Country Office Annual Report 2020

COUNTRY OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT 2020

KAZAKHSTAN

DECEMBER 2020

Contents

Part 1: Situation update in the country...... 5

Part 2: Major results...... 11

Every child thrives and survives...... 13

Every child learns...... 13

Every child is protected from violence and exploitation...... 17

Every child lives in a safe and clean environment...... 19

Every child has an equitable chance in life...... 19

Cross-cutting work...... 20

Part 3: Partnerships...... 21

Part 4: Innovations and lessons learned...... 25

Cover photograph: 1st grade student Artyom with his classmates during a Kazakh lesson, secondary school No. 6 of Batpak village, Karaganda region. © UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Valeriy Kaliyev A UniSat project participant is watching how the just-launched nanosatellite is flying to the stratosphere.

In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic and global enterprises, agroindustry, and infrastructure as well as domestic economic developments development. However, the implementation of have strongly impacted the situation of children these measures by the state did not lead to full and their families. The first cases of COVID-19 compensation for the decrease in incomes of infection were registered in March 2020, citizens. The Government expects that average prompting President Tokayev to declare a state annual growth of the economy in 2020-2024 will of emergency, occurring against the backdrop of not exceed 3.0%. According to the National Bank a global economic slump and low prices of key of Kazakhstan, 2-2.3% GDP reduction in 2020 was commodities such as oil and gas, which continue expected mainly due to the slump in oil prices and to drive Kazakhstan’s export, economy and contraction of the local economy. revenue mobilisation. External shocks provoked To ease households’ economic hardship, over a weakening of the national currency. As a result 1 million low-income families and socially of the lockdowns imposed to curb the spread vulnerable people, including people with 3rd grade student Yuriy poses of COVID-19, the domestic economy suffered. disabilities, were provided with food baskets and Many Kazakhstanis lost their livelihoods, which essential commodities, and over 21.2% of the for a photo before entering the led to a drop in aggregate demand. As part of population received cash transfers amounting the anti-crisis package, the Government allocated classroom at secondary school to the monthly minimum wage. Already in US$14.5 billion as a response to the economic January 2020 the Government launched reforms No. 6 of Batpak village. recession due to COVID-19 to provide employment targeting families with four and more children. and income protection measures for the As a result, by December 439,000 large families © UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Valeriy Kaliyev affected population, support small and medium received universal monthly benefits that were 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 proportionally linked to the number of children in a of stable connectivity to internet, IT equipment household; 184,662 low-income families (936,189 and insufficient digital literacy. This resulted in persons, including 496,126 female) were covered substantial learning losses and further worsening by targeted social assistance, and over 550,000 of students’ functional illiteracy from 64% to 67% children received in kind support, such as food The rate of maternal for Kazakhstan. deaths increased products and essential commodities, or its cash threefold equivalent. Due to COVID-19, children of all ages struggled with difficult emotions, such as The COVID-19 lockdown disrupted access anxiety, loneliness and disappointment to health services, including immunization, due to school closures and separation counselling on breastfeeding and nutrition of from friends and relatives negatively pregnant women and other services. The rate of maternal deaths increased threefold up to 44.6 impacting their mental health. The lockdown per 100,000 live births for 9 months of 2020. exacerbated domestic violence and online ONLY The UN-led assessment of the socio-economic bullying of children. According to the rapid impact of the pandemic on children showed assessment, 15.3% respondents noted that 73% of children under one that medical services were not accessible for they had heard of or experienced an increase received vaccinations 56 per cent of those in need, and it was higher in cases of domestic violence since the against measles for children with disability at 60.3 per cent. The beginning of the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health temporarily suspended ‘2020-2023 Roadmap for Strengthening routine immunization at PHC level from 1 April Protection of Children, Addressing Domestic till 11 May 2020. As of December 2020, 73% of Violence and Preventing Suicides Among children under one received measles containing Adolescents’ was adopted in March 2020. vaccines - considerably below traditional vaccination coverage rates. In 2020, the Commissioner for Child Rights Students’ functional continued independent monitoring of closed illiteracy grew from For the latter part of the 2019-2020 academic residential institutions for children, the findings year and the beginning of the current academic of which are publicly available at www.bala- to year, the education system mostly operated ombudsman.kz. Grave violations of child rights 64% 67% on a remote basis from pre-school to tertiary including physical and sexual abuse, medical levels. Lack of a unified platform and low speed ill-treatment, and neglect were identified. of internet hindered the effective organization of e-learning. Remote rural schools had lack ANNUAL REPORT 2020 7 In collaboration with the European Union,

UNICEF brought a shipment of over 300,000

ampoules of dexamethasone and 2,000 pulse

oximeters to Kazakhstan, to supply healthcare

facilities in all 17 regions of the country.

© UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Zhanara Karimova 8 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Due to lockdowns, many migrants lost their jobs services from 18 to 16 and raised the minimum as a result of the economic slump and closure age of legal access to tobacco products from of Kazakhstan’s borders made it hard for them 18 to 21. It also prohibited advertisement of to return to their countries of origin. As a result, breastmilk substitutes, and ensured conditions approximately 3,000 migrants of Tajik and Uzbek for breastfeeding mothers at the workplace, nationalities were stranded at the Kazakhstan- adequate maternity leave and breastfeeding Uzbekistan border in early July, 25 per cent of hours. According to the new Code, a child born this group were women and children. Migrants’ to an HIV-infected mother with an unspecified average stay at the border has varied from a few diagnosis can have continuous monitoring and days to several weeks with bad conditions and provision of free ARV medicines. The Code also limited access to water and sanitation facilities. stipulated mandatory flour fortification and salt iodization.

To reinforce policy reforms, the Supreme Presidential Council for Reforms and Agency on Strategic Planning and Reforms were 3,000 MIGRANTS established in September and the UNICEF were stranded at the Kazakhstan- Representative became a member of the Expert Uzbekistan border Committee of the Council.

With UNICEF support, the Government started the development of the Social Code, which has to include new social policy approaches: proactive and integrated social services, and A National roadmap on provision of services improvement of social workforce status. to Children with Disabilities for 2020-2023 was adopted by the Government. The President of Kazakhstan requested A student of Kozhakeldy Batyr School, Government to develop and implement the The President signed a new Health Code for Child Well-Being Index, as a national monitoring 2020-2025 decreasing the minimum age Aksuat village, East-Kazakhstan region, mechanism to track the effectiveness of the at which adolescents can seek confidential national policy on improving the situation of disinfects his hands with sanitizer. medical, psychosocial and reproductive health children at both national and sub-national levels. © UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Zhanara Karimova ANNUAL REPORT 2020 9 Zhaniya, 14, after the launch of a nanosatellite to the stratosphere, Almaty region.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 11 4th grade students, Diana and Nurbolat,

secondary school No. 6 of Batpak village,

wash their hands.

© UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Valeriy Kaliyev 12 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 procedures and educational modules for medical monthly meetings of regional healthcare Part 2: staff on nutrition and physical screening of young managers responsible for vaccination; trained children were developed as well as a recipe book nurses, GPs, pediatricians, healthcare managers Major results on complementary feeding of children aged 0-2. in immunisation catch-up after COVID-19 lockdown, vaccine safety, and interpersonal HIV communication; and analyzed the medical curriculum on immunization and provided UNICEF jointly with UNAIDS supported the recommendations on improving it. A root Government in development of the National cause analysis is being finalized to provide Every child thrives and survives eMTCT Validation Report confirming that recommendations on addressing the increased Kazakhstan met the elimination MTCT of HIV number of measles cases. According to the ten- impact targets. The Report has been submitted month report, 70% vaccination coverage was UNICEF supported the Government in to WHO Global Validation Committee. UNICEF achieved in Kazakhstan. development of the new Health Code for 2020- trained 200 PHC workers, AIDS centers 2025, validation of eMTCT status, the National specialists, social workers, social pedagogues, Mental health of adolescents Nutrition Strategy to address child overweight, staff of medical universities, and resource as well as strengthening routine immunization. centers, NGOs on provision of psycho-social UNICEF partnered with MOH, MOES and the To improve infection prevention and control and support to children and adolescents living National Centre for Mental Health to provide WASH in health facilities, UNICEF conducted an with chronic disease (HIV, Hepatitis A, B, TB, mental health and psychosocial support to children assessment in selected regions and capacitated diabetes) based on the national standard in and families through launching online counselling local health service providers. With ECHO support, partnership with Eurasian National University and https://covid-19.mentalcenter.kz from the onset of UNICEF procured 2,000 pulse oximeters and over the National Alliance of Social Workers. Specialists the COVID-19 pandemic. From April to December, 300,000 ampules of dexamethasone to support strengthened knowledge and practical skills 43,962 users (94.3% from Kazakhstan) visited the Government’s COVID-19 response. on adherence, case management, supportive this website. A team of 58 specialists consulted supervision and prevention of discrimination. over 500 (391 individual online and 124 written) Nutrition on distress, emotional disorders, family relations Immunization with prevailing number of requests coming from With UNICEF support, the National Public Health female users (82.1%). Out of those, 35% were Center (NPHC) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) With USAID support, UNICEF started a new directly related to children, youth, family issues developed a gender-responsive national nutrition programme to support MoH in strengthening and domestic violence. With CitiBank Foundation strategy to address child obesity and overweight immunisation system at the national and support, UNICEF and partners capacitated over and introduced NUTRIDASH into the national local levels. The CO facilitated communication 7,000 school and kindergarten psychologists monitoring system. The standard operation between Kazakhstani regions through the ANNUAL REPORT 2020 13 School personnel at secondary school No. 6 in

