ASTANA – The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Kazakhstan 2024 program, which has become a significant milestone in the development of women-led businesses in the country, was completed on June 30 in Almaty. The closing ceremony brought together the program participants, partners, and representatives of international organizations to celebrate the program’s significant achievements and the inspiring journeys of the participants.
Photo credit: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.
The event was opened by the U.S. Charge d ’ d’Affaires to Kazakhstan Deborah Robinson, General Director for Human Resources of Chevron Aliya Karymsakova, Regional Vice President of Coca-Cola Basak Karaca, and Director General of the ASMAR Association Lazzat Ramazanova, reported AWE press service.
“Today, we recognize and applaud your hard work, your creativity, and your resilience throughout this journey. Each of you represents the future of Kazakhstan’s economy – and I am truly inspired by the determination you have shown. Today also marks a new beginning: as graduates of AWE, you now join the broader U.S. government alumni community in Kazakhstan. This vibrant National Alumni Network connects thousands of professionals-entrepreneurs, educators, civic leaders-across the country who have taken part in U.S.-supported programs,” said Robinson.
AWE Kazakhstan 2024 brought together 100 women aged 21 to 35 from seven regions of Kazakhstan. Among them are entrepreneurs who develop projects in a variety of fields, from production and education to tailoring, cooking, and creating national games. The program helped them not only to deepen their knowledge of business planning, marketing and financial management, but also to significantly expand their network of business contacts.
The final part of the ceremony was the presentation of four grants from the long-time partners of the program – Chevron and Coca-Cola – in the amount from 500,000 (US$962) to 1,500,000 tenge (US$2,888).
Coca-Cola has supported the program by allocating 10 grants of $1,000.
Grand Prix from Chevron has been awarded to Meruyert Zharylkassynova for her innovative project Aqýldy Sausaqtar (Smart Fingers in Kazakh), a center dedicated to developing fine motor skills in children, including those with special educational needs, as well as adults recovering from strokes.
AWE is a global initiative in over 100 countries that helps women launch and grow businesses. Since its launch, over 25,000 women worldwide have completed the program.
