World Aral Region Charity, Inc

In 1960, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world. Today it has largely dried up, becoming a toxic desert. Condensed salts and toxic chemicals cover the dried seabed and are blown into surrounding communities, contaminating groundwater and soil. The desiccation of the Aral Sea has been devastating to local agriculture, as these rural communities heavily rely on it for their way of life. Greenhouses emerge as a promising solution, supported by research, to address the arid conditions and dust storms. Beyond environmental restoration, they offer economic diversification, job creation, and sustainable water management.

The Aral Sea region, furthermore, composed of small, rural communities, also faces socio-economic issues, with children rarely having access to higher education. Integrating educational initiatives with engineering projects could contribute to holistic community development, fostering a sustainable future in the aftermath of the Aral Sea catastrophe. Our mission at the World Aral Region Charity is to provide tangible solutions to these issues by engaging directly with the schools at communities most affected by the Aral Sea crisis.

In May 2024, our team of young volunteers wants to further our initiatives towards sustainable development in the region of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, by conducting a two-week environmental engineering and advocacy project in the rural community of Kegeyli. We will do so by installing solar-powered water pumps and a greenhouse in Kegeyli School 12, where we previously conducted an engineering and educational project in March 2022. After having installed reverse osmosis filters in 2022, we want to further improve locals' access to clean water. With our partners, we have secured funding for the solar water pump. But we still need to fundraise for the greenhouse!

Our May 2024 project, similar to our past initiatives, will include an educational component, where our team of volunteer experts will conduct lessons on environmental engineering, advocacy, and journalism. We are hosting this fundraiser in order to cover the costs of the materials and installation of the greenhouse and in order to buy educational materials for the project and the schoolchildren.

The price of one greenhouse is $447, including installation fees and additional costs for equipping the greenhouse with a drip irrigation system. We will then use the additional $553 to buy educational materials for the school, which includes conducting mini-projects with the students as part of our curriculum. Once we complete our project, we will monitor the filter and solar pump with our local partner, the Eco-Movement of Uzbekistan, and build a sustainable upkeep plan, just as we are doing with the filters we installed in 2022.

WARC’s goal is to engage the communities we serve as partners; by returning to Kegeyli, we aim to further the development of sustainable farming practices through the greenhouse and to equip local students with the concepts needed to become environmental advocates themselves. Our 2024 project will reinforce the work we have done through previous initiatives. Please consider donating to support these communities in further developing ways to address the socio-economic issues they face as a result of the Aral Sea crisis!

Please visit our website and browse through our 2023 and 2022 Project Reports if you would like to better understand our mission and our partnerships with the communities we service.

2022 Project Report

2023 Project Report