A Home That Began with a Sold Apartment
Tuyak Kazkenovna Eskozhina worked as a teacher in Almaty. Together with her husband, Anuarbek Seitovich Baisarin, she raised their three biological sons.
When their sons grew up and their small apartment in Almaty became too cramped, the couple made a decision that would change their lives forever: they sold their apartment in Almaty and used the proceeds to renovate an abandoned kindergarten in Talgar. On December 2, 1998, this became the beginning of the Nur Family Charitable Children’s Home, one of the first family-type children’s homes in the country.
What Was Here Before
The building that is now home to Nur was once an abandoned kindergarten on the outskirts of Talgar. The total floor area is more than 2,000 square meters. The couple had to rent the building from the state and restore it using their own efforts and money — there was no government support at the outset.
750 Children in 27 Years
Over the course of nearly three decades, 750 children have grown up in the children’s home. Today, they are adults with careers and families of their own. But they have not forgotten Mama Tuyak: they often come to visit her and do their best to help their younger brothers and sisters whom they consider family.
Tuyak Eskozhina herself never makes a distinction between her biological and foster children — to her, they are all simply her children.
More Than Just a Roof Over Their Heads
Many of Nur’s children faced bureaucratic difficulties even before joining the family: some had no documents, and obtaining birth certificates required their guardians to spend a long time going from one government office to another. Anuarbek Seitovich set up a small auto repair workshop at the children’s home, where the boys can develop practical work skills as they grow older.
Recognition
The family’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2014, the Nur Family Children’s Home won the regional Merейлі отбасы family competition — just one of several recognitions the family has received over the years. The children’s home has been featured in national media, and more recently, Kaspi.kz’s Heroes of Kaspi project told the story of Tuyak Eskozhina.
How It Works Today
The children’s home costs around 1.5 million tenge a month to operate, with roughly half of that going toward gas, heating, and electricity bills. Throughout all these years, Nur has existed entirely on private donations — from ordinary people who learn its story and decide to help.