Tajikistan travels

Christmas is Pointless...

The story of Nikolai was perhaps the one that has been the most shocking of all that we've told this year. We're pleased to report that he and Lapina are alive and well, supported by our partner Resource Centre for the Elderly. Nikolai has joined a self-help group and the couple are surviving.

Nikolai's picture is one of three used in the Christian Aid appeal 'Christmas is Pointless...' Please do visit the appeal web page - http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/christmas/index.htm - and donate something if you can.

And now, Podcasts
You might also be interested to know about the Christian Aid podcasts which dig deep into these stories.  Presented by Steven Buckley and Amanda Farrant, each new episode looks at a different issue affecting the developing world. Well worth a listen and you can check out a sampler episode here. 

• If you use Apple iTunes, click this link to subscribe to the podcasts
• For all other subscription software, or to listen through your PC, use this link

Tajikistan podcast

For all of us who have travelled through Central Asia this year, the stories have stayed with us. We find ourselves retelling our experiences to anyone who'll listen. From a small Church house group just yesterday evening to a podcast with Dutch activist, Bicyclemark.

Bicyclemark interviewed Amanda Farrant, a communications officer at Christian Aid and one of the original Tajikistan Five at the start of the year. Over 30 minutes Amanda paints a compelling picture of the socio-economic and political situation in Tajikistan. One of the best podcasts I've listened to in a while and we thoroughly recommend the episode to Tajikistan Travels readers.

You can access the podcast here on the web - the audio will play through any PC by clicking the listen now link.

http://bicyclemark.org/blog/2006/11/bm166-working-for-change-in-tajikistan/

Homeward bound

We thought it would be nice to finish our blog by all writing a line (or two!) summing up our time here. We had a bit of a sinking moment yesterday, after writing up our blog, when the Internet went down (as it frequently does in Tajikistan) just as we sent out blog to go live! If we can retrieve that day's blog we'll add it in the next few days but, for now, as we leave this amazing, heart-warming, poverty-stricken country here are our summarised, tumbling thoughts on the country and the trip...

'Nothing at all like what I was expecting and challenging in very different ways. But also an incredibly welcoming place and I've also had a lot of fun here.' Jema

'A two line summary?! A humbling experience that at times had me in tears and, at others, filled me with hope. An inspiring trip.' Jo

'Fantastic Tajik people. Their great hospitality and warm welcome will stay with me forever.' Joanna

'An upside down place. Really strange to be in a country that had so much and is slowly falling apart. The warmth of the people gave so much hope but also so much heartbreak that their love isn't enough to make things better.'  Ruth

'An amazing country full of amazing people who have inspired me through the two weeks.' Alasdair

'Tears, smiles; sugar, oil; hope, despair; fog, sun; city, mountains; autumn leaves, summer rain; Muslim, Christian: Tajikistan'  Ali

'Beautiful smiles and beautiful people. Beautiful colours and beautiful dresses. Beautiful mountains and beautiful sunsets. A place hidden but never forgotten. A place we've now seen and know. Beautiful.'  Emily

'A fantastic country full of amazing scenery and wonderful people who are so kind and hospitable. The past two weeks have inspired me so much in my faith and for my work with Christian Aid.'  Hannah

'Evocative and provocative, Tajikistan is a country of astounding beauty and arresting decay. Such a wonderful sense of community and overwhelming friendliness. Tajikistan deserves better.'  Jonny

'A real place of contrasts - but so much hope and potential. It has been a privilege to experience the beauty of the country and the warmth and love of its people.'  Charlotte

'Beautiful. The people, the place, the culture. It has been a life-inspiring trip. I will never forget the warmth of this country. it will always shine in my memories!'  Laura

'I've really enjoyed my time here in Tajikistan. It was nothing like I expected and I'm truly grateful for that. The people, the scenery, the food - everything about this place has been an inspiration. A big thank you to the new family members that I acquired on this trip...God bless.' Oby

