Our Mother, Tuyak Kazkenovna Eskozhina

 

Tuyak Kazkenovna Eskozhina — Mother to 700 Children!

Tuyak Kazkenovna was born on December 29, 1944, in the village of Aktas, North Kazakhstan Region. Her childhood was spent during the difficult post-war years, when only women and elderly people remained in the village. Her father was killed at the front, and from an early age she had to take responsibility for those close to her.

Recognizing her organizational abilities and determination, immediately after graduating from teacher training college she was appointed principal of a small rural school. She later graduated from KazGU and worked as a teacher in schools and universities, as well as training other educators. In total, Tuyak Kazkenovna devoted 56 years of her life to public education.

For the last 20 years of her life, she devoted herself to creating and developing the “Nur” Charitable Family Children’s Home, a non-governmental institution. During this time, 700 orphaned children and children deprived of parental care lived and were raised in the family home. From 1998 to 2018, the children’s home operated entirely on donations from individuals and organizations. At the time, 50 preschool and primary-school-age children were being raised there.

Thanks to Tuyak Kazkenovna, graduates of the “Nur” Children’s Home have received higher, specialized secondary, and technical education. Among them are military personnel, entrepreneurs, bank employees, teachers, healthcare professionals, police officers, and others.

For her work, Tuyak Kazkenovna received numerous state and public awards, including the “Birlik” Gold Medal, personally presented by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev at the 20th session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan; the “Shapagat” Medal, a state award of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the “20 Years of Independence of Kazakhstan” Jubilee Medal; the “20 Years of the Constitution of Kazakhstan” Jubilee Medal; certificates of recognition from the Minister of Education of Kazakhstan Zh. Tuymebayev and the Akim of Almaty Region S. Umbetov; the “Honorary Citizen of Talgar” medal awarded by the Talgar District Maslikhat; a certificate of recognition from the Senate of Kazakhstan presented by K. Tokayev; and a letter of appreciation from the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan.

In 2018, the “Nur” Charitable Family Children’s Home celebrated its 20th anniversary. Its founder and permanent director was Tuyak Kazkenovna Eskozhina.

Resume

1. Full name: Tuyak Kazkenovna Eskozhina
2. Born December 29, 1944, Kazakh, native of North Kazakhstan Region.
3. Director of the “Nur” Charitable Family Children’s Home, a non-governmental institution in Talgar.
4. E-mail: nur-talgar@yandex.kz; website: new.nur.org.kz; mobile: 8 (701) 376-24-53; office: 8 (727) 388-20-69; 8 (727) 74-26-602.
5. For the last 20 years, she devoted herself to raising orphaned children. In 1998, she founded the “Nur” Charitable Family Children’s Home, where 700 children lived and were raised over the years. The children’s home operated entirely on donations from individuals and organizations and received no government funding. At the time, 50 preschool and primary-school-age children were being raised there.

56 years of professional experience in education, beginning in 1965.

• Principal of a small rural school in North Kazakhstan Region — 1965–1968
• Kindergarten teacher, Kindergarten No. 100, Almaty — 1976–1979
• Primary school teacher, Secondary School No. 86, Almaty — 1979–1987
• Deputy principal, Secondary School No. 42, Almaty — 1987–1989
• Methodologist for Kazakh language education, Alatau District, Almaty — 1990–1991
• Chief Specialist, Republican Educational and Methodological Cabinet under the Ministry of Education of the Kazakh SSR — 1991–1992
• Methodologist for Kazakh language and literature, Institute for Advanced Training of Educators under the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty — 1992–1995
• Senior Lecturer, Abai Almaty State University — 1995–1997
• Elected Director of the Association of Guardians and Trustees of Almaty Region — 2008
• Participant, Global Summit of Women, Barcelona, Spain — 2002
• Participant, Global Summit of Women, Berlin, Germany — 2003
• Participant, “Women of Europe” Conference, Berlin, Germany — 2004
• Participant, “Women Against War” Conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Tokyo, Japan — 2005
• Participant, Kazakhstan Women’s Forum, Astana — 2006
• Participant, Global Summit of Women, Beijing, China — 2007

