EFCA projects recognized by EUROBAK

Projects implemented by the EFCA were recognized at the European Business Association of Kazakhstan (EUROBAK)’s recognition ceremony, held in February 2016, where corporate social projects undertaken by the association’s members were honored.

In the "Supporting Children" category, Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers was recognized with its "3, 2, 1, Start!" project. The project, implemented in 2015 in the Akmola region, is aimed at supporting rural youth and physical education teachers, in addition to promoting active and healthy lifestyles. As a result of the project, the material and technical equipment of regional schools has improved; new kinds of clubs have appeared; physical education teachers have begun to use more innovative methods of teaching and rural residents have become more involved in sports and healthy lifestyles.

In the "Supporting Different Social Groups" category, EUROBAK recognized BG Kazakhstan* with its "Institutional development of non-profit organizations (NCBs) in the field of providing social services to the most vulnerable sectors of the population in the West Kazakhstan region" project. One of the organizations supported by the company, the West Kazakhstan Union of Orphanage and Nur Boarding Schools Graduates has, since 2013, been engaged in solving the urgent problems of orphanage and boarding school “graduates.” EFCA conducted a number of trainings on fundraising, communications, and project management for the organization’s employees, helped to develop fundraising and communication plans, and assisted in the launching of a website. All of this contributed to increasing the sustainability of the NGO.

"We congratulate our partners on their deserved recognition. It is important for us to know that we have helped to achieve these results. We believe that such competitions are extremely important for our country because they offer companies making their first steps towards CSR the opportunity to see examples for imitation,” said Rinad Temirbekov, executive director of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia.

The main objective of the competition is to recognize the active social position of the companies that make up the Association. Since its launch, roughly 100 companies with over 120 projects have taken part. This year, 30 companies submitted applications to participate.

Julia Cusidi, Executive Director of EUROBAK: "Strict selection criteria included such indicators as project implementation without the participation of state bodies; the absence of pronounced advertising of the company’s services; the time spent on the project; the number of people involved in project implementation; and most importantly, the number of people it has influenced or whose lives it has changed for the better."

The European Business Association of Kazakhstan (EUROBAK) is a non-profit organization established in 1999 on the initiative of European companies and the Delegation of the European Union. EUROBAK unites more than 150 internationally known international, European, and Kazakh companies and diplomatic missions from Europe and around the world.

** BG Kazakhstan is a branch of the BG Company in Kazakhstan. As of February 15, 2016, BG Company has been a part of Royal Dutch Shell.