On 19 July 2026 Riga's Imanta neighbourhood hosted a real family celebration: at Kurzemes prospekts 15 the Community Centre for Accessible Education officially opened its doors — a bright, safe space for children, families and everyone living in the area.
One mission — many countries
The centre opened with the support of the Taiwanese TX Foundation. Unfortunately, the foundation's team — executive director Freda Miriklis and president Liza Lin — could not be present at the opening ceremony: weather-related disruptions in New York prevented them from reaching Riga. The foundation was established by Cheng-Ta Hsieh and his wife Liza Lin around a simple and important idea: every child should have a safe place to learn, to play and to feel needed.
The opening in Riga is part of the foundation's wider mission: TX Foundation supports centres and projects for children in a number of countries around the world. And everywhere the same thing holds true: communities that refuse to give up for the sake of their children.
The building was old and needed serious renovation, but thanks to the persistence of the community and its volunteers the neighbourhood now has a bright place for learning, support and new friendships. Special thanks were given to Ļubova Tihomirova, who led the project, and to Anna Šļakota of ADRA Latvija.
Unveiling the commemorative plaque
The ceremony was attended by Imants Gipslis, president of the Latvian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Congregations (SDA Latvijas draudžu savienības prezidents), and Dāvis Priede — and it was the two of them who unveiled the new centre's commemorative plaque.
A dance performance added to the festive mood — opening a place built for the community with a piece of its own culture and joy was genuinely beautiful.
Gifts from ADRA Latvija
The ADRA Latvija team, the event's sponsor, was there too, with gifts prepared for the guests. You can find out more about the organisation's work at adra.lv. The same site lists children's support projects that anyone wishing to donate can join.
Maranafa at the celebration
The Maranafa camp team was right at the heart of it all: we handed out ice cream to every guest, our animators played with the children throughout the day, and in the raffle one of the participants won a place at the upcoming Maranafa summer camp. Congratulations to the lucky winner — see you in the summer!
The programme included bouncy castles, a bubble show, a raffle with prizes and much more — details on the event page.
Photo gallery
The brightest moments of the celebration are in our photo gallery: