A children’s health-improving centre in Geokdere opens the doors

The young citizens of Turkmenistan received a wonderful present for the New Year. The ceremony of opening the Altyn Summul children’s health-improving centre was held in the picturesque settlement Low Geokdere on January 3. The Capital Longji Company (China) built the centre amounted to over 8.6 million US dollars by request of the Ministry of Agriculture. It is the fifth health-improving and recreation centre, which hospitably opened the doors in Geokdere for the past seven months.

The cabinet ministers, the members of the large public organisations, the foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Turkmenistan and the journalists took part in the ceremony of opening the children’s health-improving centre. Though, the heroes of the day were the children. On behalf and the instruction of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdieva congratulated the children.

Thousands of coloured balloons and snow-white pigeons shooting up in the sky marked the beginning of the celebrations. The carnival around the New Year’s tree and fireworks made the first construction premiere of the year 2008 unforgettable. In their songs and inflammatory dances the children expressed gratitude to the Motherland and President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov for the wonderful present. The young hosts demonstrated their technique to the guests and competed in wrestling, tennis, football, volleyball and basketball.

The newly-built centre occupies the 5-hectare area along the sloping bank of the Alty-Yap river. The architectural ensemble is composed of the two- and three-storeyed dormitory and administrative building, the auxiliary and utility services rooms and the movie hall, library, study rooms and medial post located nearby. A canteen seats all holiday makers.

The favourable conditions are created in the centre which houses the computer classrooms and rooms for various interest groups. There are a football field with the stands, tennis courts, aqua park and amphitheatre in the territory of the centre. The paths of health with the observation areas lead to the tops of the surrounding mountains… The bridges and decorative footbridges span the mountain river. The children’s town blends well with the surrounding natural landscape. The builders carried out the construction works and improved the adjacent territory with the least damage to the natural environment.

Schoolchildren can spend their vacation at the centre all year round – in winter and summer, spring and autumn. The spacious dormitories house the comfortable four-person rooms. Favourable conditions are created for children’s parents and grandparents, who can recreate and improve their health in the cottages located nearby. During the academic year the centre will receive agricultural workers and all those, who will buy the vouchers.

By the summer of 2008 10 health-improving centres will have been built in the territory of Archabil Etrap and Ruhabat Etrap. Each season the centres will receive up to 4,000 children. Over 100 million US dollars have been invested in the projects. On the instructions of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov the programme on development of Archabil including the projects on construction of children’s health-improving centres is underway.