Batpak village receive sanitizer, non-contact

thermometers and educational materials

procured by UNICEF with USAID support.

© UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Valeriy Kaliyev 14 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 from all regions with skills on provision of Primary/secondary education remote psychological support to families and adolescents, promoting mental health and In response to COVID-19, private and state schools psychological resilience, preventing violence except for rural multi-graded schools operated and cyberbullying during distance learning. Over on-line since April 2020. In providing an actionable 117 webinars were conducted for psychologists guidance for rural multi-graded schools on and mental health workers involved in provision of prevention and control of COVID-19, UNICEF jointly remote psychological counselling and support with with UNESCO, MOH, MOES reached over 3,900 7,000 school administrators, teachers and medical school and kindergarten over 23,000 online participants registered. During psychologists were trained to the World Mental Health Day alone over 340,000 staff from 2,944 multi-graded schools through provide remote psychological adolescents and parents received community- the delivery of eight on-line webinars explaining support based mental health and psychosocial support and key facts about COVID-19, epidemiological information on referral opportunities. control regulations, safe school operations.

UNICEF also procured termo-canners, sanitizers and provided information and education materials Every child learns on WASH & COVID prevention for these rural schools potentially reaching over 194,000 children in 15 regions of the country. Early childhood education Dropout prevention ВPreschools were among the first to be 3,900 considered for re-opening, while governments UNICEF continued its partnership with the education providers from extended schooling online due to COVID-19 Cambridge and Nazarbayev Universities 2,944 multi-graded schools acquired knowledge on how to for older children. UNICEF in collaboration with and Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools(NIS) in strengthening an early warning system (EWS) in protect children and prevent ‘the MoES and MoH conducted four webinars on spread of COVID-19 safe re-opening of kindergartens, reaching 1,605 the selected schools of Nur-Sultan, Karaganda, administrators, educators and medical staff. Kokshetau and Aqmola regions for preventing, Also, the e-versions of the Special Guidance for identifying and responding to school dropouts Re-Opening of Preschools and Kindergartens (no major gender differences observed among during and post-COVID19 in Russian and Kazakh out of school children). Over 500 teachers were were made available at UNICEF and the National capacitated in supportive learning, retention Pre-school Childhood Center’s websites. techniques, and working with families. Pilot ANNUAL REPORT 2020 15 Ildan, 14, from Nur-Sultan, receives a laptop

procured by UNICEF with support from

Citibank, to help him access online learning.

© UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Darkhan Zhagiparov 16 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 schools created EWS teams, identified children children of different age, including brochures Deinstitutionalization with special educational needs and explored ‘Learning to be good parents’ for children 7-12 and external resources for supporting families with a 12-17 years old. UNICEF conducted testing of a standard range of social services. protocol to collect data disaggregated by In 2020, UNICEF and the Commissioner for gender/age on children in residential institutions Human Rights launched a follow-up Knowledge, and tested childcare indicators. The testing of Attitude and Practice Survey on VAC in the families both instruments informed government policy Every child is protected from violence to measure potential change since the baseline and practice in support of deinstitutionalization and exploitation survey in 2016. about the availability of accurate data on children living in institutions, providing clear The Scientific Council of NPHC approved the Violence prevention information on the characteristics of children gender-sensitive SOP on VAC cases for health placed in formal alternative care settings and UNICEF continued supporting national authorities specialists, including pediatricians, nurses, their needs, and identified shortcomings in data in addressing negative social norms to prevent traumatologists, staff working in ambulances, in- systems. violence against boys and girls as well as patient facilities and residential institutions. strengthening parenting skills, including fathers’ Children affected by migration UNICEF jointly with national authorities engagement. The communication campaign assessed administrative data on VAC, With EU support and in collaboration with the has potentially reached 11 million persons via Child Protection Committee and Human Rights social media. The #LearningAtHome Challenge including disaggregation by age, gender, social Ombudsperson, three regions of Kazakhstan rolled contributed to the potential reach through the status, perpetrator relationships. The overall out protective services for children on the move. engagement of 13 Kazakhstani opinion makers national score on development and maturity UNICEF supported the design of the testing model who motivated parents through their personal of administrative data on VAC was ranked as and operational framework for the provision of example to spend more quality time with medium, also lacking national indicators to protective services. To sustain the model, UNICEF children during the COVID-19 quarantine. The measure the performance of ministries and capacitated local authorities in implementation challenge contributed to the sharp increase in service providers to protect children from of guides/SOPs. Over the reporting period, 90 the number of followers on CO various social violence and provide child victims with support. migrant children (45 boys and 45 girls) received media channels from 18K to 34K on Instagram community-based services by selected NGOs. (110% growth) and Facebook (30% growth) from 226 UNICEF volunteers (179 female and 47 April to May. male) reached 40,283 children (19,562 female As part of humanitarian response, UNICEF and 20,721 male) in 304 schools of the country supported 200 women and children stranded on A dedicated parenting webpage was developed through 863 online “BeKind” lessons on prevention the border of Kazakhstan due to COVID-19 with to help parents with recommendations on raising of bullying in schools. PPE, including menstrual hygiene management ANNUAL REPORT 2020 17 Two UNICEF volunteers after

a volunteering workshop, organized

before the outbreak of the COVID-19

pandemic in Kazakhstan.

© UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Sula Anarbekov 18 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 (hygienic tissues), water, hygiene supplies, emergency preparedness and response as well aiming at strengthening the child injury prevention psychosocial support, and referrals to mother as the outcomes of the UAVs testing for search mechanism. UNICEF facilitated development and and child health care. and rescue, early fire identification and flood risk testing of the school-based child injury monitoring assessments in Kazakhstan. tool, training modules and capacitated over 40 Access to Justice teachers. Based on the international experience, UNICEF also invested in increasing the NPHC proposed the concept of a resource With UK Government support, UNICEF contributed center on child injury prevention for service to setting up the mechanism for implementation capacities of CESDRR via the procurement providers and parents. of the newly adopted legislation on children. of a quadrocopter for trainings and potential The Report on Development of the Medical use in disaster risks assessment. Over 50 Environmental health Social Registry in Kazakhstan shaped the policy specialists of local Emergency Departments and recommendations for introduction of the were trained on the use of UAVs and In 2020, UNICEF initiated the Blood Lead Level case management and legislative changes for (BLL) study among 1,000 children in four cities of post-flight data analysis. Moreover, protection of children in difficult life situations and Kazakhstan, aimed at assessment of the causes in contact with the law. As a result of continued UNICEF jointly with CESDRR organized a for the potential higher lead level in children advocacy, the Parliament working group agreed to regional workshop with participation of 40 living in urban areas with the industrial and introduce new changes on child protection. emergency practitioners from Kazakhstan, other relevant risks. The BLL study analysis and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and recommendations will be presented next year to help the Government in identifying the target China in Bishkek on the use of UAVs and groups and areas for further health screening Every child lives in a safe and clean cooperation with the business sector. clinical studies. environment CO’s Emergency, Gender focal points and CESDRR experts benefitted from the joint UNICEF/IFRC training on gender in emergencies for front-line Every child has an equitable Disaster risk reduction responders and UNICEF technical teams from chance in life UNICEF jointly with the Ministry of Central Asia (funded by USAID). Emergencies(MoE) and the regional Center on Injuries prevention Children in poverty Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR) facilitated a virtual experience sharing In 2020, UNICEF and the NPHC continued In 2020, UNICEF supported the Government to with the Government of China on integrated to advocate for prevention of child injuries, make appropriate policy choices and improve disaster mitigation, pre-deployed UAVs used for conducted a legislative review, and issued the effectiveness of social protection measures taken disaster monitoring, public private partnership in recommendations on the construction standards as a response to COVID-19. The Government ANNUAL REPORT 2020 19 implemented a complex package of measures in Also, UNICEF trained 1,847 specialists of be considered as a roadmap for implementation response to COVID-19 amounting to 5.7 percent of institutional organizations, including development of key provisions of the Code. Based on the GDP, including indexation of state social benefits, of the training course curriculum. UNICEF Government’s request, UNICEF is providing introduction of a special allowance of KZT 42,500 supported development of an interactive training technical assistance and expertise to the MLSP in (US$ 101) for those who have lost wages, free module based on a mobile application (skillcup. drafting both documents. grocery packages for vulnerable groups. However, ru) and a course of 10 video lectures on Youtube implementation of the above-mentioned measures (Onege channel) on basics of social work and UNICEF conducted a series of trainings for revealed many gaps in the social protection case management. 250 social workers on the basic skills of social system. work and case management for local social To promote an enabling environment for protection staff from three regions involved UNICEF is conducting an evaluation of the social reforming social services, MLSP and UNICEF in piloting the “Cash plus” model with over 30 protection system for children and their families conducted the annual forum of social service services available to families. in Kazakhstan. It centers around targeted social workforce for over 300 practitioners and assistance, a flagship cash transfer program for international experts. The forum focused on the poorest families with children. Since TSA improving the status of social workers through Cross-cutting work procedures have gone through three significant the development of the new legislation on revisions over the last 3 years, the ultimate impact the social service workforce, addressing their of the policy adjustments remains uncertain. The needs in training and well-being. UNICEF evaluation findings will shed further light on this brought expertise from Georgia and Bulgaria in Procurement services question when released in 2021. establishing alternative care services for children In 2020, UNICEF continued supporting the with disability and shared UNICEF’s view on de- Government of Kazakhstan in procurement of Social work institutionalisation during the annual forum. essential medicines and vaccines and supplied With support of UNICEF, the Ministry of Labor and UNICEF provided support in review of existing 4 types of vaccines and 11 ARV drugs for a Social Protection (MLSP) continued coordination legislation, standards and training programmes total amount of US$9 million. For the first time of cross-sectoral social work, drafting new social to equip the system with a modern approach to UNICEF supported procurement of HIV tests. To protection laws and policies and conducted a delivery of care services, case management and enhance procurement capacity of the government, social service workforce assessment aiming to supervision. The Government declared in 2020 its UNICEF conducted in-country assessment on reach over 11,000 employees to define the level plan on development of a Social Code, the main quantification, forecasting of, and budgeting of competencies of staff including specialists, Law framing the state social protection policy, for ARVs and provided recommendations on social workers in home-based care and residential and National plan for further development of improving the ARVs procurement process. institutions. social work in Kazakhstan until 2025, which can

20 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Data for children and evaluations

In 2020, the CO continued the evaluation of the social protection system for children and their families in Kazakhstan and started the evaluation of the national reforms in prevention of violence against children.

The government completed the nationalization process of SDG indicators covering all child- related indicators with the continued UNICEF support to the National Statistics Bureau.

The Child Protection Committee under MoE started the development of Child Wellbeing Index with UNICEF Innocenti and the CO support.

