OREANDA-NEWS. February 1, 2012. North Caspian Operating Company B.V. (NCOC), together with Agip KCO, the agent company responsible for Phase I of the giant Kashagan project, held a ceremony in Atyrau today to hand­over 16 sponsorship and donation projects to residents of Atyrau Region under the Consortium's Sponsorship & Donations (S&D) programme.

Opening the S&D handover event, NCOC's External Relations Director Pierre Delpont said: "We are handing over today 16 community projects as a sign of the Consortium's continued commitment to support local communities in Atyrau and Mangistau Regions. I am proud to announce that in 2011 the Consortium sponsored 104 S&D projects, with a total value of about 213mln tenge, and we expect to spend a similar amount this year as well."

The Consortium handed over 16 S&D projects, among the beneficiaries of which were:

Music school in Makat, furnished;

Secondary school named after Dosbayev in Baichunas, Makat District, provided with musical equipment and furniture;

Secondary school named after M.Baimukahnov in Makat, provided with a mini-van;

Secondary school named after Sanbayev in Makat, furnished;

Four war and labor veterans of Makat District, provided with vouchers to a health spa in Sary Agach;

A speech therapist from the social integration centre for mentally and physically handicapped children in the settlement of Dossor gets sponsored training;

Disabled children of Atyrau get sponsorship for participation in a basketball tournament in Shymkent Region;

Technical gymnasium in Atyrau, with advanced instruction in English, provided with sports and interactive equipment;

Secondary school No 10 named after S.Mukanov in Atyrau, provided with a computer classroom;

Central library of Atyrau, provided with computers and office furniture;

Famous dombra player Ms. A.Ulkenbayeva gets sponsored concert tour of Atyrau and 4 districts of Atyrau Region;

Visits by doctors from Tula (Russian Federation) to perform infantile cerebral paralysis surgery in Atyrau in the autumn;

Atyrau-based family type orphanage, provided with clothes;

Kindergartens of Makat District, provided with training methodology support;

Capacity-building project for NGOs.

The event was attended by authorities of Atyrau and the Region, NCOC and agent company Agip KCO. Consortium's S&D programme funding is equally split between Mangistau and Atyrau regions.