EA Charity and ECO Network founder Evgeny Mukhamedzhanov are launching the first environmental education center in the Abai region, which will host up to 25,000 people annually.

The EA Charity Foundation (EA Group Corporate charity foundation) and the ECO Network environmental initiative have signed an agreement to launch an eco-project in Semey. The new hub will be a continuation of the model successfully tested earlier in Almaty, and is aimed at expanding the environmental infrastructure in the regions.

The eco-hub in Semey will operate as an open platform: here you can donate sorted waste, get acquainted with recycling processes, take master classes, purchase eco-friendly goods and become part of a community that shares the principles of reasonable consumption and concern for the environment.

The project is aimed at 15-25 thousand visitors per year and involves 70-80 events and workshops. As part of the program, regular excursions are planned for schoolchildren from Semey and neighboring regions who will come to the ecohab. Educational activities and the involvement of businesses and government organizations in environmental initiatives in the region are also envisaged.

"The opening of the hub in Semey is not just an infrastructure project. This is a space where we will form a new culture of consumption and attitudes towards waste. We want ecology to become not an abstract concept, but a part of everyone's daily life," says Evgeny Mukhamedzhanov, founder of ecohub and head of ECO Network.

The project is financially supported by EA Charity, a corporate foundation founded by EA Group Holding. For the holding, the topic of sustainable development and environmental education is one of the priorities of social responsibility.

"The region urgently needs residents to gain new knowledge about the environment. Thus, we hope that the level of responsibility for environmental issues will increase. Ecology and sustainable development are one of the key areas of our foundation's work, and for our part we will do everything possible to promote these values," said Aidar Buribayev, Director of EA Charity.

The first ecohub in Kazakhstan was opened in Almaty with the assistance of M.M. Gaisin, Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of Almaty, and the support of the Almaty city administration. Its official opening took place on June 5, 2024 and was timed to coincide with Environment Day. In a short period of time, more than 10,000 people visited the site. On average, up to 50 visitors come daily, who bring sorted waste and participate in activities. Ecohab has already conducted about 50 master classes for schools and kindergartens, has become a center for environmental education and has shown how such initiatives can work for the sustainable development of the city.

The creation of an eco—hub in Semey is a step towards making environmental knowledge, infrastructure and initiatives available not only in megacities, but also in the regions of Kazakhstan.

About the companies:

EA Charity Fund is a corporate charitable foundation established by EA Group Holding in November 2024. The Foundation focuses on supporting social entrepreneurs and initiatives aimed at solving pressing problems in the fields of education, culture, medicine, ecology and sustainable development in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

ECO Network is a Kazakhstani environmental platform founded by Evgeny Mukhamedzhanov. She specializes in the implementation of environmental standards in business processes, including the Green Office and Green School programs, as well as the creation of eco-hubs. ECO Network provides employee training services, installation of eco-boxes, collection and disposal of sorted waste, as well as maintains statistics and analytics for companies.