Volunteers to clean up Kurdistan on Saturday’s World Cleanup Day

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Volunteers are uniting their efforts in Erbil, Duhok and Sulaimani to make the Kurdistan Region cleaner on World Cleanup Day which takes place on Saturday.

"We believe this campaign is specifically important here in Kurdistan because all people from Earth need this wake up call for them to care more about their environment and to strive more towards keeping their homeland clean and healthy," said Azheen Gailany Sleman with Nishtiman Youth Network (NYN).

Sleman estimated 5 percent of the population of each city will be taking part in the project.

"One of our goals is to raise awareness and make people aware of their environment and how they're treating their surroundings," she said. "And this campaign could be a stepping stone into more projects like this."

Clean up will take place in several areas across the three major provinces between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

NYN partnered with World Cleanup Day organizers, Let's Do It and Yalla to ensure the success of the project and are still accepting volunteers to take part in the event.

Sponsors include the Environmental Department of the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) and the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF).

This is the second time Kurdistan is participating in World CleanUp Day.

"We hope and believe that this could continue for many years since so far we've seen how passionate our Kurdish people are towards this project through the support they've shown," Sleman added.

World Cleanup Day is a global, apolitical, social action program with millions of volunteers across 150 countries participating with the aim to combat the solid waste problem globally.

Meeting places by province:

Erbil

Tayrawa Grocery Bazar

Tayrawa Grave Yard

Sargrdan (Koya road)

Monument (Koya Road) 

Qarasanj (after Darbandi checkpoint)

Langa Bazar 

Wheraswar in Kore

Massif Road

Duhok

Top of Zawa Mountain (main location)

Below Zawa Mountain (tree area)

Akre downtown

Summel Park

Zakho downtown

Hai Askary-Highway

Duhok-Mosul Road

Mosul-Duhok Road 2nd Street

Sulaimani

Dabashan (near Azmer and Goizha mountains) 

Sairangay Tavga (in Sarchinar) 

Sairangay Chaq Chaq (in Sarchinar)