Communications

The CO further prioritized the digital first approach, increasing 3.6 times the number of social media followers (from 20,000 in 2019 to 72,376 in 2020). The growth is primarily attributable to engaging social media influencers and policy makers through #LearningAtHomeChallenge, WCD #KidsTakeover, creating relevant content with a focus on the fastest growing Instagram account, mobilisation Kalamkas, 16, UNICEF volunteer, of online volunteers and dissemination of life saving information to prevent COVID-19. Also, the with her family at Aksuat village CO promoted children’s rights agenda in traditional media and achieved 38% share of voice on all stories in East-Kazakhstan region. related to children’s issues (against 30% target). © UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Valeriy Kaliyev

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 21 With USAID support, UNICEF procured

sanitizer and non-contact thermometers

for multi-graded schools, benefiting an estimated 194,000 children in 15 regions

of the country.

including child budget initiative to ensure a donors and the private sector. UNICEF and Partnerships holistic SDG financing strategy benefitting ECHO procured medical supplies (pulse children. oximeters, dexamethasone). In partnership with Citibank, UNICEF supported better In 2020, the CO leveraged partnerships In partnership with UNDP, UNICEF conducted access to quality distance learning, including across all programme outcomes to maximize a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of the procurement of IT equipment for 60 results for children and actively engaged in COVID-19 on children in Kazakhstan designed UN collaborative mechanisms (finalization to assess access to social assistance, health vulnerable children, and building capacity of of the UNSDCF, joint advocacy, research and care and educational services, leisure and other school psychologists to provide psychosocial programming). UNICEF joined the UN-wide needs for preschool, school age children and support to children during COVID-19. efforts in supporting the Government COVID-19 students. response and led the UN group on Risk With USAID support, UNICEF intensified risk UNICEF participates in the newly established Communication, contributed to the health (led communication, provided life-saving COVID-19 IOM-led UN migration network in Kazakhstan by WHO) and socio-economic groups (led by messaging, critical supplies (sanitizers, aimed at facilitating migration actions and UNDP). antiseptic, thermo scanners) to over 2,000 contributing to effective migration management. remote rural schools, contributed to improved UNICEF, jointly with UNESCO, the World Bank infection prevention and control in health UNICEF closely collaborated with the and WHO advocated on safe school reopening facilities, and evidence generation. Moreover, National Commission on Women, Family and and supported the Ministries of Education and UNICEF, USAID and CDC cooperated to Demographic Affairs under the President, Health in introducing new guidelines for school- strengthen immunization system. UN Women, UNFPA and UNDP to strengthen related public health measures in the context of women’s and girl’s empowerment and prevent COVID-19 and capacitating over 900 education/ In partnership with business organizations gender-based violence. health professionals on safe school re-openings, Samruk Kazyna Trust, Kazpost, and Beeline, UNICEF expanded its programme to equip over building resilient school systems, ensuring Along with UNICEF, OHCHR also advocated 2,000 employees of these companies with inclusion in a blended learning context. for continued monitoring of closed institutions positive parenting skills. Kazpost arranged pro- during the COVID-19 pandemic. UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCAP have started the bono placement of educational materials for implementation of a joint programme on To address challenges faced by children prevention of violence against boys and girls aligning policy and financing towards an through the post offices in all regions, including due to COVID-19, UNICEF Kazakhstan Integrated National Financing Framework in remote rural areas. Citibank of Kazakhstan expanded partnerships with multilateral 24 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 co-funded UNICEF programme in support of uninterrupted access to online quality education by equipping vulnerable children with computers for their studies. Citi Foundation with support of UNICEF USAA corporate partnership division contributed to the multistakeholder project on providing psychological and mental health support to children and adolescents coping with stress during quarantine.

UNICEF Kazakhstan thanks all its partners including the European Union, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Committee for Children Rights Protection of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Commission for Women Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy under the Sandugash Kudaibergenova, psychologist President of Kazakhstan, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of in Kazakhstan, provided online psychological Kazakhstan, Commissioner for Child first aid to the population during the pandemic. Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Citi Foundation. © UNICEF Kazakhstan/2020/Zhanara Karimova ANNUAL REPORT 2020 25 The UniSat project participants after the launch of a nanosatellite to the stratosphere, Almaty region.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 27 Part 4: Innovations and lessons learned

