``Maktaaral tragedy``

In October 2020, Bolat Nazarbayev Public Foundation"Saliqaly Urpaq (Decent generation)" handed over the keys to 20 houses to flood-affected families in Maktaaral district of Turkestan region. A year after the tragedy, the staff of the fund, together with the director KassymKassabekov, visited the new settlers, who remembered the details of those terrible events and told how their lives had changed during this period.

Let us recall, on May 2, 2020, water from the reservoir located on the territory of Uzbekistan flooded 4 settlements in Maktaaral district: Jana Turmys, Jenis, Ferdausi, Orgebas. The flood divided the lives of Maktaralians into before and after. Many people lost livestock, crops and most importantly, homes. More than 620 houses remained under water. About 3,000 people were evacuated. People remained on the street and were forced to wander around relatives, evacuation centers.

That time, the people of Kazakhstan, united as a single force, went to help their compatriots and sent humanitarian cargo, money. The Fund of Bolat Nazarbayev Salikaly Urpaq was one of the first to come to the rescue, sending 20 tons of food, hygiene products and other essentials. The task was also to cope with the consequences of the flood, to restore the houses of the residents. The Fund also assisted in this.

"We were in the field during the day. There is a channel near the field. It was always dry, but suddenly moisture appeared in it. It was at that moment that we realized that something was wrong. In the evening, people from the administration came to us and told us that a reservoir dam had burst in Uzbekistan. Later it became known that the village located not far from us was completely flooded. We started to be flooded at night. We took the children, got into the first cars that came across and hurried to leave the village. We did not have time to take things, open pens for livestock. We just ran.

«Дне "We were in the field during the day. There is a channel near the field. It was always dry, but suddenly moisture appeared in it. It was at that moment that we realized that something was wrong. In the evening, people from the administration came to us and told us that a reservoir dam had burst in Uzbekistan. Later it became known that the village located not far from us was completely flooded. We started to be flooded at night. We took the children, got into the first cars that came across and hurried to leave the village. We did not have time to take things, open pens for livestock. We just ran.

So, we remained in the street without anything. First, we went to visit relatives in a neighboring village. One day we spent the night there, but then moved to live in Maktaaral school. An evacuation point was organized there. At school, we lived with my brother, three nephews, my mother and others. Our family was allocated one of the classes, given mattresses, blankets, pillows. We lived so for 2-3 months. After that, we were moved to a kindergarten of one of the state farms. In kindergarten we already had 2 rooms. One of them was like a bedroom, and in the other we equipped the kitchen. It was difficult for five of us to huddle together in one room.

After all that we experienced, when we were told that we would have our own big house in the village of Myrzakent from the "Saliqaly Urpaq (Decent generation)" fund, we could not believe it. It turns out that the Fund of Bolat Nazarbayev has built 20 houses for flood-affected families. We got one of these houses. Now each member of our family has his own private room. Only 4 rooms: 1 hall, 3 bedrooms, hallway, kitchen and bathroom. There is hot and cold water. We have been living in this house for a year now and we are very happy. We are very grateful to the foundation for helping us get through it all and find our own home. Our lives are slowly getting better. Within a year, I found a job at a local school."

"I was a computer science teacher at school in the village of Ferdowsi. Father of 4 children. When we were informed that there was a man-made accident in Uzbekistan and a wave was approaching us, we did not think that the flow would be of such a scale. On this day after iftar, the residents of our village went outside and noticed that water was approaching us. At about 4 a.m., it reached our village completely, and the evacuation began. We took the children by hands, ran out of the house and stood along the road hoping to catch the car.

Representatives of the akimat, volunteers, and the military arrived. We were settled in "Navoi" school. We lived there for about 1 month. Yes, they created all the conditions for us, we were well fed and looked after. Our children were sent to DemaLIKE summer camp from the "Saliqaly Urpak" fund, so that they could recover from what they had experienced. But we adults had our own heavy thoughts all that time. It was hard to realize that we were homeless that time. We bowed our heads, not knowing what would happen to us next. While we were at school, officials came to us and said that all the houses would be restored and everything would be fine. We waited apprehensively.

When we moved into our new house in Myrzakent, built with the funds of the Saliqaly Urpaq (Decent generation) Fund, we realized that all our worries were in vain. We did not even dream of such dwellings. Large, bright rooms. Hot water, gas, all communications are there. To be honest, we have not had that before. It is also very beautiful in front of the house, a lot of space. We set up a small vegetable garden to grow vegetables. Having solved the problem with housing, I have returned to work and now I am again working as a computer science teacher at school. "

The state allocated 5 hectares of land in the village of Myrzakent for the restoration of houses affected by the flood in Maktaaral. To date, with the assistance of various organizations, including the Saliqaly Urpaq (Decent generation) Fund, about 500 houses, a police station, a medical outpatient clinic, a kindergarten for 280 children have been built, the construction of a school for 1200 places is being completed, and playgrounds are being built. The erected houses are connected to the necessary communications. Compensation was given to people who lost livestock and crops during the tragedy.