UNICEF Opens Its First Youth Hub in Shymkent

Shymkent, 20 November 2025 — On 20 November, UNICEF Kazakhstan officially opened its first Youth Hub at the South Kazakhstan Pedagogical University named after Özbekali Zhanibekov.This modern space will enable young people to learn, develop social projects, and participate in volunteer initiatives aimed at protecting children’s rights and strengthening local communities. The opening coincides with World Children’s Day, celebrated annually on 20 November.

The choice of Shymkent as the launch location for this initiative is far from accidental: young people aged 14–34 make up about 28 per cent of the total  population of Kazakhstan. Additionally, the average age of Shymkent residents is 27.8 – one of the lowest in the country – highlighting the city’s strong youth potential.

As noted by UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan, Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar:

“Shymkent is a city with remarkable youth potential. We are pleased to open the first UNICEF Hub here and to create a space where young people can learn, grow, and contribute to the life of their city.”

The Hub is the result of cooperation between UNICEF Kazakhstan, the Shymkent Akimat mayor office , and the university. UNICEF Representative Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, representatives of the Akimat, and university leadership attended the opening ceremony. During the ceremony, UNICEF and the university signed a memorandum of partnership, formalizing the launch of this new space for young people in Shymkent.

The UNICEF Youth Hub is more than just a physical venue – it is a permanent platform for developing skills, facilitating leadership qualities, and promoting civic engagement. Here, young people will be able to learn about key social issues, create media content, participate in environmental activities, develop their own initiatives, and implement projects aimed at improving the lives of children and adolescents. The Hub’s structure includes learning areas, team-work spaces, and a media studio for producing educational content. All facilities are equipped with technology, materials, and literature on child rights, leadership, ecology, and mental health.

The UNICEF Zhastary programme, under which such hubs are being developed, has already shown significant results. In 2025 alone, local youth submitted more than 9,500 applications for participation; over 3,000 young people completed training; and volunteers collected more than 500 tons of waste, planted over 10,000 trees, and conducted environmental awareness-raising sessions for more than 100,000 children across the country. The programme’s media reach exceeded 1 million people in 2025..

The Shymkent Hub’s opening  will give new momentum to the development of youth volunteering initiatives. On the launch day, participants took part in interactive sessions, a quiz on children’s rights, and a discussion on the role of youth in creating a safe environment for every child.

UNICEF emphasizes that such spaces have become important gathering centers for active young people and help foster a generation of young leaders ready to transform their communities and protect children’s rights. The Hub is open to all young people in the city aged 16 to 35 – not only students of the partner university – including secondary school students, students from other universities, and young professionals.

The opening in Shymkent marks another step towards building a truly sustainable network of youth hubs across the country, strengthening youth engagement in social initiatives, and creating an environment where young people’s voices are heard and their ideas realized.