'It's been amazing. The people we have met have inspired me in so many ways. We have constantly been greeted with love and warmth and I'm really grateful for this. Tajikistan is a beautiful country and I recommend everyone to visit!'  Rachel

'This country is amazing. The people are so welcoming and the scenery is beautiful. I've been so struck by the passion and hope shown by so many people we've met, especially the young people - despite the problems they face. After all the worries I had before this trip, I'm now so glad that I had this wonderful opportunity.'  Lydia

Beauty, education and hospitality in Kulyab

Group one's second two night excursion from Dushanbe started bright and early on Monday morning. Somewhat bleary eyed, we left the hotel at about 6.25am (a bit of a random time - we were aiming for 6am but with eight 18-25 year olds trying to get up we no longer expect punctual departures...). This time were headed down to Kulyab - slightly alarmingly close to the Afghan border (a couple of hours) - though we'd be assured it would be safe...

Any efforts to catch up on sleep in the minibus were utterly frustrated (slightly rickety minibus + lots of people + lots of bags + very bumpy, ill-maintained roads = no sleep), however, this was just as well because the scenery was absolutely stunning. We journeyed up and up into the mountains, surrounded on all sides by dusty looking peaks, with glimpses of snow on the distant skyline. As we rounded a bend we were confronted with the beauty of lake Norak. The surface shimmered under the early morning sun, shockingly turquoise - reminiscent of the Mediterranean rather than Central Asia. Faced by such a large expanse of water I was reminded of Tajikistan's landlocked state - suddenly it occurred to me that most Tajiks must never see the sea... As I write this, I  remember a university student of Tajikistan University who in interview expressed his greatest dream is to witness the ocean. Quite a feat when even to travel to Dushanbe from this region is too expensive for many. And I thought Oxford was far from the coast...

Another impressive sight of our journey was the region's massive salt mountains, which we were informed could supply the world with salt for 100 years. This certainly is a country with an abundance of natural resources. However paradoxically, the salt from these mountains lacks iodine - a major problem when deficiency of this important element is causing high incidence of the disease goitre in the region. Therefore, local NGO's encourage people to buy packeted salt, rather than the cheaper mountain salt. A parallel seems to lie in the fact that Tajikistan is rich in water and the possibilities for hydro-electric power stations are numerous - however in so many of the rural villages that we visited, electricity is rationed to just a few hours in winter. The country's potential is enormous, but it needs to be effectively harnessed.

The true highlight of the day was the people we met and the warmth with which we were received. Ruhafzo, the partner we were visiting, works in four rural villages in the Kulyab region providing educational support and training for young people, as well as organising parents' committees which liaise with local schools. As we arrived at one of the villages in which Ruhafzo is working, we were treated to a traditional Kulyab greeting. We were met by girls who presented us with a tower of bread - on top of which was a small pot of salt (from the mountain). One by one we were invited to break off a piece of bread, dip in in the salt and eat it. We were also treated to flowers and dancing. This hospitality continued throughout the day. When our morning plans overran and we no longer had time to go the office for lunch, a local family invited us into their home. There we had one of the best meals of the trip - treated to not one, but two traditional dishes! We were overwhelmed by the generosity, especially with such little notice. Over dinner conversation turned to Tajik hospitality. The director of Ruhafzo (a man whose face seemed almost entirely comprised of smile lines) explained how the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) taught that Muslims are obliged to welcome visitors. We have certainly reaped the benefits of this during our trips - and have felt humbled by the experience.

Two for the price of one!

The last two days for group 2 (Jema, Ali, Emily, Alasdair, Jo, Ruth, Hannah and Lucy) have been amazing - so much so that we're going to have to try and fit both of them into this one blog entry. Yesterday we spent the day with 'Rights and Prosperity', an advocacy NGO that campaigns for the rights of orphans in Tajikistan. They work both to improve the legislation as it's written, and to ensure that what is written is actually put into practice by the relevant bodies.

