How is the Baquatty Audan pilot project being implemented? A look back at the first year

The pilot region for the project was Tselinograd District in Akmola Region, where the program is being implemented across three core areas: education, healthcare, and inclusion.

AÑSA Foundation allocated KZT 298 million for the implementation of this initiative.

On June 2, 2025, the interim results of the initiative were presented to the Chairman of the AMANAT party and Speaker of the Mazhilis, Erlan Koshanov, Akim of Akmola Region Marat Akhmetzhanov, as well as to members of parliament and representatives of government agencies.

The project has clearly demonstrated that even local-level solutions can significantly improve the lives of people in rural areas. Let’s take a look at what’s been achieved so far.

Education

A number of initiatives have been developed to enhance the professional skills of rural teachers and school administrators. These include the establishment of a Rural Pedagogical Academy, a Center for Continuing Education, and the integration of digital solutions. The program has reached between 80% and 100% of schools in the Tselinograd district, engaging teachers, principals, and students alike.

Project: Developing Professional Competencies of School Leaders and Teachers

Objective: To enhance the quality of educational leadership in the district.

Partner: Center of Pedagogical Excellence of the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.

Over the past year, more than 3,000 stakeholders in the education system were surveyed. Training sessions were conducted for 30 school teams – including 90 school leaders – using management simulators.

Additionally, 500 teachers completed professional development courses focused on functional literacy. Another 265 educators are currently receiving post-training support.

In August 2024, the Palace of Schoolchildren hosted the 3rd Republican Forum for Young Teachers titled “Zhas Ustaz: The Road to Success”. The event brought together over 300 participants from across the country, including 150 young teachers from rural schools in the Tselinograd district.

The forum concluded with an awards ceremony honoring the winners of the methodological challenge “Insights of a Young Teacher” and participants of the podcast “Pedagogical Duet”, run by the Center of Pedagogical Excellence through the Instagram account “Zhas Ustaz,” which now unites more than 5,000 young teachers. The winners received certificates of appreciation and teaching manuals from the Center, along with gift vouchers from the AÑSA Foundation and ESEN Foundation Consortium. Special recognition was also given to 20 educators who presented masterclasses as part of the forum program.

Project: Rural Pedagogical Academy

Objective: To foster a community of educators united by the idea of collaborative learning and professional development.

Partner: Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education.

Professional communities of teachers, principals, and vice principals for academic affairs have been established, covering 100% of schools in the district.

Key activities included needs assessments for educators, learning sessions, webinars, trainings, and pedagogical hackathons. To support ongoing communication, an online platform and a dedicated co-working space for teachers were launched.

As part of the Rural Pedagogical Academy, a reading club was also created, serving as a platform for professional growth and peer exchange among rural educators.

Project: “5 SANDYQ” Rural Extracurricular Education Center

Objective: To provide rural children with access to extracurricular education here and now.

Partners: BINOM School, Paradigm Shift LLP, Genomix.

Ten clubs and activity sections have been launched in the villages of Kyzylzhar and Talapker, with 15 specially trained teachers delivering classes. Sports equipment was purchased for the programs, and teacher compensation for extracurricular work has been integrated into the district budget.

Participation rates have reached 60% in Talapker and 83% in Kyzylzhar – on par with the levels seen in Astana and global leaders in this field.

The project’s impact goes beyond education: there has been a noticeable reduction in bullying and unsupervised behavior, an improvement in students psychological well-being, and an increase in their engagement and confidence.

Parents report greater satisfaction with the quality of education and note that their children have become more active in school life.

Healthcare

In Tselinograd district, the foundation is implementing a comprehensive program to modernize the primary healthcare system and expand telemedicine services.

The main goal is to improve the quality and accessibility of medical care for rural populations.

Key areas of focus:

• Enhancing the qualifications of healthcare professionals
• Introducing telemedicine technologies
• Optimizing patient care pathways
• Promoting the principles of 5P medicine (personalized, predictive, preventive, participatory, and precision-based)
• Integrating urban and rural healthcare systems under the Agglomeration Health concept

Capacity Building for Medical Staff

More than 450 healthcare professionals have received training through the Astana Medical University and the UMC Heart Center.

Training for Nurses

• Internship: “Managing Patients with Chronic Heart Failure and Atherosclerosis” – 40 participants
• Course: “Basic Life Support (BLS)” – 183 participants
• Course: “Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI)” – 15 participants
• Course: “Case Management in Home Visit Services” – 10 participants

Training for Physicians and Healthcare Managers

• Course: “Current Topics in Endocrinology” – 28 participants
• Course: “Leadership and Human Resource Management” – 14 participants
• Course: “Medical Ethics and Communication Skills” – 52 participants
• Course: “Phthisiopulmonology (including pediatric)” – 29 participants
• Course: “Basic Life Support (BLS)” – 53 participants
• Course: “Innovations in Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics” – 27 participants

Equipment and Telemedicine Development

The Tselinograd District Polyclinic received the following support:

• 9 telemetric ECG devices (staff were trained; the district’s equipment needs are now fully met);
• 10 desktop computers and 5 printers;
• 1 service vehicle.

Mobile Outreach and Preventive Work

As part of the project, monthly outreach visits are conducted across all 44 medical facilities in the district. Over the course of the year:

• 2,902 households were screened;
• 207 patients were identified as at risk for cardiovascular disease (including 114 who were previously not registered in the system);
• 4 individuals were urgently hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome.

Streamlining Medical Processes

A full audit and reengineering of key patient pathways was conducted – from prenatal care to the delivery of high-tech treatment for cardiovascular conditions.

As a result, a working group on telemedicine was initiated under the Ministry of Health, and a memorandum was prepared to improve the regulatory framework.

Inclusion Program

Project: Establishing Specialized Support Rooms

As part of the inclusion initiative, dedicated support rooms for children with special educational needs have been established.

Renovations and adaptations were carried out in line with principles of ergonomics, safety, and comfort. Eight procurement contracts were signed to equip schools with tools necessary for inclusive learning. Four schools in Tselinograd district received interactive panels, computers, multifunction printers, ISKU-brand furniture, didactic materials, and magnetic whiteboards.

The official opening of the four support rooms took place on October 24, 2024, in the villages of Y. Altynsarin, Karamendy Batyr, Kyzylzhar, and Orazak. The event was attended by project partners, educators, parents, and children.

Together with the Bolashaq Corporate Foundation, a program of methodological support was launched, introducing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy methods into the classrooms. The first training session for teachers and curators was held on November 14, 2024, at School No. 95 in Astana.

Today, around 50 children from four district schools are receiving ongoing support in these rooms.

In September 2025, the fifth inclusion room was opened in the city of Kokshetau.

The “Baquatty Audan” initiative has demonstrated tangible and sustainable results, proving its practical value for rural development. A support system has been successfully established to enhance access to quality education, healthcare, and inclusion services in rural areas. Even at this intermediate stage, the project has shown that well-designed, locally grounded solutions can significantly improve quality of life on the ground. Its outcomes indicate strong potential for scaling the model at a national level.