Volunteering as a Lifestyle

In today’s world, volunteering has become an essential part of social responsibility and conscious civic engagement. Kazakhstan, in line with global trends, is actively developing various areas of volunteer activity.

This year, the National Volunteer Network (NVN) is implementing two-year projects under state grants from the Ministry of Culture and Information. These initiatives are aimed at developing environmental volunteering, emergency response volunteering, and animal welfare volunteering, as well as building a sustainable support ecosystem for volunteer movements in these areas.

The projects include training seminars and workshops, information campaigns to promote a culture of volunteering, the publication of a collection of best cases and success stories to inspire future volunteers, and the launch of a small grants competition to support local initiatives.

Environmental Volunteering

One of the most prominent examples is the Green Steppe project, which brings together people ready to change the world for the better – starting with themselves. Its mission is to foster a sustainable culture of environmental volunteering in Kazakhstan by supporting initiatives aimed at environmental protection, increasing public environmental literacy, and creating infrastructure for active citizens.

As part of Green Steppe, a leadership program on the environment and sustainable development is being launched, which includes the establishment of eco-clubs in schools across the country. This will engage a new generation of Kazakhstani citizens in addressing pressing environmental issues and instill in children and adolescents a respectful attitude toward nature.

The project places special emphasis on forming a Young Climate Leaders community, where active young people can gain knowledge in sustainable development and become agents of environmental change – capable of influencing both policy and public opinion.

Emergency Response Volunteers: The “Aman” Project

Equally important is the development of emergency response volunteering, carried out through the Aman project. The goal of this initiative is to build a resilient and professional volunteer community that is ready to respond quickly to natural disasters, technological accidents, and other crises.

The project includes:

·                  Training volunteers in first aid and coordination with emergency response services;

·                  Establishing volunteer rapid response teams across regions of Kazakhstan;

·                  Conducting joint exercises with relevant government agencies.

This creates a new segment of civil society – ready to help where it’s needed most, whether in cases of floods, forest fires, or other emergencies.

Animal Welfare Volunteering

The third focus area is animal welfare volunteering – supporting stray animals, protecting animal rights, and ensuring humane conditions for their care. This project includes:

·                  Organizing shelters and temporary housing for animals;

·                  Conducting sterilization and vaccination campaigns;

·                  Educational campaigns aimed at fostering a culture of responsible pet ownership among the population.

All three initiatives share a common goal: to increase citizen engagement in the volunteer movement and create opportunities for everyone to contribute to the betterment of their country.

For participation inquiries, please contact the call center at +7 (708) 706-42-42 or email the project teams at:

Environmental volunteering – greensteppe.kz@gmail.com

Emergency response volunteering – Aman.project.kz@gmail.com

Animal welfare volunteering – kazakhstanforanimals@mail.ru

Stay updated on project news via our Instagram page: @qazvolunteer.kz