film is more than an engrossing piece of entertainment, it is an engaging showcase of the richness of Uzbek culture and history.

 

You Are Not Alone; The Foundation That Timur Tillyaev And His Wife Have Created to Help Underprivileged Children

 

As parents themselves, Timur Tillyaev and his wife, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva have a deep understanding of what children need to thrive. They also share a profound compassion for children who are forced to endure a life of grinding poverty. Recognizing that this was the reality for many kids in their homeland of Uzbekistan, in 2002 they decided to do something about it. Together, Timur Tillyaev and Lola launched the You Are Not Alone foundation. Now, nearly two decades later, their organization continues its inspiring work of enhancing the life opportunities of underprivileged kids across the country. 

Timur Tillyaev and Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva  built the You Are Not Alone foundation around the principle of philanthropy. Unlike charity, which simply eases the immediate needs of the recipient, their foundation pursues a more ambitious goal. By targeting their assistance towards health and education their aim is to empower disadvantaged children to achieve autonomy over their own futures. Or, as they have said themselves, 

        “to help unlock the children’s potential by providing them with an all-round     education, and to prepare children for independent life, encouraging them to become self-reliant, confident and emotionally stable you adults.”

 

To this end, You Are Not Alone made orphanages a priority. Timur Tillyaev and Lola Karimova have consistently focused upon improving the quality of care and the variety of services provided by Uzbek ‘mercy homes.’ Whether this be the provision of new equipment and furniture or a total refurbishment, the goal is always the same – “to ensure that vulnerable children grow up in a caring and loving environment,”

Beyond this, both Timur Tillyaev and Lola Tillyaeva appreciate the difference a good education makes to an individual’s life opportunities. For this reason, they continue to support hundreds of Uzbek children through primary and secondary schooling. Where students show special aptitude, they are even sponsored through to university level.

You Are Not Alone has gone from strength-to-strength. In more recent times, Timur and Lola identified an urgent need among children suffering from complex cardiac diseases. In this case, they chose to collaborate with the French Associaiton La Chaîne de l’Espoir (Chain of Hope).

Since 2015, with the backing of the You Are Not Alone Foundation, French cardiac surgeons have carried out over 130 operations on Uzbek children with complex congenital heart conditions, all of whom come from Uzbekistan’s low-income families and orphanages. With the Foundation’s support, 21 of these operations were carried out in France.

Timur Tillyaev proud to share projects with his wife Lola Tillyaeva

Timur Tillyaev is justifiably proud of his wife Lola Karimova. Though he is known to be an avid supporter of her diverse projects, his business interests limit the time he can commit to them himself. After completing his degree at Midland University in the United States he found remarkable success in the world of international transport.  However, there is one project which he puts above all else – raising their three beautiful children.  

The You Are Not Alone foundation was begun in 2002 and Timur Tillyaev, along with his wife Lola Tillyaeva, was involved from the beginning. A native of Uzbekistan, like Lola Tillyaeva herself, Timur shares her deep compassion for children born into disadvantage. Together they have sponsored a range of initiatives which aim to boost the opportunities for Uzbek youth. Recognizing the importance education played in his own life, Timur Tillyaev ensured that the provision of schooling would be one of the central aims of You Are Not Alone. Not only does the foundation provide access to primary and secondary schooling, it also offers scholarships to allow high performing students to pursue their studies at university.

Another of Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s projects is The Harmonist. Reflecting her husband’s business savvy, Lola’s maison de parfums has met with great commercial and critical success. Blending Eastern philosophies with European know-how, Harrods’ department store described her range as, “tantalising – an expertly composed complexity of scents…”. As Lola Tillyaeva herself explains it, “There is no such thing as a perfume that is ideal for everyone. Like clothes, it depends on the occasion and character of the person” 

Being profoundly concerned about the challenge of climate change, The Droplet project is also close to Timur Tillyaev’s heart. As a father, he wants to ensure a healthy, sustainable future for his children. For this reason, he is happy to promote Lola’s project at every opportunity. Composed of aluminium tubing, The Droplet forms a stylized droplet of water towering 12 meters high. Designed to envelope itself in a fine mist, the objective is to provide a “multi-sensory experience” and stimulate discussion about the issue of water scarcity.

From a young age Timur Tillyaev was entranced by the incredible story of Ulugh Beg. As a grandson of Tamerlane, Ulugh Beg was made ruler whilst still a teenager and turned his 15th century capital, Samarkand, into a beacon of learning and scientific discovery. As if that were not enough, he also possessed one of the greatest minds of his age. Centuries before the discovery of the telescope and the appearance of Galileo and Copernicus, Ulugh Beg was making advances that neither could better. 

Sharing a passion for the man and his legend, Timur Tillyaev and Lola teamed up to produce an acclaimed documentary to celebrate his life. As Lola explains, “a man who in the 15th century turned Samarkand into the epicenter of the world’s most advanced studies in astronomy – I thought that his extraordinary story should be told to the world”. 

Lola Karimova receives Fashion for Development’s Leading Lady Award

 

The 24^th of September was a great day for Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva. In front of a stellar collection of diplomats, artists, activists and fashion industry leaders, she took home the coveted, Fashion 4 Development award at the 9^th Annual First Ladies luncheon in New York.

Held in the gorgeous Pierre Hotel the function was organised by Evie Evangelou’s Fashion 4 Development. Founded a decade ago, its objective is to “support the UN Millennium Development Goals and ‘Every woman, Every child.’” Ms Evangelou’s vision is to further this goal through education, empowerment, enhancement and enrichment” Her organisation pursues this agenda in partnership with the fashion industry and others who share a passion for its goals. Much has been achieved in this short time. As Evie Evangelou explained, “It has been nearly a decade, with much to celebrate, and I am overwhelmed with the benevolence of the stakeholders and change agents”

 

With the objective of celebrating the achievements of powerful women who share a commitment to the UN’s development goals, it’s no surprise that Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s efforts came to their attention. Apart from serving as Uzbekistan’s ambassador to UNESCO for a decade, she and husband Timur Tillyaev, have set up and continue to operate several philanthropic foundations in the land of their birth. One example of this is the You Are Not Alone Foundation. Its priorities are closely aligned to both the UN Millennium Development Goals and Evie Evangelou’s Fashion 4 Development.

 

Just as the UN and Fashion 4 Development emphasise sustainability, education and empowerment, so does the You Are Not Alone Foundation. Lola Karimova’s foundation has assisted thousands of underprivileged children to access educational opportunities which they otherwise might not have – several hundred of whom have subsequently gone on to tertiary studies. Beyond this, the organisation also provides medical services to at risk children and orphans. In one prominent example it has set up a partnership with French NGO La Chaine de l’Espoir. Translated into English the name means, The Chain of Hope and it precisely offers that. Together the two organisations have provided over 130 Uzbek children with life-saving cardiac surgery.

 

Evidently then, by contributing her time and money towards the health and schooling of Uzbekistan’s youth, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva is directly enhancing their empowerment and education. Actions like these provide a strong impetus to the UN’s development goals and exemplify why Evie Evangelou and Fashion 4 Development would want to recognise her efforts. Lola Karimova was conscious of this when she spoke after receiving the award;

 “It is a great honour for me to be the recipient of this award that recognises not only my efforts but also the efforts of other people who are committed to safeguarding the health of our planet. Fashion 4 Development, thank you for  the immense work you have been doing for the future of our planet, for your strong commitment to creating the sustainable world, for raising the awareness of our common responsibility and making people think of what kind of legacy we will be leaving to future generations.”