Women throughout Kazakhstan experience repression, discrimination, and significant gender inequity. Culturally, women are often placed in a lower social status than men, and due to this vulnerability frequently become victims of domestic violence. Once a woman is stuck in an abusive relationship, she is left with little choice. Either she remains in the abusive situation, or leaves and risks losing the support of her family and social circle. In addition, many women are not financially independent due to lack of education, which makes it impossible for them to leave without additional support. As rape and domestic violence is often considered a private matter of the family, the perpetrators are not always legally held accountable.
Seven Trees was able to identify the need to work with these women, and started in 2011 with the Halfway House and the Prison Outreach. In the following years, Seven Trees worked with women who had just been released from prison or were in an unstable situation due to domestic or substance abuse. The women were offered counseling and emotional support. Through this, they were equipped with prosocial decision-making skills, while being trained with employment skills. Next to a variety of smaller projects and events, the organization mainly focused on the Halfway House with social businesses such as the Sewing Workshop, the professional kitchen where jams, sauces and pastries were made and the Prison Outreach.
Prison Outreach
From 2011 to 2020, Seven Trees did a prison outreach program for women. At that time there were only four prisons for women in the entire nation, and therefore incarcerated women were often placed far from their homes, forcing them to cut their family ties. Due to the distance, they lost their emotional support, and in many cases this led to isolation and caused further psychological issues, making it difficult for the women to return to their communities.
Within the prison, basic living necessities were provided, but some medical needs could not be met. In addition, there were no opportunities for rehabilitative services or life skills classes.
The team of Seven Trees was able to visit the Women’s prison twice a week. The focus was on counseling, and conveying life skills such as coping mechanisms and social skills. Many women were victims of extreme domestic violence who didn’t see another possibility other than fighting back with violence. A significant percentage of the women have been struggling with substance abuse. Regardless of the reason for their imprisonment, the team arranged for individual talks and group training sessions. The team supported the women in adjusting to life in prison and encouraged them to make positive decisions to prevent further criminal activities.
Additionally, holidays like New Year and the International Women’s Day offered a great opportunity to bring joy to the women with presents. Part of the Outreach Program was the distribution of humanitarian aid, containing basic hygiene products, medicine, supplies for infants and educational supplies. Medical examinations such as MRI scans were also made possible.
Halfway House – Sewing Workshop and Kitchen
From 2011 to 2019 Seven Trees provided a temporary home for women who had just been released from prison. The goal of the program was to support these women during the process of being reintegrated in society and everyday life. In a close knit community, the women were counselled and supported in taking steps to become independent again. Additionally, the women were provided with a safe temporary home and many women received medical care. Not only did they acquire life skills, but also had the opportunity to learn a profession in the sewing workshops. The training was done by professional seamstresses. The women sewed products like baby wraps, tablecloths, aprons, handbags and much more. The hand crafted items were sold to help sustain the workshop and the organization.
Kitchen
In addition to the sewing workshop, Seven Trees ran a small professional kitchen that was part of the training program for the Halfway House. The women were taught how to bake, cook and preserve food while keeping a high quality standard.
Training for Women
Women were taught basic computer skills that were useful in many professions.
Gardening Workshop
Practical Instructions on growing fruit and vegetables and keeping the garden tidy.
Personal Stories from Our Alumni
Here are a few stories of alumni who have gone through the rehabilitation program.