Temporary Shelter
The "Akniet" center was established in 1999 with the support of the governments of Norway and Kyrgyzstan, as well as UNDP. Since 2000, it has served as a temporary residence for children aged 3 to 18. The facility has a capacity of 70 places, but currently, only 30 children reside here, a number that typically increases in the summer.Several buildings, a workshop, a classroom, a cafeteria, and an administrative office are located on the center's premises. There is also a playground and a small fruit garden.
"Akniet" provides protection for children who are left without guardianship and for those whose parents are unable to care for them. Government agencies provide them with food, clothing, and medical assistance. The center also helps children adapt to life, learn, and develop necessary skills. Students attend local schools No. 72 and 80, participate in various clubs, and study sewing and cooking.
According to the director of "Akniet," Zhainagul Jumabekova, children are referred to the center through the Juvenile Affairs Inspection and family support departments for a period of up to six months. After that, the Commission for Child Affairs decides whether to return the child to their family or send them to a boarding school if the parents have lost their parental rights.
Challenges of Work
Children are distributed among residential buildings based on their age. Each house is assigned two caregivers, who change every day, allowing for constant supervision of the children.Kenzhegul Chynibaeva, who has been a caregiver at "Akniet" for six years, shares her impressions. "At first, it can be difficult," she says. "I work with small children, many of whom don't even know how to hold a spoon or a pen correctly, they are not independent. Gradually, we teach them everything they need, and in the end, the work is rewarding."
Working with teenagers proves to be more challenging — the transitional age, the desire to assert their rights, and test the limits of what is acceptable. Specialists note that many teenagers know their rights but forget about their responsibilities. There have been cases where caregivers have faced physical violence from students.
Every child who enters the center has their own complex story. Some have no parents or have lost their parental rights, others have parents who are divorced or in difficult financial situations. Some parents come to "Akniet" with permission from the Child Protection Service, while others completely abandon their children.
Zhainagul Jumabekova notes that there are successful graduates in the center who excel in their studies, participate in Olympiads, and feel comfortable in the institution.
The center employs a psychologist and a social worker, and there are no vacancies. Staff salaries range from 20,000 to 24,000 soms depending on the number of shifts.
Reasons for Children's Escapes
In December 2025, Bishkek city council deputy Kazybek Ergeshov stated that teenagers regularly escape from "Akniet.""Complaints have been received, and there are video recordings. There are cases of bullying, where older children bully younger ones, and staff humiliate the children. Such treatment leads to children running away. Additionally, the institution receives sponsorship aid, but its accounting is not maintained. The situation needs to be brought under control," the deputy noted.
Vice Mayor Victoria Mozgacheva acknowledged the existence of the problem, indicating that it concerns children in conflict with the law.
"The capital needs a specialized center for such children. The previous head of the institution was dismissed for failing to perform their duties," she added.
Following Kazybek Ergeshov's statements, law enforcement agencies organized an inspection, and a special commission was created in the Department of Social Development.
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According to the director of the department, Aizada Junusova, the information about abuse was not confirmed, and no complaints from children were received.
"Caregivers try to find common ground with the children. Conflicts can arise among the children themselves, for example, they may not share a toy, and then the caregivers intervene," she added.
Recently, the capital's Main Internal Affairs Directorate reported that six teenagers escaped from "Akniet" between January 20 and February 19, 2026.
The center is an open institution, and children can leave freely, especially since they attend school. However, the reasons for the escapes remain unclear. "They don't just run away," "Surely, they are being mistreated," "Maybe they are starving" — such assumptions are expressed by social media users.
In an interview with 24.kg, Zhainagul Jumabekova refuted these assumptions but acknowledged that escapes are a "global problem for the center."
"We have comfortable conditions, five meals a day, clubs... But not all children like this — some are used to life on the street and occasionally run away both from our center and from their homes. For example, a resident may be returned, and the next day they run away again. Some parents abandon their children, directly stating that they cannot support them. Of course, the children feel hurt. Some of them smoke, drink alcohol, and steal. Parents are partly to blame for this," she added.
Zhainagul Jumabekova also noted that teenagers have their own places to run to — computer clubs, the Eternal Flame in Victory Square, and others. IDN staff know where to look for them. Escaped children often ask passersby for money for food or steal.
Experts claim that children know that there will be no punishment for escaping, and therefore take advantage of this opportunity. Some return after a few days — the center is warm, and they will always be fed.
"We regularly conduct preventive work with IDN, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Main Internal Affairs Directorate, and we also work with a psychologist, especially with difficult children. A file is created for each child upon admission, and we analyze how their behavior changes monthly. Over six months, children adapt well, become more open, and start communicating with other kids. Some return to us repeatedly, but our main goal is to reunite parents with children," emphasizes Zhainagul Jumabekova.
Changes in Approaches and Funding Needed
The director of the public fund "Rights of Orphaned Children," Igor Belyaev, believes that the reasons for children's escapes are not so simple."It should be taken into account that these children are in difficult life circumstances, many of them from socially vulnerable groups. They may wander, lead an immoral lifestyle, like their parents. They want to walk around and beg. They are not used to order and discipline," he explains to 24.kg. — "However, other factors are also important, including the attitude of teachers and caregivers, bullying, and so on."
Igor Belyaev adds that in some cases, no matter how much help is provided, a person does not want to change.
Nevertheless, he is confident that almost every child can be approached if treated with kindness and timely assistance is provided.
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"It is important to work and communicate with children, to be interested in how they are doing. It is necessary to analyze the reasons to avoid escapes in the future, especially mass ones," he concludes.
The head of the public fund "League of Child Rights Defenders," Nazgul Turdubekova, believes that low salaries of staff in municipal crisis centers and shelters negatively affect the situation.
She notes that the salaries of psychologists and social workers are around 15,000 soms, which is a low wage compared to the average salary in the country, which is about 45,000 soms.
Low salaries lead to staff shortages and high turnover.
"We are already observing the consequences: one caregiver is forced to work with dozens of children; staff are overloaded, and the quality of services suffers. The recent case of a group of children escaping from the shelter is a worrying signal. Such situations are related to staff shortages and the inability to provide proper attention to children. Increasing the salaries of social institution staff is not only a matter of fairness but also of children's safety, preventing violence, and the stable development of society," she emphasizes.
