A House Where Personalities Grow: A Unique Project for Young People Launched in Astana
A group integrated adolescent home for young people under the care of the SOS Children’s Villages organization has opened in Astana. It is a warm and safe space where young people can learn independence, find support, and make plans for the future when they begin to live independently.
The project was implemented with the support of Timur Kulibayev’s Halyk charitable foundation, which donated two spacious apartments with a total area of 370 square meters for this purpose.
The new home will be an important step towards independent adult life. Here, teenagers will live with their parents-teachers, learn independence, responsibility and adapt to the urban environment. The atmosphere in the new home is as close to family as possible: cozy rooms, conditions for study, rest and everyday life.
Director of the Halyk Charity Foundation Saginbek Shunkeev noted:
“Together with SOS Children’s Villages, we have already implemented several similar initiatives in Almaty and Karaganda. These projects have proven how important it is for children and families to have the opportunity to develop in an urban environment in an atmosphere of home comfort and warmth.”
The format of the integrated adolescent home is aimed at ensuring a smooth and safe transition of children to adult life in an urban environment – with greater opportunities for integration, social adaptation and constant support from teachers and specialists of the Children’s Village.
According to Gulzhan Asanova, National Director of the Corporate Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages of Kazakhstan”:
“The comfortable modern conditions created for successful study, leisure and everyday life contribute to the formation of a healthy idea of the norm in teenagers, which they will strive for when they become independent. This, in turn, encourages them to succeed in obtaining a sought-after and competitive profession and finding their own path in life.”
Over several years, teenagers will have the opportunity to adapt to urban life: they will learn to use public services — visiting clinics, accessing services at the Public Service Centers (CSCs), as well as managing their finances and planning for the future. When young people are ready to leave the care of SOS Children’s Villages, they will feel confident and understand that they can independently handle everyday issues faced by every adult in Kazakhstan.
17-year-old Kristina shared her impressions:
“When we came to see the apartment, we were absolutely delighted. The neighbors were probably surprised why we were so happy. The girls and I immediately decided: in the mornings we will drink coffee in the living room, like in the movies!”
The corporate foundation SOS Children’s Villages Kazakhstan is a non-profit organization founded in 1994. The foundation cares for children and young people who have been left without parental care or are at risk of losing it. Over 30 years, more than 900 children and young people have received, and continue to receive, upbringing and residential services at SOS Children’s Villages Kazakhstan. Over 2,500 children have received comprehensive support through social projects under SOS Children’s Villages. The organization operates in Almaty, Astana, Karaganda, and Temirtau. As part of the Coordinating Council of Family-Type Children’s Villages project, also supported by the Halyk Foundation of Timur Kulibayev, the organization provides methodological support to children’s boarding institutions across Kazakhstan.
Founded by Timur and Dinara Kulibayev in 2016, the Halyk Charitable Foundation has successfully implemented over 120 social projects totaling more than 85 billion tenge. The foundation’s activities cover key areas: education, sports, social protection, support for children left without parental care, as well as assistance to single mothers from vulnerable segments of the population.
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