We spent the afternoon visiting two orphanages a little way outside of Dushanbe, and it was clear from these visits just how important the work R&P does is in ensuring the children we met have the chance to live up to their potential. Emily and I (Ali) chatted with a 13 year old boy who was disabled from the waist downwards. He had lived in the orphanage for the last three years and his eyes lit up with hope and contentment despite what we were initially expecting. Half way through the chat he dragged himself down the corridor to find his sketch books, embroidery and examples of his dressmaking skills...turns out he has many talents and a lot of potential. Things were tainted however by the fact that his future is not so sure. Unless laws are asserted, his opportunities when he reaches 18 may be more limited than he realises. The orphanage was basic, but the obvious commitment and love of the staff really shone through. The future may be unclear, but if the staff of both the orphanages and R&P are anything to go by, there's a lot to be hopeful about.

Editors note: you can read a moving story about a visit to another orphanage earlier this year in 'The Inside Truth' . A personal account of the internat visits can be found in 'Cold, Still, and Empty'

Today we went to see our last Christian Aid partner, RAN, an NGO working with those who are particularly vulnerable to HIV in Tajikistan; mainly injecting drug users and sex workers. As with yesterday, we had the opportunity to meet some of the beneficiaries face to face, and hear some of their incredibly moving stories. The stories are all too complex to do justice to here, but one thing that really struck me (Jema) was the incredible attitude of the staff there. Everyone who goes there is treated completely as an equal human being, no matter what their situation or their past - it was the most non-judgemental place I can imagine, and the atmosphere there really did feel like that of a family. It had got dark by the time Lucy was able to drag us all away, we were so engrossed in the conversation!

On the way home, Alasdair and Ruth filled the rest of us in on their conversation with the director of RAN, who had been talking about the problems the organisation faces from various sectors of society because of its work. For bureaucratic reasons, methadone is unavailable in Tajikistan as a way of helping people get off heroin, which makes any rehabilitation work much harder. Despite this and other problems, we left knowing this was an incredibly special organisation and we were very privileged to have been able to spend time with them.

HIV education at the market

After an early 6am start and a two hour journey behind us, group 1 (Alan, Oby, Joanna, Charlotte, Rachel, Laura, Lydia, Jonny and Nicola) arrived at Ghamkhori, one of Christian Aid's partners, situated in the south of the country.  Ghamkhori has 9 projects in 6 districts in the region.  They run women's centres and go into schools teaching young people about Malaria, drug addiction, HIV and AIDS, water transmitted diseases and reproductive health.

Editors note: You can read more about the journey in 'The Road to Kurgan Teppa'.  The work of the womens centre in particular is told in 'Thankyou for coming here to hear the story of my heart'.

We arrived at the women's centre in the Vakhsh district to be greeted by a line of teenage boys on either side of the corridor, hands to their hearts in traditional Tajik greeting.  These teenage boys are all street kids who work on the market as porters.  They were in the middle of a lesson being taught by a Ghamkhori teacher.  These lessons cover issues such as reproductive health, HIV, STDs and water and air born diseases.  The boys act as peer educators, gathering other market boys and teaching them what they've learnt at the centre. 

Farrukh Khabibullo, 16, sporting a bright blue baseball cap and a tee-shirt with the HIV ribbon logo, wears his uniform with pride.  Although he receives a few somanis for his work, his motivation shines from within as he speaks.  The ambition we saw in Farrukh is common to all the young people we met who are involved with Ghamkhori.  He said that his friends from the market think it's a noble thing for him to do. 

When asked what was the best thing about coming to the centre, Farrukh's face lit up.

"It's definitely a change of mind because I come from the market.  I didn't know about HIV but now I am aware... I am very happy that I became educated.  I am thankful to this centre."

We asked Farrukh about his future dreams and like so many young Tajiks, his dreams are generous,

"I would like Tajikistan to become better developed and people to be aware of diseases like HIV and AIDS."

Neki = Kindness

"Life is short and we have to do something good with it".