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on and geographical coverage, simplification and Among other positive lessons learned was the programme implementation in Kazakhstan digitalization of many UNICEF procedures. successful application of volunteers’ engagement requiring revision of the workplan, development COVID-19 has also significantly affected the in supporting UNICEF programme delivery as well of a Humanitarian Action for Children appeal working modality with implementing partners, as advocacy and communication outreach to jointly with ECARO to address emerging needs so the COVID-19 IP management guide issued the public at large. Since the start of the UNICEF of children and families due to COVID-19, by HQs proved very useful throughout the year. volunteering programme in March 2020, about changing the modalities of programme 7,500 young volunteers have been taking part delivery (i.e. digital first programming during The digital first programme and communication in it. They conducted online lessons for more the lockdown), and applying simplification approach proved to be successful during than 36,000 schoolchildren and 1,500 parents procedures enabled by UNCEF HQ. The the quarantine. The total number of UNICEF as well as created over 3,300 social media posts main lesson learnt was that adjustment of social media followers increased by 3.6 and reached out over 750,000 online users. the programming in a drastically changing times in comparison with the last year In 2020 the volunteering program covered 6 environment created numerous challenges to (from 20,000 in 2019 to 72,376 in 2020). themes: disseminating life-saving messages to deliver the results for children on the ground, The Country Office’s reach on social media prevent COVID-19 and address myths; prevention for example, shifting Government’s priorities has significantly exceeded the target set – of bullying online and in schools; plastic use away from children’s agenda due to COVID-19 over 11 million reached against 5 million reduction by children; enhancing disaster risk and stretched capacity to provide services; planned. This was mainly due to engaging reduction knowledge; promoting children’s rights conducting remotely UNICEF programmatic social media influencers and policy makers and inclusive society. Over 3,000 posts published and financial assurance activities, restricted in the #LearningAtHomeChallenge and World by the UNICEF-led network of young volunteers travel and offline events. However, COVID-19 Children’s Day #KidsTakeover campaigns. In ensured outstanding online reach during also created many opportunities, for example, total, for the last two years over 80 influencers COVID-19 with child rights messages and further budget savings, expanding the coverage of amplified UNICEF messaging. UNICEF’s account promotion and engagement on UNICEF social our capacity building activities due to online has been promoted by Instagram as an official media accounts. format - both the number of beneficiaries source for COVID-19 pandemic information. 28 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 UNICEF Volunteering Programme in 2020

7,500 36,000 1,500 750,000 3,300 young volunteers schoolchildren parents online users reached social media posts reached through through online lessons

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 29 In 2020, UNICEF Kazakhstan team continued prototype, which was successfully launched meaningful partnership with business, the office to invest in innovative solutions to improve into the stratosphere. Currently, the CO is conducted a study on business impact on child transparency and efficiency of our practices on planning the scale up of the programme to rights in Kazakhstan and arranged the training managing partnerships with IPs. In particular, on Business for Results for all programme staff. showcase a pioneering approach to skills with support from Innovations Office, the CO Following the results of the research and B4R programming with and for girls for their has been finalizing a smart contract using training, the office intends to integrate partnership empowerment and success in the future blockchain technology to increase accountability with business as one of the key stakeholders of in transferring resources to UNICEF partners and as well as share learnings to other UNICEF the programme of cooperation in the workplans decrease paperwork. The prototype is planned country offices for possible replication. and programme strategies to leverage the power to be finalized in January 2021 and presented to and resources of business in addressing the The pandemic gave additional relevance to the ICTD and other HQ divisions for the scale up. critical areas of child rights violation as a result GIGA initiative for which Kazakhstan stepped for enhancing positive business practices and forward as a regional convener and the COVID-19 Another innovation piloted in Kazakhstan aimed advocating for child rights experience highlighted last mile connectivity to promote the importance of technical and issues in Kazakhstan as well. The business case soft skills for girls in STEM, in particular the for Kazakhstan has been finalized and received space industry. UNICEF Kazakhstan jointly additional funding to expand and strengthen the with the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University initiative in-country and in the region. A needs launched an educational project for girls on assessment on Digital Public Goods and financial development of UniSat nanosatellites. The model design are planned for Q1 of 2021. participants of the UniSat programme - girls To strategize business engagement for aged between 14-35 – designed, programmed, accelerating results for children and to strengthen assembled, and tested a nanosatellite capacity of staff in building relevant and 30 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2nd grade students of secondary school

No. 6 of Batpak village, Ramina (in white)

and Yasmina (in pink).

Address: Follow us: Block 1, 10 Beibitshilik Street UNICEFKazakhstan Nur-Sultan, Z10K8H4 @unicef_kaz Kazakhstan @unicefkazakhstan +7 (7172) 32-28-78 https://www.unicef.org/kazakhstan/