Planting of trees during a “yowar” in Turkmenistan. Photo from hronikatm.com
Workers in state institutions in Turkmenistan are being made to contribute money to a national tree-planting campaign, Radio Liberty’s Turkmen website Azatlyk reports (in Russian).
At the end of January, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov ordered the planting of 10 million trees around the country this spring. Two weeks later, according to Azatlyk’s correspondent, contributions of 70-100 manats ($20-28.50) per person started to be collected from state employees in the Lebap region. The management of state institutions explained that the money will be used to buy saplings and equipment for the yowar (unpaid mandatory community work, often referred to by the Russian term “subbotnik”).
Yowars are carried out in Turkmenistan during spring and autumn. In recent years, 3 million trees have been planted around the country each spring. The reason for the sharp increase in this year’s quota was not given. Institution heads merely warned their employees that Berdymukhamedov attaches special importance to this year’s yowar, and for this reason every one of them without exception would be required to participate in the work.
The state is the main employer in Turkmenistan, a country which independent media outlets say is suffering from mass unemployment. For this reason, those employed in state institutions are fearful of losing their jobs and agree to make regular financial contributions to various goals. They also refrain from protesting against being made to participate in unpaid community work, public festivities, and agricultural labour (predominantly cotton picking).
