Inspired by the "green" sustainability theme of the 2012 "Baobab Leaves" Alumni Campaign, alumni volunteers in the CEU Alumni Chapter in Kazakhstan took the initiative to organize a number of truly impacting grassroots projects designed to help their local environment and make a positive contribution to their community.
The second project in this initiative was a fun and refreshing way to get out on the road and greenify the Kazakh highways by planting trees along Turan motorway (проспект Туран) just outside of Astana on April 21, 2012.
The local CEU alumni chapter leader Dilyara Teshebaeva (IRES '08), who headed the initiative, secured the support of the Hungarian Embassy in Astana, which helped raise awareness about the project and donated the 25 trees that were planted by the group. CEU alumni also mobilized volunteers from the embassy, the World Health Organization, and other friends and supporters of the cause.
The event coincided with "Subotnik" (Субботник), which is a city-wide effort joined by many governmental organizations, schools and universities in Kazakhstan. The CEU alumni group thus joined the efforts of 275 other volunteers from the city in this mass tree planting project.
In Dilyara's words, "Planting trees is a big part of creating an environment for a greener and cleaner new capital Astana, to which we [CEU alumni] proudly contributed."
For more information about the drive, please contact the alumni chapter leader in Astana, Dilyara Teshebaeva (IRES '08, email).
Also, visit the Alumni Chapter in Kazakhstan page and join their Facebook group.