The winners of the Zharkyra contest

Today in Atyrau, the ceremony of awarding grant certificates to the authors of the best projects on social entrepreneurship was held within the framework of the Zharkyra program, implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia with the financial support of Tengizchevroil LLP.

After conducting introductory motivational seminars in April 2016, the organizing committee of the Zharkyra program received 72 drafts of social businesses and ideas aimed at solving urgent problems of the community of Atyrau and Zhylyoi region. In the first round of the competition, the expert committee selected 25 best ideas, whose authors, with the help of professional business consultants, finalized them to the level of competitive business plans.

On August 16-17, 2016 they presented their social enterprises to an expert committee, which selected 6 projects for financial support. The total grant fund of the "Zharkyra" Program is 18,600,000 tenge.

The winners were:

Nurlan Shegirov with the project "Meir-Nur". Nurlan has a center for the treatment of children with cerebral palsy with the help of hippotherapy in Kulsary. In addition, the youth of the city can learn to ride. Thanks to a grant of 3.5 million tenge Nurlan will be able to purchase 4 horses and saddles.

Salima Sarbalina with the project of a medical narrow-profile diagnostic cabinet of the cardiovascular system "Meiirim". In the city of Kulsarys, a population of 78,000 has a high level of cardiovascular disease, but there is no specialized medical office. The Salima project will solve this problem and, moreover, discounts will be given to socially vulnerable groups.

Elvira Aytueva with the project "Neurorehabilitation center -" Life after a stroke ". Neurorehabilitation is of great national importance, since its ultimate goal is the possibility of returning to the creative work of persons with serious physical disabilities, and Elvira Aitueva will start to solve the problem.

Damira Temirkhanova will open the Academy of Internet Professionals. Damira intends to train people with disabilities in new Internet skills, without leaving home. Also, the training of new online professions will help relatives who care for them, and simply everyone who wants to learn a new specialty.

Oleg Kozedub will expand the Children's Cultural Center "Skazka". The center is an unusual playing space, executed in several fairy-tale interiors on motives of fairy tales of peoples of the world. Its main goal is the education of children in the spirit of reviving and preserving the traditions of the peoples living on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Aigul Maktaubaeva will purchase equipment and open a "Social Barber Shop". Aigul intends to train hairdressers for young girls and women from the poor, disabled people and single mothers. Also, services for low-income families will be provided at an affordable price.

The expert committee included representatives of EFCA, Tengizchevroil, NPP, "Our Future" Foundation, local media and business experts. The selection of the best projects was carried out according to the following criteria: social significance of the project idea; the effectiveness of the proposed solution to the problem; sustainability of the project; presence of own contribution; persuasiveness of presentation and leadership skills.

The Zharkyra program for the development of social entrepreneurship (SE) in Atyrau and the region for 2016-2017 is carried out by EFCA with the financial support of Tengizchevroil LLP through social investment projects. The joint venture is a business with a social mission that helps the society to solve actual problems in an innovative way. Inside the "Zharkyra" program, the whole cycle of support for the joint venture is provided: selection of applications, training, competition for obtaining funding for projects and mentoring.