President Nazarbayev worries about abandoned children

Even the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, expressed his concern at the growing number of abandoned children. “Every year, around 1500 children become orphans [or are abandoned] and many of them have living and healthy parents. Right now there about 34 thousand orphans and children left without parental care, almost 149,000 children have developmental disabilities, they need our support.”

The President instructed his administration to develop a national action plan that would cooperate with NGOs and media to work to strengthen family bonds and moral, ethical, and spiritual values in Kazakhstan.

Just a few days after this speech, we met this tragic problem face to face. A mother asked us to take at least some of her six children (ages from 6 months to 8 years). Two days later she was found murdered, most likely by her husband. Now, all six of her children will be fostered by The Ark. Soon, two other groups of three children each, abandoned by their parents, will also join our family.