How QJ League Helped the Zhanuya Orphanage: A Celebration of Football and a Generous Donation

The funds were raised thanks to an auction held during the League's closing ceremony in November. Many unique items for collectors and sports enthusiasts were put up for bidding, the highlight being a jersey signed by Lionel Messi from his time at Barcelona.

 

In addition to that, the auction featured a pair of boxing gloves from world champion Angelina Lukas, goalkeeper gloves from Igor Shatskiy, a Kazakhstan national team jersey, a unique Chess Ball used by the world’s top chess players, and the kit of the champions of the first season of QJ League, Kairat Almaty. Notably, each item was adorned with autographs.

 

With these funds, the League purchased brand-new beds, sofas, a computer, and electric stoves for the orphanage. Zhanuya is a large family-style village, and the support from QJ League will significantly improve the lives of many boys and girls living there.

 

But the attention to the children didn’t stop there. The residents of Zhanuya had the opportunity to meet professional football players and even play a game of football with them.

 

To begin with, an open lesson was held in the village featuring the League ambassador, defender of the Kazakhstan national team, Roman Asrankulov. He talked about himself, answered children's questions, and encouraged them to showcase their skills.

 

In the evening, a master class took place within the walls of the Tobol arena, featuring Asrankulov, as well as U-18 tournament players Ivan Pivovarov and Evgeniy Konyashkin. Both are graduates of the Kostanay club, just like Roman, who once also represented Tobol in youth tournaments.

 

They played football with the kids, shared their experiences, and presented them with memorable gifts. Each child received limited-edition League merchandise from the City series with the inscription Kostanay, along with sportswear and a traditional New Year's goodie bag filled with sweets.

 

The QJ League, with the help of individuals who participated in the charity auction, as well as partners who provided items for bidding – including Mastercard – managed to bring joy to the residents of the children's village and create lasting happy memories for them.

 

 

«Today was a wonderful day, marked by an amazing initiative from the QJ League. I was very happy to take part in it: we gifted the children new furniture and electrical appliances. They are great kids, we talked to everyone and had a fantastic time. We played football, participated in various activities, and it was a lot of fun. I hope our future lies with these children.

 

I am very happy to become an ambassador for the QJ League, as it is a very large and promising project. I hope the League will thrive, and I will help in any way I can», – said Roman Asrankulov.

 

«Today is already the third day of the charity campaign from the QJ League. It all started in October when two young League staff members came to us and said they planned to help us as a result of the auction. Honestly, at first, I was a bit skeptical about this event. It was something new and interesting, and we gave our consent.

 

The children are having fun all day long, playing football with the professionals. There is so much joy and positivity, and I think they are happy to be on the same level as these players. The kids celebrate when they score a goal, and even when they get scored on.

 

A big thank you to the QJ League for organizing such a wonderful event. We are happy to have been second in Kazakhstan after Karaganda. I express sincere gratitude on behalf of all the children of the village. Today was a big celebration for them. I think after this, they will sleep soundly and dream of football.

 

What the League has given us is exactly what we asked for: the furniture in the bedrooms has been updated, and each child received a bed. New sofas were brought to the playrooms. They also brought electric stoves, which will be used to prepare food for the children – everything we needed. Thank you so much for all of this», – said the representative of the orphanage.

 

This is not the first time the QJ League has been involved in charitable initiatives. In the spring, the League raised over 5.5 million tenge for those affected by the floods. Fans contributed to this donation: every spectator attending the first or second round match of the U-18 season increased the amount by 100 tenge. Additionally, in May, the League sent all the funds collected from ticket sales for the 6th round match between Сaspiy and Kairat to one of the charitable foundations.

 

 

The day before, representatives of the QJ League, the Zhanuya orphanage, and the Tobol football club visited the studio of the program Tobyl Tynysy, where they provided detailed information about their collaboration.

 

The head of the media and marketing department of the QJ League, Anton Lyssyak, noted that for the League, traveling to regions to organize social events has already become a good tradition. He recalled the organization's first charitable initiative: helping large families in Astana and Karaganda to ensure that children had everything they needed before the new school year.

 

Lyssyak explained that the choice of Kostanay for charitable assistance this time was due to the fact that, because of Tobol's participation in the European cups, the League was unable to hold the traditional matchday there this season, despite plans to organize a football celebration for the local residents. Therefore, when it came time to choose a region for the social campaign, the decision was made to help this city.

 

The marketer of Tobol, Anel Zhumabekova, explained why they decided to help the orphanage Zhanuya. The reason is that one of the residents of this orphanage is Valery Usinevich, a player from the youth team of the Kostanay club.

 

«It's always exciting to be involved in such events. In these moments, you feel a great responsibility and want to do everything to the fullest, so that the children enjoy it and maybe even get motivated to pursue football in the future. We try to provide some help while also instilling a love for sports», – added the marketing manager of the League, Ayazhan Zhumabekova.

 

 

Next season, an international match is planned between the QJ League national team and the youth team of Atletico Madrid: negotiations are in the final stage. It is expected that joint social campaigns aimed at helping people with disabilities will be organized as part of the event.