6. Family status: Married. Raised three sons of her own; grandmother of five and great-grandmother of one.
7. Awards:

• Certificate of Recognition from the Women’s Union of the Kazakh SSR — 1965
• Incentive award and medal commemorating the 50th anniversary of the USSR, Moscow — 1967
• Certificate of Recognition from the Ministry of Public Education of the Kazakh SSR for opening a small Russian-language school — 1968
• Incentive award and certificate from the Philology Faculty of KazGU for outstanding work as Komsomol faculty secretary — 1970
• First place in the Almaty kindergarten teachers’ competition — 1979
• First place in the Almaty primary school teachers’ competition — 1980
• Honored Methodologist of the Kazakh SSR, for developing an intensive Kazakh-language teaching methodology for Russian-language classes — 1988
• Certificate of Recognition as the best Kazakh-language methodologist of the Alatau District Department of Education, Almaty — 1988
• Certificate of Recognition as the best Kazakh-language methodologist of the Ministry of Public Education of the Kazakh SSR — 1990
• Certificate of Recognition from the Ministry of Public Education of the Kazakh SSR, Department of Modern Kazakh Language — 1993
• Certificate of Recognition from the Rector of Almaty Technological University as the best instructor of modern Kazakh language for university students — 1994
• Certificate of Recognition from the Rector of Almaty Medical Institute as the best instructor of modern Kazakh language for university students — 1996
• Winner of the national “Real Woman” competition organized by the Association of Businesswomen of Kazakhstan and Zerkalo magazine, in the “Wisdom and Kindness” category — 2002
• Certificate of Recognition from the Akim of Talgar District K. Omarbayev — 2007
• Certificate of Recognition from the Talgar District Maslikhat commemorating the 10th anniversary of the “Nur” Children’s Home — 2008
• Nominee, “Hero of the Year 2008” competition conducted by Kazakhstan television channels — 2008
• Certificate of Recognition from the Department of Education of Almaty Region commemorating the 10th anniversary of the “Nur” Children’s Home — 2008
• Certificate of Recognition from the Minister of Education of Kazakhstan Zh. Tuymebayev — 2008
• Certificate of Recognition from the Akim of Almaty Region S. Umbetov, “Exemplary Family Children’s Home” — 2008
• Certificate of Recognition from the Akim of Talgar District T. Omiraliev — 2008
• Certificate of Recognition from the Akim of Talgar District T. Omiraliev — 2009
• Certificate of Recognition from the Akim of Talgar District T. Omiraliev — 2010
• “Honorary Citizen of Talgar” Medal, Talgar District Maslikhat — 2012
• “Birlik” Gold Medal, presented by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbayev at the 20th session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, Astana — 2013
• “Menің Қазақстаным” Diploma, 4th Republican Patriotic Forum, “Asқақ Азаматтық” category, presented by Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan M. Kul-Mukhammed, Aktobe — 2013
• Winner of the Almaty Regional National “Mereyli Otbasy” Family Competition — 2014
• “20 Years of Independence of Kazakhstan” Jubilee Medal — 2015
• “People’s Teacher of Peace” Jubilee Medal — 2015
• “20 Years of the Constitution of Kazakhstan” Jubilee Medal — 2015
• Winner of the “Family of the Year — 2015” competition — 2015
• Certificate of Recognition from the Senate of Kazakhstan, presented by K. Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, “In Honor of 20 Years of Independence of Kazakhstan” — 2015
• Letter of Appreciation from the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, presented by Deputy Chairman E. Togzhanov — 2015
• “Shapagat” Medal — state award of the Republic of Kazakhstan — December 13, 2016
• “Kazakh Language” Medal, highest degree, awarded by the “Ansar — Armanym” public association — December 2016
• Medal for Merit in Education, awarded by the “Kazakhstan Ustazdary” Foundation — December 20, 2016
• Letter of Appreciation from the Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty Region — 2017
• “QURMET REWARD” Medal, marapat.kz — 2017

9. Publications

“Semeyny Khorovod,” Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, p. 1, No. 249, December 28, 2017; “Нұрлы жүрек — көпке тірек,” Talgar, No. 48, November 10, 2017, p. 7; “Мәңгілік бала тәрбиесі,” Igilik magazine, February 2017; “Менен бақытты жан жоқ,” Aruzhan magazine, No. 2, 2013; “Туяк Ескожина,” 2016; “17 жылда 628 баланы бауырымызға басыппыз,” Ulan, March 8, 2016; “Қазақтың батыр анасы,” Kazakhstan Patriot magazine, No. 5, 2012, p. 10; “Остров надежды ста десяти сердец,” Transit magazine, March 2008; “Мать-героиня 350 детей!” Zher Zhihan magazine, No. 3–4, March–April 2015; “Связующее звено между поколениями,” Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, p. 10, June 19, 2014; Ел ардақтылары – III (Аналар), 2013, p. 117; “Әйел жолы – жіңішке, Ана болу аманат,” Igilik magazine, March 2012; “Дом для очень большой семьи,” Forbes Woman, No. 4, May 2012, p. 54; “Правда жизни,” Возвращение к истокам, p. 161; “Өз естелегімді асыл анама арнаймын,” Сағыныш бар сөзімде, p. 69.