First Greenhouse in District School

Kulsary, Kazakhstan – A ceremony was held today in honor of the opening of a greenhouse at School No. 18 named after M. Satibaldieyev in Kulsary. The event was part of the “Orleu” community beautification project implemented by EFCA with support from Tengizchevroil.

Opening words were given by director of School No. 18, Ulzhan Zhaimukhanova; project coordinator Uzildyk Moldagaliyeva also spoke on the work accomplished through the project and plans for the future.

Renovation of the greenhouse was made possible through a grant awarded to the students and teachers of the school’s environmental club. Two years ago, School No. 18 received two grants for the implementation of environmental projects, including renovations to the school façade and greenhouse. The greenhouse was built at the same time as the school, but has never been fully functioning. Students were eager to have their own space to apply knowledge of biology, botany, chemistry, and industry into practice. For this reason, they played an active role in the renovation process by clearing two decades’ worth of garbage from the space, and developing plan for future planting within the greenhouse.

 “When we first began the process of renovating the school greenhouse, we did not anticipate all of the challenges we would faced along the way. Through consultations with greenhouse specialists, we learned that it was almost impossible to grow plants during Kulsary’s hot summers. As a result, we focused on the period from fall to late spring, which required installation of a gas heating system and building insulation,” shared “Orleu” project manager Aigul Tagatova. “Now that the renovation is completed, the greenhouse can serve not only as a lab for students, but also as a unique resource which sets the school apart. In addition to herbs for the school cafeteria, students can grow flower seedlings to beautify other schools, kindergartens, and organizations in the city. We hope that our greenhouse has a bright future – especially because the initiative was supported by the school administration and the local Department of Education.”

The two-year project “Orleu”, implemented by EFCA in Kulsary, is designed to involve the community in the process of developing public spaces and courtyards and fostering the principles of environmental stewardship among local youth. Over the two-year project period, grants totaling 6,200,000 tenge were awarded within the community, and residents of eight apartment buildings renovated their stairwells and common spaces to be safer and more conformable. In addition, local residents helped maintained the community’s new parks, “Zhansaya” and “Dostyk”.

Now, students from School No. 18 have the opportunity to learn about the environment and apply new skills by teaching their peers, organizing master classes on how to use recycled materials, holding flash mobs and informal presentations for district residents and students from Schools No. 16 and 18 on proper use of the greenhouse, and participating in greenhouse maintenance and clean-up events in local parks. A number of students have expressed interest in becoming future environmental scientists.