Ark Village

In a country where many children live in state-run institutions, Ark Village helps a few to know what it is like to live in a loving home environment. It is a private orphanage located in nearby Talgar, and operated by Guido Trezzani (known as Father Guido).

The orphanage, home to 65 children, consists of four homes, a cafeteria, a schoolhouse, medical facilities with pediatric care, a speech therapist and dentist’s offices. Outside of school, the children participate in planting and harvesting from their gardens, taking care of their farm animals, learning to sew, and are encouraged to be artistic and creative.

Hands of Mercy

Offering support to housebound elderly in Almaty, the staff at Hands of Mercy (HoM) devotedly serves 70 of these babushkas (russian for grandmother). Some babushkas have severe physical limitations. Others have no family members nearby to care for them. Each month, HoM brings them food and the HoM nurse purchases a month’s worth of medicine for each babushka.

The staff also help by cleaning apartments, assisting with personal care, cooking meals, washing them, giving haircuts and staying for a chat.

Seven Trees

This organisation supports Central Asian women through difficult life circumstances. The goal is to help these women become strong, healthy and fully contributing members of society. There are two main programs targeting women and children at risk:

1. Prison Outreach Program – includes a women’s prison near Almaty and the juvenile boy’s prison. Seven Trees assists women and young people in each prison to build responsible and dignified lives.
2. Halfway House – encourages women when released from prison to take the right steps towards building a new life by supporting them with food, clothing and temporary shelter.

The DARA Foundation

The DARA Foundation mainly supports pediatric medical institutions, organizations for orphans, and children with disabilities. These projects evolve around cases where children are beyond the help of their own families, state institutions, and other NGOs.

Projects are implemented in three main areas: development and education, quality medicine, and cultural events.

In the last few years, it’s been a privilege for AWIC to have helped DARA build Montessori classrooms in their rehabilitation centers.

Eldany Charitable Foundation

ldany focuses on the rehabilitation, psychological and adaptation help, and material support for more than 700 children and youth living with conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and breaches of the motor supportive apparatus.

Projects focus on providing alternative life activities for these children and youths. A central aim is to change the mentality of the youngsters towards themselves, and others, as well as to challenge society’s views on people living with disabilities.

In 2022 AIWC donated funds to purchase a series of potter’s wheels so they could provide pottery workshops for the young people.