These are the words of wisdom from Rumanov Sadiq, the Director of the Neki Centre. Mr Sadiq is dedicated to transforming society's attitudes to disabled children and also to eradicating the stigma attached to disability within the Tajikistan community.

Editors note: You can read more on the work of Neki from the original Tajikistan five in 'Heaven Must be Missing an Angel'. Stories from two of the families Neki serve can be found in 'Diminishing Horizons' and  'At The End of the Road'.

Through home visits and the Neki Centre, food, day care, health care and educational facilities are provided for families with disabled children. The centre also holds seminars which aim to re-educate and train individuals on issues to do with disability.

As we (Nicola, Oby, Jonny,Joanna, Rachel, Charlotte, Lydia & Laura) meet the children transformed by this centre, I am amazed by their energy, especially when I am informed that just two years ago, these children would often be found sitting in a corner silent and emotionless.

I am particularly impressed by the progress of two  members of the Mavijud family, Safarmu and Saed. Safarmu (17 years old), shows us the hats and dress that she has made. Her dream is to one day open a factory where she can make dresses. Saed (16 years) shows us a model of a van that he is currently working on. The detail is impeccable, it looks so professionally made. I fall in love with it immediately and would love to take it home( I'm sure that my nephews would love one too!), but it's still a 'work in progress' and has so far taken him a month to construct.

Without the kindness, dedication and altruism of Rumanov Sadiq and numerous volunteers who work at the Neki Centre, these children would not have discovered the talents they harbour, nor would they be able to hold such high aspirations for their futures. This is just one of the projects that Neki hopes to develop. Sadiq wants to acquire more resources (floor space, raw materials for dress making, handicrafts, cooking etc), in order to provide these children with a means of achieving their dreams.

Neki bimonaol joviolon - translation "Kindness will live for ever!"

Hmmm...!

Wow, what an interesting day!  I (Emily) am not quite sure where to begin so we'll start with the 5.30am rise and internal flight at 8am north to Khudjand.  Thankfully, despite the age of the tiny aircraft, we arrived safely at our destination, exhausted but relieved at our survival.

Today, Group 2 were designated to visit YGPE (Youth Group for the Protection of the Environment) to learn about their ecological work.  However, after a morning of interviews, I think the real education began.  Following a group debate about the serious sewage problems in Tajikistan, we were whisked off to the Mayor's office in order to be grilled about the work of Christian Aid and encouraged to support the plight of a Tajik arm wrestler soon to compete in Manchester.

Next, our group were escorted to the town hall where a concert ensued.  We later found out it was to celebrate a week-long ecological focus in which films and seminars had been taking place.  Thrown back fifty years, we experienced traditional dancing, cheesy-pop and a large dose of patriotism.

After dancing with the Mayor's band of merry men (some more merry than others), we were ushered to his house in a nearby suburb.  Bizarre!  Beyond the sepia-coloured heavy wall-papered corridor lay a long room, in the centre of which awaited our supper. The supper of doom (the culprit of an interrupted night's sleep for a number of the group!).

It soon became clear during this meal that our agenda was not shared with the Mayor.  However, on the bright side he did laud the work with and of young people on the ecological front and fully supported YGPE in all it does.  As was evident from the morning interviews, the Mayor had good reason to be proud because the passion and enthusiasm of the young people we spoke with really was tangible. 

One boy Ali and I interviewed said that YGPE had 'opened his eyes' to the damage being done to the world and although he was only 13 years of age, had committed himself to educating others about the importance of recycling, saving power and keeping the streets clean.  Hopefully we will be able to evoke the same enthusiasm in young people on our return to the UK.

Finally, after this tiring but somewhat unique day, the group of us piled into the minibus and headed for 'home'. I think it is safe to say that all of us were very much looking forward to being near our beds and a flushing toilet!

