A new fundraising effort was launched April 4 in Almaty to help plant and maintain the city’s trees, as well as to clean its rivers, install litter bins and fund landscape design.
The campaign is placing posters near cash registers in shops and gas stations around the city urging people to donate five tenge (US 3 cents) to the effort. Cashiers can swipe a barcode on the posters to add donations to a customer’s charge. Monies raised will also be used to support animal shelters, purchase prosthetics for children and deliver food to the elderly.
“We give everyone the opportunity to take part in this charity event. Our slogan is, ‘Five tenge for making the city green,’” said Anar Kaliyeva, creator and coordinator of the project.
The project is being initiated by the PosadiDerevo.kz (plant a tree) public association and a self-organised group of activists called group Alma-Qala. The project is being called “Life-Giving Drop for Alma-Qala” (the word “Qala” means city in Kazakh).
Earlier this year, Alma-Qala also launched an effort to restore Almaty’s famous apple gardens, which had been a symbol of the city during Soviet times.
During an April 2 press conference concerning the most recent effort, group member Beknur Kisikov reported that the first apple garden funded by the new campaign, including 1,000 transplanted apple trees, was planted in Almaty on March 29. Another garden is scheduled to be planted in the Turksib district. A larger planting is scheduled for April 12 and volunteers can sign up on the group’s Facebook page, said Kisikov.
Eldani Charity Fund President Gulsira Amanturlina, who participated in the press conference, said the number of volunteers who have signed up to help with the April 12 planting has exceeded expectations.
”Right now, we have 2,000 volunteers willing to help us on April 12. However, we will be glad to see more people coming as any help will be very much appreciated,” said Amanturlina. She also presented hand-made ceramic apples, which were created for sale in order to support the project.
Posadiderevo.kz is a domestic environmental organisation that seeks to raise ecological awareness and preserve trees.
