Hope
Documenting the culture of Kyrgyzstan
Documenting the culture of Kyrgyzstan
The former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan lies in the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains, bordered by Kazakhstan to the North and China to the South & East. It is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranked 145 out of 181 by GDP, putting it on par with impoverished African nations like Swaziland and Rwanda. Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
When I joined a group of interfaith volunteers on a building project in Bishkek, I expected to document the despair of the local people, living in squalid conditions, but to my surprise and delight instead of despair, I found hope. Smiling children playing in the streets with only a few plastic bottles for toys. Local volunteers workers who come back each year to help construct homes for needy families. A myriad of colours in the local market selling any fruit you like – as long as it’s apricots! Personal dignity, a commitment to uphold ancient traditions and a respect for religious beliefs that 70 years of Soviet rule was unable to quash.
My lasting memory of this country will be the gratitude expressed not just from those that were there to help, but strangers I met in the local shops and markets.
“We feel like a forgotten country, the world does not care about us, we have no famine, we have no natural disasters.”
The withdrawal of economic support from the former Soviet Union however resulted in an economic disaster.