BOSS MAGAZINE > Dana Ormanbayeva. Living with benefit for people
Dana Ormanbayeva:
Living with benefit for people
Our editorial team was very interested in an amazing woman from Kazakhstan, a speaker at Global Business Week 2024 – Dana Ormanbayeva.
At 52 years old, she is the mother of four children, already a grandmother to a wonderful grandson, a happy wife, and a humane parent.
When we asked Dana what is her priority in life is, she answered without hesitation – ‘my family and descendants’. When asked about her main dream, Dana gave a very original and not clichéd answer, saying: "I want to see as many generations of my descendants as possible." This response astonished our editor! Given her current achievements, it’s almost unthinkable to hear such an answer, at least it’s original.
At 52 years old, she is the mother of four children, already a grandmother to a wonderful grandson, a happy wife, and a humane parent.
When we asked Dana what is her priority in life is, she answered without hesitation – ‘my family and descendants’. When asked about her main dream, Dana gave a very original and not clichéd answer, saying: "I want to see as many generations of my descendants as possible." This response astonished our editor! Given her current achievements, it’s almost unthinkable to hear such an answer, at least it’s original.
Now, let's talk about Dana Ormanbayeva’s social and professional side.
She skillfully combines two facets in her life path: journalism and business. In Kazakhstan, Dana is an independent journalist who has been engaged for many years in socially-oriented broadcasting, enlightening the citizens of the country on issues of economics, sociology, and culture. She conducts independent investigations and actively helps human rights defenders highlight domestic and sexual violence. She writes many materials and produces programs for her channel on children's rights protection. Dana writes books, speaks at social gatherings, and interacts a lot with her readers. At the same time, for 24 years, she has been the co-founder and main partner of the successful international company DPARTNERS, providing a wide range of services in event management and the production of feature and documentary films.
Recently, Dana's seventh book was published, significantly titled "The Girl Who Sings." Its central theme is that a woman, who not only knows how to create comfort at home, give birth to children, and be a good wife, can also be useful to the world through her self-realization, her craft, knowledge, and skills. The philosophy of our heroine is that a woman has a lot to say to this world and brings benefits to people and society.
Dana Ormanbayeva is also a co-author of the unique art project WORLD PAINTING, where 2,070 residents of planet Earth from 198 countries left their brushstrokes on the canvas.
This part of Dana's story and biography particularly intrigued our editorial team, so we decided to ask her some questions.
Recently, Dana's seventh book was published, significantly titled "The Girl Who Sings." Its central theme is that a woman, who not only knows how to create comfort at home, give birth to children, and be a good wife, can also be useful to the world through her self-realization, her craft, knowledge, and skills. The philosophy of our heroine is that a woman has a lot to say to this world and brings benefits to people and society.
Dana Ormanbayeva is also a co-author of the unique art project WORLD PAINTING, where 2,070 residents of planet Earth from 198 countries left their brushstrokes on the canvas.
This part of Dana's story and biography particularly intrigued our editorial team, so we decided to ask her some questions.
- Dana, please tell us how this simple yet unique idea was born?
- In 2020 the EXPO was supposed to take place in Dubai, but due to the pandemic, it was postponed for a whole year. So in 2021, my husband and I saw and heard the appeal of Dubai's leader, the esteemed Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, where he said he was waiting for creative people from different countries, inviting them to live and create in his country to make Dubai the best city in the world.
We really liked this message, and we decided that we are the true romantics, in love with our work and capable of working hard. But it must be noted that my husband and main partner already had the idea of the "World Painting" before that. So, we had something to show the new society and an understanding of how to implement it. We created a white canvas, its size was not chosen randomly: these are the dimensions of the Earth (40K kilometers by 12.7K kilometers), so our art object has dimensions to scale – 4 meters by 12.7 meters.
During the EXPO 2020 in Dubai, from October 2021 to March 2022, 2,020 people from 198 countries visited our canvas. We were open to everyone, not restricting anyone in fantasies and colors. People painted the flags of their countries, different symbols, some left just simple brushstrokes, and some painted entire compositions. By the end of the EXPO, we saw a large and colorful masterpiece created by the inhabitants of our planet. Thus, the World Painting canvas was born. And for this work, for the creative social art project, we were awarded a Guinness World Record.
- What is the fate of the art project now? How is its life path going?