EID

Today was Eid the day of celebration that marks the end of the month long fast called Ramadam. We were invited with exceptional warmth and hospitality into three local houses with an overwhelming, mouth watering array of cullinary delights. We were informed we must eat at every house at to not cause offence.....we prepared ourselves for a day of veritable feasting! As we entered the rooms we were confronted with large floral patterned rugs surrounded by long cushions where we sat, legs folded and then gave thanks.Thanks consisted of an arabic paryer followed by the raising of hands and the passing of the hands over the face.  At the first house the men and woman went into seperate rooms and the men had a highly pensive conversation about the police in England and Tajikistan. The differences are innumerable!

On the rugs lay halvo which is breadcrumbs,oil and sugar, chagal dak which is onion pastry, Bugursock which are dough balls, Orzuk which is cheesy pastry, sambusa which is pie with meat, turtle cake which is gooey chocolate sponge. As well as beef and onion pasties...the onions are so crisp and succulent a reflection of produce being grown so locally.., raisons, nuts, coconut balls, Tajik Rafallo which is cookie.

They also have a type of fruit called persiman which has a vivacious fresh cinnaman taste.

The food is left there for three days and people visit continually. During this time there was a wonderful sense of community and sharing.... embracing neighbours, friends,families and total strangers.

NVC - a lifeline

On Monday group two went to spend the day with NVC, an NGO which works with pensioners in Dushanbe. The morning was spent talking to the volunteers at the charity, and then in the afternoon we went to visit two of the elderly ladies NVC is helping in their own homes. The first experience was especially heart-rending; every single one of us was in tears at some point, even our translator. And while the second lady, Claudia, seemed to be in better spirits, it was still clear that no-one should have to live the way she does.

One thing which really struck us was both old ladies' amazing warmth and kindness, directed as it was to a large group of foreigners invading their houses and asking lots of difficult questions. The first old lady, Nina, was very upset that she was unable to offer us tea as she would once have done. Whenever there was a pause in the conversation with Claudia, she filled it by blessing us and wishing us every happiness. They were both so very gracious, and I think we all found it quite humbling to see both dignity and humour in the face of such difficult conditions.

Clearly both suffer from not only poverty, but also the loneliness that seems to be such a frequent feature of old age all over the world. When I asked Nina if she could tell us about a better time in her life, she told us details about her life in Moscow that  she hadn't remembered in a long time. It's nice to think that we were welcome company for them both, but also hard to accept their gratitude at our visit when we knew we were going to walk away in a few minutes and never see them again.

It is abundantly clear that the work NVC does is vitally important to them both. It's very simple - volunteers go in to help cook and look after them, and also provide them with help in making sure they get as much of the meagre state pension as possible - in Nina's case, approximately eight pounds a month. Yet this is what they depend upon to keep them going - as Claudia said: 'to make me happy all I need is some lunch and a sleep'.

So many cakes, so little time!

Group 1 spent two days with the Youth Eco-center in Dushanbe.  YEC recognises the potential role of women and young people in decision-making and works to build civil society through environmental education programmes.  The organisation is working to develop a culture of volunteering in Tajikistan and already 1,200 young people participate in their projects which range from debating clubs, summer camps, community based projects and seminar sessions.  We met members of one of the TYDEC debating clubs in Dushanbe and heard a presentation about the clubs from the project’s co-ordinator 19-year-old Ruso.  The clubs were established to give young people the opportunity to develop their critical thinking and conflict resolution skills and encourage their participation in wider decision making processes.  At the end of each debate on issues that relate to government policy a summary document is sent to the Ministry for Youth and any government department it is relevant to.  They also organise debating conferences for groups from all over Tajikistan to which they invite the mass media and observers from government.  We were amazed at the participants' passion, enthusiasm and drive for bringing change to their country, especially compared to the apathy amongst many young people in the UK. 

The people were so welcoming and made us feel really at home – even inviting us to the cinema (we’re going later in the week!). This welcoming attitude, that is in such contrast to the UK, was demonstrated when we went out into the countryside to visit a project that YEC works with.  After a brief meeting with the group leader – a very strong, passionate woman – we were treated to a table full of cakes, sweets and fruit but, painfully, only a few minutes to try them!

