Five years have passed since the opening of the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population. Opened on 22 October 2021, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva, the Centre stands out for its multifaceted activities and makes a significant contribution to the development of an inclusive society.

DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity  was established on the initiative of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

As the first and largest inclusive creativity and development space in the South Caucasus, the Centre supports the development of skills, rehabilitation and social integration of persons with disabilities, family members of martyrs, children who have lost their parents or are deprived of parental care, and other individuals from vulnerable groups.

The Centre also operates DOST Evi branches in Ismayilli and Barda, where the creative potential of vulnerable groups living in the respective regions is developed.

To date, services have been provided to 1,106 beneficiaries at the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity and its branches, while more than 380 beneficiaries are currently developing their skills.

Over the past period, the Centre has become a unique platform where individuals from vulnerable groups receive social and psychological rehabilitation, restore their self-confidence, integrate into society and expand their employment opportunities. To achieve this goal, more than 200 events and social initiatives have been implemented.

Seventeen graduates who successfully completed their training at the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity have been engaged as trainers and social agents at the Centre and its branches, while more than 20 graduates are pursuing higher education at leading higher education institutions in Azerbaijan. Three beneficiaries and trainers of the Centre are recipients of the Presidential Award.

To recognise the creative potential and work of authors from vulnerable groups, the Centre launched its online sales portal, dostart.az. Handcrafted works by beneficiaries of the DOST Center for Inclusive Development and Creativity have also been showcased at a number of prestigious international events.