- This is a good question. I want to note that 2,020 brushstrokes are not the end. The "Painting" continues to live and change because we have been traveling with it around the world since then. We visited the USA, France, Switzerland, Spain, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and were invited to the 76th UN General Assembly in New York, to UNESCO, and to the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva. We are invited everywhere because the art project evokes strong emotions in people, and legends are already being made about it.
Currently, we arrived at the Forum with the "World Painting," and the participants of Global Business Week can see this masterpiece created by different residents of the Earth. Brushstrokes were left by both celebrities and ordinary people. Among the famous personalities are the 46th President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, Oscar and Emmy award-winning actor Riz Ahmed, Roy Jones, the undisputed world champion in the light heavyweight category and American professional boxer.
American singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and three-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo, top model and actress Carla Bruni, singer Zaz, rock musician Zemfira, world-renowned tenor Dimash Kudaibergen, Olympic champion Alexander Vinokurov, and many others. A copy of the World Painting has been to the International Space Station, and a print of the canvas has been to the highest point in the world – Mount Everest. The National Bank of Kazakhstan has issued a collectible silver coin "World Painting," featuring a fragment from our canvas – the Dove of Peace.
But for us, as the authors of the idea and producers, it did not matter what the person's status was, what nationality, age, profession, what religion they adhered to, what their views were. The only important thing was that it was a living person advocating for peace and harmony, for love and empathy, and that he or she was definitely against wars and discrimination.
But for us, as the authors of the idea and producers, it did not matter what the person's status was, what nationality, age, profession, what religion they adhered to, what their views were. The only important thing was that it was a living person advocating for peace and harmony, for love and empathy, and that he or she was definitely against wars and discrimination.
2,020 strokes are not the end, as in each of our travels, new brushstrokes are necessarily left, but now, according to the plan, they are made by notable people: champions, politicians, heads of states, stars of sports and arts.
Therefore, there are now more than 2,050 participants, and this is not the end... The "World Painting," as I mentioned above, lives on...
- What did you come to the Global Business Week Forum with? What is your mission?
- I consider myself one of those people who always seek knowledge and do not want to live in a state of enjoyment of personal achievements. I am always drawn to the philosophy of living with benefit for people, regardless of who they are – my compatriots or citizens of other continents.
Therefore, I had an early awakening of the need to help people, to bring benefits, and thus, 20 years ago, I chose an altruistic path of development and completely abandoned selfish consumption. So my husband and I raised our four children, or rather, already raised them...
- Tell us about your family, please!
- We have four children, three sons and a daughter. The eldest son is 30 years old, he has a family, a wonderful wife, and a 4-year-old son, our grandson. Beksultan is a financial trader, already an expert, and already successful. Not long ago, he made it to the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list, and this was a significant milestone.
Our second son, Islambek, is a child with autism, he is special, and he is 28. Unfortunately, he cannot speak and has no social skills, but we love him with the same depth of feeling as our other children, and I am sure that our great love helps him live on this Earth happily in his own way.
Our daughter, Charlize, will be 18 this year. She is incredible and sunny, reads a lot of books, and is professionally engaged in dancing.
Our youngest son, Dylan, is 13, he has become a real teenager, interested in AI, reads a lot, and we call our youngest child a true person of the world. All our children are empathic and humanistic; they do not live for personal motives but with the idea of leaving a mark on Earth.
- Every woman is truly happy when her marriage is good; what is your relationship with your husband like?
- I know that in any union of man and woman, no one is more important; both are important, both are valuable. Undoubtedly, a woman is a conduit of heavenly and earthly energy for her ally and descendants, but without a true partner, any woman would find existence meaningless. After all, who should she transmit this very energy to? Therefore, women and men have always sought each other on this Earth.
My husband and I were fortunate to meet many years ago and have never parted since that day. We consider ourselves the most genuine friends, good allies, and honest partners in all aspects of life. We do not count or divide roles; we are interchangeable substances, but at the same time, we always remember the main functions and responsibilities. And yes, the idea of the "World Painting" completely belongs to my husband, Daut Shaikhislamov, my closest person, infinitely talented, my reliable ally, and the father of my children. And I am his excellent assistant!
- What is the most important thing your husband does for you as a woman?
- Daut loves my children; for any woman, this is the strongest and best manifestation of love. He is the true leader of our family and a good friend to all of us.
Recorded by: Radmila Nemova
Recorded by: Radmila Nemova