On April 18, in Almaty, the project “Speak with deeds” was presented – the first information campaign in
Kazakhstan, where they tell in simple words about the activities of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs).

The goal of the campaign #Speakwithdeeds is to inform people of Kazakhstan about the importance of
the third sector, as well as that all citizens can actively participate in the life of society and perform
worthy deeds. Active civil society is one of the distinguishing features of developed countries.
NGOs work is a daily, hardly noticeable, but incredibly important work, sometimes associated with risk.
Employees of non-profit organizations throughout Kazakhstan raise funds for people, who need help,
provide free consultations, develop social projects, conduct training, and implement training programs.
Non-profit organizations do not talk much about their work; they are usually #Speakwithdeeds.
Representatives of the non-governmental sector are implementing many significant projects in the field
of youth support, advocacy, culture, ecology, education. A population has the right to know about those
heroes who work for society.

One of the objectives of the project is to inform Kazakhstanis about the role and projects of NGOs, any
constructive civil activism aimed at solving important problems and improving the quality of life of the
most vulnerable part of the population.

This is the first experience of solitarily promotion the ideas of civil society. The initiators of the project
#Speakwithdeeds call on all representatives of NGOs, volunteers, active activists and in a coordinated
way to inform the public about their work.

According to official data, as for March 16, 2018 there are more than 14,000 operating NGOs in
Kazakhstan.

A research conducted before the project showed that the overwhelming majority – 85% of Kazakhstanis
– do not know what NGOs are and what they do. Only 15% of respondents heard about non-profit
organizations, but they are not aware of their activities.
Evgeny Zhovtis, Director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law:

– In 2018, more than 4,500 citizens received primary legal assistance from KIBHR lawyers. 1013
undocumented people received legal assistance and recovered documents. 538 asylum seekers and
refugees received legal assistance, including representation in court in 309 cases. Representative offices
of the Bureau work in 12 cities of Kazakhstan.

Tomiris Zholdasova, coordinator of information programs of the Youth Information Service of
Kazakhstan:
– The work of YISK is aimed at developing civil activism among young people and supporting youth
organizations. Each year, the organization implements about 10 major projects: Zhas Camp, School of
Civil Education, School of Human Rights, Live Libraries, film screenings on the topic of human rights and
others, which were attended by about 3,000 young people.
One of the most important areas of work of public organizations is the support of people with special
needs.

Kamila Mergenbaeva, psychologist of the Kazakhstan Psychoanalytic Association:
– At this time, we are implementing several social projects – Training Cafe and Training Restaurant Ale
Pub, where people with mental disorders can work. Our goal is to enable people with psychosocial
disabilities to earn, socialize, and learn.

Gulsum Semenova, Director of the Mama Pro Center:
– Today, the program of the training center “Mama Pro”, supported by the Soros -Kazakhstan
Foundation, has passed 80 mothers of special children. After completing the training course, our
graduates note greater motivation and self-confidence, as well as an improvement in their financial
situation. For example, among the successful graduates of our course are the founders of a
rehabilitation center and a catering company, confectioners, chefs, photographers, seamstresses,
makeup artists, scrapbookers, and many others. We are pleased that we have the opportunity to share
our experience and inspire mothers raising children with special needs to implement their plans and
create similar centers in other regions of Kazakhstan.

The project #Speakwithdeeds is carried out by the International Center of Journalism MediaNet with the
support of the Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation.

Additional Information:
Alena Koshkina, a.o.koshkina@gmail.com, +7 747 9879879