OREANDA-NEWS  On 25 February was announced, that Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) and the company GSM Kazakhstan/K’Cell signed a cooperation agreement to launch a joint project entitled, The Activ Youth Bank. The goal of the program is to involve youth in the development of society and to provide them with the skills needed to solve social problems.

Within the project, a series of seminars and training sessions will be held on creating and developing youth banks as well as on leadership, volunteerism and organizational and financial management. In the first year, 20 grants are expected to be issued for the implementation of youth social programs and 40 grants are expected for the second year. The two-year pilot program will be implemented in Taraz, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Uralsk and Kustanay and it is anticipated that the new youth banks will be united in a network with the goal to advance youth initiatives in Kazakhstan.

Not only is it hoped that the project will improve Kazakhstani society, but that it will also create a role model for corporate social responsibility in the country. Nurlan Sargaskayev, Chief Commercial Director of GSM Kazakhstan, said, “We highly value the possibilities of participating in programs to develop the community of young people in Kazakhstan. As a company for which corporate social responsibility is a priority, we are always prepared to take part in projects that enable the development of social initiatives and professional skills of youth. We strive to take care of the younger generation, we know their needs and our goal is to look after their future.”

The Eurasia Partnership Foundation, a member of the Eurasia Foundation Network, has been implementing the YouthBank model in the South Caucasus since 2005 and EFCA will look to its Network partner to provide valuable insights, training and lessons learned.