The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan listed Alexandra Akanayeva and Anastasiya Moskalenko, The Village Kazakhstan editors, in their annual award. Alima Pardasheva, a freelance writer for the media, was also marked by the Union. 

The results were published on June 21. The award annually coincides with the National Day of Mass Media Workers, celebrated on June 28. 

Journalists are society’s doctors, capable of revealing all the ugly sides of our life. The more freedoms they have, the healthier society becomes. We mostly lack opposition in our country, so the media have to perform its functions, said Seitkazy Matayev, Chairman of the Union, in his congratulatory letter. 

Among the listed publications is an interview with Shalkar Nurseit, a political scientist, regarding the democratization of Kazakhstan. 

This interview managed to touch everything people think of, but are afraid to ask — the consequences of the corruption, freedom as a value, our relations with Russia, democracy and its absence. I’m happy that the material was equally interesting both for those who discuss politics frequently and for those who avoid it, says Alexandra Akanayeva, the author. 

Alexandra’s other interview is about the two Kazakhstanis — Danaya Kulumbet and Sungat Abdinabi — who gathered humanitarian aid for Turkey after the catastrophic earthquakes. 

When the earthquakes happened in Turkey and Syria, we prepared a list of organizations for those who wanted to help. In the process we found a pair from Kazakhstan, who gathered the aid themselves — and decided to share their contacts so more people will be able to participate. In the end, this material served our permanent goal — inspiring people to do good deeds and help each other, says Alexandra. 

The Village Kazakhstan, created in 2017, is a media about ‘urban life and the people who change Kazakhstan for the better’.

We have a proactive position and want to be catalysts of positive change in society and in the country. We create cities in which we would’ve liked to live, says the message on the media’s website.