As part of the International Year of Volunteers, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has reported that approximately 300,000 volunteers are active in Kazakhstan.
He shared the information during a meeting with Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, as per news agency Qazinform.
It should be noted that the principle of volunteering was recently enshrined in the Constitution, with governmental support often available for communities of voluntary workers.
The President added that:
“We view volunteering through the lens of state policy as an expression of genuine patriotism and, of course, the state’s support for young people.”
This approach has led to over a thousand volunteer projects taking place this year alone, and with numbers growing, young people are coming to realise more and more the value of giving something back to communities that they themselves have gained so much from.
Many of their stories are told on the major website, Qazvolunteer, and the spirit in the whole community of those who give up their time to help others betokens the heart of this country as a whole.
In terms of some of the work they dedicate themselves to, the list is endless. Some work with animal welfare, others with the elderly. There are many people who give up their free time to work with search and rescue, others meanwhile content to spend their time helping children with disabilities. These four examples by no means form a complete list, either.
Anna is a lawyer and mediator who has a string of professional qualifications, yet finds time to care for stray animals and mentor others to do the same.
“Before I started volunteering, I was simply rescuing cats and dogs: I’d take them into my home or find them other homes.”
Oleg is very active in helping to locate and rescue missing persons.
“I decided to open a volunteer Search and Rescue group to search for missing persons in and around Balkhash. Then I began studying operational investigative systems. In 2017, I found like-minded people and met a similar team from Karaganda, and we continue to grow and develop together.”
Diana, from Astana, volunteers in several fields but most notably with children with disabilities, having also experienced difficulties herself when younger.
“As I grew older, I promised myself that I would help children like me, and also protect our environment.”
Meanwhile, volunteer work is not always undertaken within the country, as many people travel abroad to work on programmes and build bridges with communities further afield.
Tomiris is 16 now and working her way through school, but when she was younger, she spent a fortnight in Uganda where she volunteered on a recognised international programme.
“I helped with different community activities and spent time working with local people and children. I went there because I wanted to experience a completely different culture and do something useful for other people.
“I stayed there for about two weeks. During that time, I learned how people live in a different environment, and I became more independent and open-minded.
“The biggest thing I gained from the experience was a different perspective on life. I realised that I shouldn’t take things like education, comfortable living conditions, and everyday opportunities for granted.
“It also helped me become more confident and taught me how to communicate with people from completely different backgrounds.”
Kazakhstan also welcomes thousands of incoming volunteers to work on similar schemes, but also on projects which suit the traveller’s mentality, such as helping to construct hotels and make traditional wine and cheese.
Workaway schemes are popular among backpacker types because it gives them the opportunity to travel on a budget and trade favours with local people, helping to build bridges as well as buildings.
Yeldos lives near Esik, a town east of Almaty set in a stunning rural location. In his own words:
“Our passion is living in the village and helping our local community develop. For many years we have been raising chickens and selling fresh eggs. We have helped many people we know to launch an egg business to sustain themselves.
“Now we have a hectare of land on which we built our small house. We put up a yurt and a trailer on our land, and we have hosted different groups of locals who wanted to take time outside Almaty experiencing fresh air in a rural community.
“We always need help with different construction tasks.”
His host rating is 100% positive, with over 30 people sharing their views on the time they spent working for him and his family, involved with tasks ranging from assisting with livestock to helping with the English language.
For aspiring local volunteers, the website Qazvolunteer is an impressive resource, while those abroad interested in working holidays may wish to consult either Workaway or Worldpackers.
