Strategic Focus for BOTA’s programs

Two years on, the BOTA Foundation Project looks back upon many successes.  The Foundation’s three programs  were established and have made significant strides to improve the lives of and invest in the human capital of impoverished families, children, and youth in Kazakhstan.  Today, more than 8,000 of Kazakhstan’s poorest families are receiving monthly cash transfers (CCT); more than 120 NGOs have received grants totaling nearly $2.5 million dollars to provide non-commercial services in education and health care (SSP); and over 300 Kazakhstani youth are attending post-secondary universities with tuition assistance provided by BOTA (TAP). These programs will continue to expand rapidly in 2011.

Given its great size and scope, the BOTA presents a unique opportunity to achieve specific and lasting results for Kazakhstan’s poorest.  While it is important to enroll more beneficiaries in its programs, the BOTA Foundation team recognizes that expansion is not enough in and of itself.  Our project management team recently met to establish a strategic framework which focuses our three programmatic activities (CCT, SSP and TAP) on four mutually reinforcing objectives, including:

• Women and children in Kazakhstan demand and have access to maternal and child health services

• Young Children in Kazakhstan demand and have access to quality governmental and non-governmental early childhood development services

• Vulnerable children and youth in Kazakhstan demand and have access to quality child protection services

• Poor and disadvantaged youth in Kazakhstan develop the skills and commitment to contribute effectively to improve to the economic and social development of their families, communities, and nation