socioMovens‘ involvement in Kazakhstan was founded from Slovakia: A young priest who had become acquainted with the youth work of the European network has also been involved with socioMovens in his new parish in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, right on the border between Europe and Asia, since 2019. Catholic youth work was largely unknown here, and church social institutions for cooperation with socioMovens, such as a rehabilitation centre for children with Down syndrome or an orphanage run by sisters, are often many hundreds of kilometres away from the young people. This is a particular challenge for the commitment and the youth weeks. However, alumni from Slovakia are also involved as volunteers, who find the encounters with the young people on site very enriching and thus work on a transnational community of solidarity.

Peter Nakacka has already supported youth projects in Slovakia and is continuing his work in Kazakhstan – as shown here with socioMovens alumni from his home country and Hungary. He believes that in Kazakhstan, “people are taught to accept social aid from the church and other various charitable organizations rather than trying to help others in need.” His initiative is about “changing this mentality of taking, motivating young people to serve and helping them to realize that although they may not have financial resources, they can still serve people in need with their time, physical strength or youthful enthusiasm.” After several project weeks, there is now also a local community of socioMovens here, which also organizes alumni activities and took part in the movement’s last international youth meeting in Kraków with a large delegation.