Karaganda Travel Forum

I hosted a girl in my home this Summer who lives in an orphanage in Karaganda. I'd like to learn more about the conditions there.
Thanks!
Felicia

Hi Felicia. I have not spent any time in Karaganda specifically, but I have been in other parts of Kazakhstan, and hope to be marrying a young woman who went to the Karaganda Medical Institute in that city. I sent my time in the cities of Almaty and Taraz. My future wife and her family live in Taraz. I hope to be returning to Taraz very soon to work for an "aid" organization there. They do a lot of work with the local orphanages and they do a lot of wonderful community work of all kinds. I was there for several months last year, and I know the city of Taraz by far the best. The people do not have a lot, but it is the most advanced and "western" country in the region, with the highest standard of living of all the "stan" countries (Uzbeki-STAN, etc). It is not all that difficult to adapt to life in Kazakhstan. There are many of the products that we consider "normal" here in the USA, and the people are very nice, warm, and friendly. It is definitely best to be able to speak at least basic Russian, however. Not many people speak English outside of Almaty, and there are not that many there either! One thing I would definitely like this time around is satellite TV. We had NO English-speaking TV channels while I was there, and that did kind of drive me crazy. But English channels CAN be delivered to your home, and that is something that I want this time. But overall, I can say that Kazakhstan is a very nice country, with BEAUTIFUL mountains and scenery. It is a truly VAST country, with all kinds of amazing natural wonders to be appreciated, from mountains, to deserts, to the vast wide-open "Asian Steppe" up to the northwest. It also has a truly fascinating history as a primary route along the "Ancient Silk Road." It is all worth exploring further, I assure you. I hope this helps some people to further understand and appreciate this beautiful counrty. The history and geography alone are enough to make Kazakhstan a fasciinating country. Jim W.

Hi, I lived in Karaganda for 23 years until moving to UK. Concerning the conditions in local orphanages I would imagine them as being undersponsored, lacking in basic stuff like clothes and toys (though food would be okay, as well as medical services). Children are looked after but there is pemanent lack of funding.

I grew up in Karaganda and my parents adopted three children from there before returning to the states after 10 years there. The last post you recieved in right on the money. The orphanges are seriously under funded. The children get the basics (food, clothes, shelter, love) but nothing more (and very little of all that) The workers do the best that they can with what they get, often times going with out salary themselves so that the children can have the things that they need.