VivaCell, UNICEF joint project improves education environment for
children with special needs

2008-05-16 16:14:00

ArmInfo. UNICEF and VivaCell, a subsidiary of Mobile TeleSystems OJSC
(NYSE: MBT) announced today that thanks to their joint initiative,
access to quality education for more than 200 Armenian children with
special needs will become much easier.

Over 36 million drams donated by VivaCell to UNICEF in 2007 were spent
on establishing and furnishing resource rooms in eight inclusive
schools in Yerevan and Tavoush province as well as on the purchase and
outfitting of three specially equipped minibuses that will be provided
to three community centers offering transportation services to children
with special needs in Tavoush.

"The partnership between VivaCell and UNICEF vividly demonstrates how
public and private sectors can work hand in hand for the benefit of
children. I welcome this joint initiative that creates opportunities
for children with special needs to exercise their right to education,"
Bagrat Yesayan, Deputy Minister of Education and Science said during
the ceremony of handover of minibuses and resource rooms held today at
the inclusive school No.180 in Avan community of Yerevan.

"This joint initiative will help ensure that children with special
needs have full access to quality education in eight inclusive schools,
and will enable community centres to provide outreach services to other
children with special needs," UNICEF Representative in Armenia Sheldon
Yett said. "Too many children with disabilities are unnecessarily
prevented from going to school, while others are consigned to
environments that discourage real learning – environments that are
unhealthy, unsafe, ineffective, and unfriendly," the UNICEF
Representative added.

"We have often been considered as doing philanthropy. However, what
VivaCell is doing is a clear responsibility toward the country in which
our Company operates and toward the children of Armenia. By this act of
social responsibility, VivaCell will help children with special needs
to get quality education. With special vehicles and resource rooms it
will be much easier for them to achieve this. VivaCell recruits
individuals with disabilities and invites other enterprises operating
in Armenia to do the same," said Ralph Yirikian, the General Manager of
VivaCell.

Under the project each of the eight selected inclusive schools was
equipped with a resource room where children, with the support from
specially trained teachers, will engage in various developmental
activities. Resource rooms will also serve as a place of convergence
for parents of children with special needs where they will be able to
receive information and guidance from professionals.

Through the project, over 100 teachers from the eight schools were also
provided training to improve their knowledge and skills on
methodologies of working with children with special needs.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, there are
approximately 8,500 children with disabilities living in the Republic
of Armenia. Although the country has 14 inclusive schools and 5
UNICEF-supported community centres that cater for the needs of 1,500
children with disabilities, many of these children remain isolated from
the society and deprived from basic education.

Inclusive education ensures the right to education for children with
special needs and provides them with opportunities to develop their
social skills and become productive and full-fledged members of their
community and the society now and in the future.

Since 2001 UNICEF has been supporting projects on inclusive education
which demonstrate that most children with special needs can, with
motivation and effort from teachers, school administrators and students
themselves, thrive in a mainstream environment.

UNICEF established its presence in Armenia in 1994. UNICEF is mandated
by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection
of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand
their opportunities to meet their full potential.

VivaCell (K-Telecom CJSC) is the leading Armenian mobile operator,
providing a wide range of Voice and Data services. Since its launch on
1st July 2005, in a short period of time VivaCell has managed to build
a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell drives
the development and offering of innovative mobile communications
products, services and features in the Armenian mobile communications
market. For more information, visit

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS") is the largest mobile phone operator in
Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company
services over 84.95 million subscribers. The regions of Russia, as well
as Armenia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in which
MTS and its associates and subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM
services, have a total population of more than 230 million. Since June
2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange
(ticker symbol MBT).