More than 500 young people in Almaty apply to join UNICEF's volunteer programme

Almaty, 25 July 2025 – UNICEF has launched a new regional volunteer hub in Almaty, gathering more than 200 participants as part of a nationwide campaign to engage youth in promoting children’s rights, inclusion, sustainable development and digital literacy.

Almaty, the country’s largest city with a youth population of around 700,000, is one of six regions where UNICEF is scaling up its revamped volunteering initiative in 2025. Already, more than 500 young people from the city have submitted applications to join the programme.

The launch event took place at UN Plaza, with opening remarks delivered by Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan, and Azamat Kaldybekov, Deputy Akim of Almaty. Both speakers highlighted the critical role of youth in addressing social challenges and building a culture of civic engagement.

“Young people are not just the future – they are the power of today. With the launch of the UNICEF Volunteer School, we aim to equip them with the tools to drive real change,” said Dr Sarwar.

Participants joined an interactive programme that included a session on children’s rights, workshops, group discussions, a Q&A session, and a presentation of the new UNICEF Volunteer School – a flexible online learning platform. The school offers six courses, covering an introduction to volunteering, children’s rights, mental health, violence prevention, eco-volunteering, and more. All content will be available in Kazakh and Russian and is adapted for self-paced learning.

The Almaty regional hub will serve as a centre for active youth engagement. UNICEF volunteers will carry out projects in schools and colleges, organise awareness campaigns, take part in environmental activities, and promote the U-Report youth polling platform.

The event also featured a meeting with representatives from the Almaty Akimat, where next steps for joint action were agreed. Priority areas include launching co-led educational and environmental initiatives and strengthening partnerships in the area of youth policy.