I came to a big decision today. I’m going to start teaching English to my colleagues. I was avoiding this because I don’t want to be pigeon holed as an English teacher but when I asked Elmira (my director) “What day would work best for you?” she lit up like a Christmas tree and said "Everyday!" How can I refuse that? It's also a very sustainable use of me. If they can speak and read English they may have more opportunity to international funding. So the next question is, how often?
What I may do is teach English half of the week then play with the kids at the center on the other half. That's where the real inspiration.
The children at the center are homeless either because the families can't afford them or the children left on their own. Maybe they have been sent out by their parents to sell apples or carrots or beg. The police raid bazaars and empty buildings looking for these children. My organization offers safe refuge while the police search for their parents. We clean and feed them. We play games. We offer a bed. They are visited by a doctor to check for illnesses and by a social worker to see if any other harm has been done. If after 10 days the parents are not found the children are sent to orphanages.
Many children do not have birth certificates which will make it impossible to obtain passports. Passports are the legal document used by Kyrgyzstan to own a business, drive a car, purchase a home etc. Unfortunately, passports are also a form of racism. Passports in Kyrgyzstan document nationality, ethnicity and patronymics. For example, my host family is Uzbek. Their passport will say Nationality: Kyrgyzstan, Ethnicity: Uzbek, Patronymic: Father’s Name. Perhaps it’s part of a Soviet hangover. Perhaps it's an old European model. I don't know.
Saying I’m an American isn’t enough. My host father during training wanted to know where my father’s and mother’s parents were from. At the time I didn’t realize how significant and dangerous this question could be. I am of mixed heritage and it’s interesting to trace my historical roots to unknown villages in Europe. Here, it defines who I am. Once a week my host dad would say “Hungary,” the homeland of my father’s mother. As if that really means anything.
I’m sending along a very interesting article to about an obscure group called the Lyuli, a marginalized community in Kyrgyzstan. It highlights a little of what I talked about above. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav101507.shtml
Ethnic differences could also prevent the democratic process from thriving. My city recently held elections for the office of Deputy. As it was explained to me (in broken English and Russian), a judge over ruled the democratic election of one Deputy because he is Uzbek not Kyrgyz. I've been told it is because in the south, the Kyrgyz don't want too many Uzbeks in power. This person is taking his case to a higher court and hopefully democracy will prevail. Kyrgyzstan has only been a democracy for 15 years. They are in the middle of the teenage growing pains. I explained to my counterpart the United States is still trying to get it right as well and we are 231 years old!
The corruption is so blatant but it comes out of necessity. The wages here are so low. It is a vicious cycle.
What will it take to for this country to change? What will it take to inspire? What industry will help this country lift itself out of poverty? This is a question asked by many leaders and many organizations.
I tried to explain the concept of "return on social investment" to my director and counterpart. How an investment by community members in to our children's center and organization is an investment in a better Kyrgyzstan. How do we inspire the businessmen and mothers to make change the same way Carnegie or quilting groups did in America 100 years ago or the way Gates is making changes around the world? In a society so focused on social networks and family units, how can that sentiment be expanded? This is cultural bridge I’m trying to cross. I’m hoping it might be away to fundraise for our organization as well.
Ideas on how to fundraise in the developing world - something beyond international grants and small business enterprises is welcomed!
Hope all is well wherever you are-
