At Kusto Group we have sought to create a generous spirit within our workforce from day one. The idea that we should use our good fortune to help those in need is sits at the centre of collective values. I was therefore proud to see earlier this year a group of Kazpetrol employees decided to live up to this ideal and organise a charitable donation to the most vulnerable in our society: children in need.
Every child has the right to a roof above their head, food to sustain them and the chance to get a good education. Unfortunately, around the world, far too many children do not receive these basic rights. When a child is abandoned by their parents, charity must step in to give that child the shelter and opportunity he or she deserves.
But charity relies upon collective generosity. In total, 24 Kazpetrol employees volunteered to give the equivalent of a day’s salary to children’s charities. Together, they raised 273,000 tenge for a wonderful cause and help bring joy to children who have experienced difficulties undeserved at their early stage in life.
Their kindness did not stop there, however. Once the money was raised, these employees were faced with the problem of identifying which of the many children’s charities should receive their money. People’s charitable activity often doesn’t extend beyond the act of donation, with little understanding or follow up on how their money makes an Impact
These employees decided to go a step further. Instead of donating to a charity with no assurances of how the money would be spent, they decided to use the money themselves to buy gifts for children in need. They provided gifts that would be of real day-to-day use: essential clothing, toys and other materials for educational development.
I am proud that within the Kusto Group family of companies, we see a proactive approach to charitable activity and a committed desire to help those less fortunate. The idea of helping the communities around us and not simply being businesses that operate with them, can be found at the very start of the Kusto story, remaining a value we hold dear today.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those employees for their generosity. In particular, Aigerim Kenbaeva and Dinara Nazarova deserve our thanks not only for their financial contributions but also for giving up many hours of their own time to purchase and deliver the gifts to those children in need. They have done their company and community proud. I hope these acts of charity will be shining example to all Kusto employees: only through building partnerships and working together can we make positive changes, both in business and in our communities. Let’s carry this spirit through 2019 and beyond.