Residents of Kulsary Beautify their Community

A master class on landscaping and beautification of public spaces was held October 24-25 in the Kulsary community of Atyrau oblast within the framework of “Orleu”, a project of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia implemented with the financial support of Tengizchevroil. Designer Irina Gorbachenko presented local residents with simple ways to improve their courtyards with recycled materials. 

Residents collected used car tires, bottles, and pipes, among other items. TCO also stepped forward with a donation of used pallets, which residents turned into benches for use by young and old, a playground sandbox, and a fence to separate the courtyard from the parking lot area. The fence will also serve to protect the young trees and flowers in the area from cattle which occasionally wander into the yard.

 “This year, an initiative group of residents from our building won a grant from EFCA to improve the common spaces around our building. EFCA provided materials, but we carried out all of the renovations ourselves. We renovated the stairwells, replaced the windows, and installed doors. When we saw how nice our building was inside, we felt compelled to improve the outside as well. I was so glad to learn about the master class. All month, residents from out building have been collecting tires, bottles, flat sports balls, and other items that would have been thrown away,” said Gulnaz, a resident of microdistrict No. 5 in Kulsary, “Apparently, with those items we can make things which are not only pretty but also useful. We are very pleased with the results, as now we have a beautiful, bright courtyard and stairwells which are clean and safe – even our neighbors have become friendlier. Thank you!”

With enthusiasm and hard work, residents of a standard apartment building turned a dull territory into a bright and usable public space.