A Zumrad Adventure

The crisp autumn sunlight that greeted us today on our first morning was reminicent of a cool and sunny September day. From a cocktail of meats, salads and pastries (our first breakfast at Hotel Tajikistan), my sub-group of GAPPERS (headed up by Lucy and including Jema, Jo M, Emily, Alistair, Hannah, Ruth and me (Ali)) set off for the office of Christian Aid's partner organisation Zumrad based in Dushanbe.

Getting out of our minibus, I noticed a rusty crane leering over the Zumrad buildings ominously with its operator leaning out of its open front - a sudden reminder that despite the surprisingly leafy streets of the city, I was far removed from England.

We were greeted warmly and ushered quicly into a dark room thick with flies. I'd glimpsed a medley of Tajik faces as we had come in...humble eyes of blues, greens, black or chocolate hues, gold teeth...shy, excited, gentle, earnest...

As I balanced on a creaking chair in this office room I had my first experience of communication through translation (I'm still not sure who to look at!). With an excited impatience we introduced ourselves and heard from Margarete, co-founder of Zumrad. This organisation offers disadvantaged young people and children training and social opportunities such as sewing or summer activity camps up in the Tajik mountains. Suddenly proceedings were interupted by platefuls of fruit, biscuits and chocolates (already we've realised that displays of hospitality like this are the norm here).

Later on Emily and I chatted to Sayohat, 19, a young woman learning to sew here at the centre. She hopes these new skills will one day lead to a career in fashion design. Somehow I felt simultaneously disappointed and hopeful for her.

The group of us are treated like celebritites (as if!), which makes me feel uncomfortable and humbled.

The highlight of the day for me was the afternoon when we visit a Zumrad club based in the countryside. We emerged from the club buildings into floods of late afternoon orange sun. In the far distance the rocky mountains of Tajikistan looked like the ripples of sand dunes, but in the near distance the land was flat and barren. To the delight of the flocks of Tajik teenagers, I found myself on a zipwire from the upper rooms of the building down to the group. The language barrier seems to have given me an unrealised boldness. I'd been quite literally roped into the mountain rescue skills demonstration the Zumrad young people had been impressing us with!

My yawning exaustion didn't lift after this unexpected adrenaline rush, and I regrettably dozed through our evening of beautiful Tajik music (or maybe I was hypnotised by the Arabian lullabies...?) while some of the others in the group made a brave attempt at traditional Tajik dancing! 

We made it!

We made it! The first day and our first blog.  After two safe and food-filled (plus complimentary booze) flights, we finally arrived in Dushanbe airport at 3.30am Friday morning.  That was the easy part...then came the wait!  Amanda warned us that it could take up to two hours to be legally admitted into the country.  However, we almost broke the record with a 3 hour forty-five minute preamble (the record is 4 hours) before eventually passing all necessary checks. The time was filled by watching the one airport official filling out what seemed like hundreds of little bits of paper to allow us to eventually get a visa stamped in our passports (although the visas themselves are very pretty!) and watching to make sure our bags didn't mysteriously disappear off the carousel.
Dawn had already broken by the time we were able to drive to our hotel, so if any of us had been awake enough to appreciate it we had a lovely sunrise to admire as we took our first look at Dushanbe.  The hotel itself is a lot better than some of us were anticipating, including en suites, fridges, tvs and even dressing gowns.  After a breakfast of rice, sausage and breads we all collapsed into bed for a few hours, before visiting the ACT Central Asia office to meet our guides Jannat and Zarina.  Both made us feel very welcome, in their virtually perfect English, and gave us an exciting preview of what's coming up for us in the next two weeks.

So to all our loved ones, we are here safe and well, and evidently in very good hands.  Watch this space.....

We're here!

We arrived in Dushanbe airport at 3.30 in the morning.

After a few hours waiting for visas in a concrete room that bore a striking resemblance to a cell but with officials who were very friendly and easy-going (and who wore winkle-pickers), we finally stepped onto Tajik soil - or rather, pot-holed concrete.

