Interview published by Asel Kozhakova
http://www.kazbiz.kz/?p=96#more-96
For me, the concept of "charity" is a rather painful and vast topic. I don't like when companies do charity purely for PR and only from time to time. Therefore, it is better to remain silent about good deeds and just do them. That's why we are often unaware of the activities of many Kazakhstani companies. Firstly, the media no longer publish such information for free (let's be realistic, gentlemen), and secondly, there is so much charity now that it somehow gets lost. Companies have started a sort of competition for creative solutions in charity.
Next week, I will publish an article about CSR (corporate social responsibility) — a concept that in our country is associated only with charity. We will dispel these myths as well.
In anticipation of my article, I began to look for companies engaged in social projects. Almost all refused an interview, except one. Don't take this as an advertisement, as I will gladly post an article about your company too. Completely free of charge. The main thing is that the topic is interesting.
Here we go. The head of Advertising and Public Relations of "Nurbank" Asem Azimkulova answers the questions of kazbiz.kz.
In 2008, Nurbank, together with the KTK TV channel, launched a social program on KTK called "The Road Home" to help orphans find a second family.
— Asem, thank you for agreeing to the interview. What is your project about?
— "The Road Home" has been operating for 4 years. It was created with the ideological and financial participation of Nurbank. Our goal was not PR; we wanted to provide real help to each child in finding warm motherly hands and a family hearth. Now the issue of adoption is talked about a lot, but four years ago, it was difficult. Not everyone would agree to take a foster child home. We wanted to tell potential parents as much as possible about the children living in orphanages and baby houses, provide information on possible adoption or guardianship paths, and how to help babies in urgent need. Over four years, the programs provided detailed answers on the adoption procedure and dispelled the most common myths about foster children. I can also add this is the only social project widely known not only in Kazakhstan but also beyond.
— Why did the bank decide to focus on this issue?
— The project "The Road Home" became the logical continuation of our bank's social policy. We deliberately moved towards creating such a program that would draw people’s attention to the adoption issue. We often hear that children are our future, so we decided to invest in human resources, which not only pay off but also return manifold. They return in the form of accomplished successful people, capable of tackling many issues our country faces tomorrow. Therefore, creating the necessary conditions for the development, upbringing, and education of our children today is our contribution to our future.
— Nowadays, many companies in Kazakhstan are very active and noticeable in CSR work. What do you think causes this?
— I think it makes perfect sense. More successful members of society should support those less fortunate. Currently, in the domestic business environment, there’s a growing focus on CSR. Firstly, it's because the business inherently carries immense responsibility — both economic and social. Secondly, there is a gradual realization that implementing CSR policies is a factor increasing company's profitability.
— How effective are such projects? What does this give the company?
— There are many benefits to CSR. For any company, including our bank, charity works for the long-term. Primarily, charity benefits the company’s reputation, helps improve the psychological climate within the team, and more. These aspects are difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
— How does your bank position itself in the social sphere?
— We do not limit ourselves to the TV project. Working with orphans is part of our CSR strategy. Nurbank implements several social programs for orphans across Kazakhstan, addressing specific issues like sponsorship of orphanages, veteran care, and focusing on long-term perspectives. We try to hold special field events involving orphans and children left without parental care as often as possible. Bank employees independently visit orphanages, communicate with the children, organize collections of goods and toys to be given to orphans in Kazakhstan's orphanages.
— How would you describe the attitude of Kazakhstani people towards adoption?
— It's hard to say. We need to look at it in dynamics. Nevertheless, an independent research company KOMKON-2 Eurasia conducted a telephone survey of Almaty residents to find out public attitudes toward the adoption of orphans, which showed that a large part of society is willing to participate in the fate of orphans. Thus, readiness to adopt a child, if their financial situation allowed, was expressed by 68.4% of respondents, 20.6% honestly admitted they would not adopt an orphan, and 6% found it difficult to answer.
— What is the adoption situation like across the country?
— The country is witnessing a significant reduction in orphans and children without parental care. According to the Department of Guardianship, Trusteeship, and International Adoption of the Committee on Child Rights Protection of the Ministry of Education and Science, over the past 13 years, more than 35 thousand children have been adopted in Kazakhstan.
— Finally, could you discuss the results of your project? How many children have found families thanks to the program "The Road Home"?
— Thanks to "The Road Home," in Almaty, in 2011 alone, 175 children were adopted by Kazakhstani citizens and 16 by foreigners. According to our approximate calculations, to date, more than 300 children have found families. Why thanks to the program? Because people contacted the Department referencing our "The Road Home" program, saying they saw it and decided to go to an orphanage to meet the children with the goal of adopting.
The program has become not only a center of help for orphaned children, but it also helps children with disabilities, as all children needing help reach out to us. For instance, last year, disabled children in Semey received 250 wheelchairs customized for each child. This year, 500 wheelchairs capable of moving up stairs were provided to disabled children in Astana. And all this became possible due to the program's renown as a project genuinely addressing children's needs.
— How relevant is the "The Road Home" program? Why this one?
— When we launched this program, we didn't anticipate how necessary, timely, and relevant it would turn out to be. Kazakhstan had no similar TV projects showcasing orphans while specifically stating — “Here is this child, waiting for a mom and dad, take him into your family.” This spurred people's desire to adopt children from orphanages. The program also discusses alternative forms of adoption — patronage and guardianship and explains in detail where one needs to go and what to do to adopt a child from an orphanage.
The program stirred the public. Many volunteers from among ordinary citizens, students, representatives of firms, and organizations started visiting orphanage children, providing them with material, moral support, and teaching them necessary and useful life skills. During this work, we gained support from Majilis deputies and managed to make amendments to the "Marriage and Family" law in terms of adoption. Now children have the opportunity to find new parents quickly, avoiding bureaucratic hurdles.
— Thank you very much, Asem, for the interview and the good deeds Nurbank is doing!
From the author:
Let's analyze the bank's actions from a business perspective? Corporate social responsibility is playing more and more of a key role in business. But it's important to remember that even for CSR, a strategy is necessary, meaning helping for the sake of helping or for PR is inherently wrong. All CSR activities of Nurbank revolve around the key strategy of helping orphans. The bank has found its "niche" in CSR. And from this, a complete image "picture" of the bank's reputation in CSR forms. I believe Nurbank has fulfilled its task. What do you think?