On August 20, 2025, an environmental event took place in Shymkent, which was a continuation of the republican campaign "Taza Kazakhstan". The youth association "Shymkala Zhastary" together with the municipal state institution "Taza Elke" carried out landscaping work in the courtyards of apartment buildings located on Turkestan Street. Volunteers and local residents joined the event. Despite the relatively modest scale, the result was tangible: about one ton of household waste was removed with the help of special equipment.

At first glance, a ton of waste does not seem like an impressive figure for a metropolis, but it is precisely these local initiatives that are of great importance. Unlike citywide clean-up days, they affect specific courtyards and streets, which means they provide a tangible result for the people who live here every day. In addition, participation in such events creates a sense of responsibility for their immediate surroundings among city residents.

The main value of the initiative is not only in the sanitary effect. It is, first of all, the development of environmental culture. In a modern city, where dense development and active economic activity inevitably lead to an increase in the amount of waste, it is extremely important to involve the population in the process of maintaining cleanliness. The participation of volunteers and young people plays a key role: it is on their shoulders that the task of forming new habits and setting an example for others lies.

Similar events are held regularly in Shymkent and have different scales. Thus, just a few weeks earlier, on August 9, 2025, a large citywide cleanup was held in the city. Then thousands of people took part in the cleanup: employees of public services, business representatives, students, public organizations and ordinary citizens. An impressive volume of garbage was collected in each district, dozens of units of equipment were used. For example, in the Enbekshinsky district alone, more than a thousand people and three dozen dump trucks were involved, as a result of which about 75 tons of waste were removed. In the Al-Farabiysky district, almost half a thousand participants collected several dozen tons of garbage. Similar work was carried out in the Karatau and Abaysky districts.

The clean-up day held in the summer of 2024 was even more large-scale. More than 150 thousand city residents joined the "Taza Kazakhstan" campaign, and the volume of work performed exceeded all expectations. In just one day, over six thousand tons of waste were removed. In addition, significant attention was paid to landscaping: canals were cleaned, trees were whitewashed and trimmed, new green spaces were planted, and flower arrangements were created. The city was literally transformed in a matter of hours. This experience showed that colossal results can be achieved through joint efforts.

If we compare these three actions — the large-scale 2024, the citywide August 2025, and the local initiative on August 20 — it becomes obvious that each of them plays its own special role. Giant cleanup days solve global problems, demonstrate the unity of the city, and serve as a symbol of shared responsibility. Medium-scale events allow us to cover large areas and involve a large number of participants. But such targeted actions as the one that took place in the courtyards on Turkestan Street are aimed at reminding every resident: cleanliness begins at your own entrance, at the house where you live.

It is also important to note the educational aspect. The young people who took part in the August clean-up not only helped clean up the area, but also set an example for their peers. In conditions where environmental culture is still being formed, such examples are of great importance. Participation in the clean-up creates awareness: nature and the urban environment are common property, which everyone needs to take care of. You can’t rely only on public utilities if residents themselves do not maintain order.

Of particular value is the fact that during such events people of different ages and professions unite for a common goal. For some, this is an opportunity to demonstrate a civic position, for others, to spend time usefully, for others, a way to make new acquaintances and improve relations with neighbors. A common cause unites and creates a sense of community, which is so important for a big city.

We must not forget about the symbolic meaning of such actions. A clean yard or street is not only aesthetics, but also health, safety, and comfort. When the garbage is removed, when the trees are well-groomed, when the territory is landscaped, residents develop a completely different attitude to the space around them. They begin to value it more and try to maintain order.

Thus, the environmental campaign that took place on August 20 became another step towards the formation of a sustainable culture of care for the environment. Although the volume of garbage collected was incomparable with the results of larger-scale clean-ups, its importance cannot be underestimated. Such initiatives gradually change the consciousness of city residents, educate a new generation for whom cleanliness and environmental friendliness become a natural norm.

Shymkent has been growing rapidly in recent years, and along with this, the need for the development of green areas, the improvement of courtyards, and regular street cleaning is growing. The republican campaign "Taza Kazakhstan" gives a good impetus to solving these problems. The main thing is that such events do not remain isolated, but turn into a systemic practice to which every resident gets used.

Only then will it be possible to say that the city has truly changed – not only externally, but also internally, in the minds of its citizens.