So, this entry is really just to say 'We're here' and to ask you to check the blog later tonight when we should have our first proper entry about arriving here and first impressions.

We look forward to sharing this experience with you over the next couple of weeks.

OneWebDay

Today is OneWebDay - a celebration of the Internet's ability to foster communication, collaboration and participation. The web has made a huge difference for Charities such as Christian Aid. We came to the web early with just one member of staff managing a few pages on the net. Today we have a whole department given over to maintaining five different sites, each receiving thousands of visitors a day.

As well as educating the public about the scandal of poverty, the web is a vital fundraising tool for us at Christian Aid. Present Aid, our on-line gift catalogue has raised the best part of £1,000,000 in the last 12 months.

But of course, the web is so much more than just web sites. It's helped my team to deliver new initiatives in collaboration and information sharing than would previously have been possible. We have enterprise software systems which are delivered to users around the world via the web - meaning that we no longer have to deploy and maintain software on staff machines.

One of our biggest successes has been the use of Microsoft SharePoint to create a document management and collaboration tool that is accessible by over 500 staff in 32 offices. For the first time ever, Christian Aid staff have access to the same information whether they are in an office, on a plane, or in the desert. We think that's pretty neat - you can read more about SharePoint at Christian Aid here and on the Microsoft People Ready site.

Big projects aside, we've also seen the power of the web in smaller initiatives. At the beginning of the year, we tentatively tried blogging from a staff trip to Tajikistan. The response was amazing and over 12,000 people visited the site. We started podcasts for the first time back in May and have been bowled over by how successful they've been. We're now looking at how we mainstream these activities and integrate them with our websites.

For the year ahead, we're going to be stretching SharePoint and other systems further as we use web technologies to help the organisation decentralise and put management decisions closer to the countries we serve. We'll also be looking at how we share information even more effectively with wikki's, folksonomy's and other social tools. Exciting stuff.

This blog restarts in October when our GAP year students travel back to Tajikistan. In the meantime, check out our other blogs listed in the sidebar, or visit any of the following Christian Aid sites.

Steven Buckley
Head of Common Knowledge Programme
Christian Aid, London

• Christian Aid corporate site
• PressureWorks campaigning site
• Christian Aid Podcasts (subscribe via iTunes using this link)
• SureFish ISP
• Christian Aid connect
• TogetherTV
• Global Gang childrens site

Tenacity of the spirit

Matthew Reed - Kyrgyzstan

The driver comes at 1am so I can catch the cheap flight to the UK via Istanbul.

Inevitably on the journey home I reflect on the past very full 10 days.

In addition to the meetings with beneficiaries (some of which I have described in this blog) I have had meetings with colleagues and staff teams of our partners. I have taken hundreds of images (some of which will appear here soon) and there has been the inevitable, although most agreeable, long distances to travel. I have also endeavoured to sustain normal service with colleagues in Britain and Ireland by email in the evening. And I’ve produced this blog!

I have only been away just over a week; it feels more like a month.

When this trip was first suggested our Asia and Middle East team were keen for us to find ways of further highlighting the poverty issues and needs in Central Asia. I hope we have started on that and will look at it further. Indeed I used examples from Kyrgyzstan in sermons at St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in Christian Aid Week last May. We have already started thinking about the youth trip to Zumrad.

Whenever I travel to less developed economies I am as shocked by the affluence when I get back as I am by the poverty when I am away. The financial and corresponding inequality of life security is astonishing. And yet it is more complicated than that. I do not return in one dimensional gratitude for the address I accidentally call home, for this past few days I seen much that in the UK we should learn from. I have seen resilient community, and people with time for each other. I have seen spirituality authentically ingrained in every day reality rather than marginalised to midnight mass. I have connected with the robustness, beauty and risk of the human spirit living close to the edge and feeling all the more alive for it.

I have learnt much about myself over the last 10 days. Part of my soul now resides in Central Asia, just as assorted elements have of it have long since settled in other countries where I have engaged with fellow humans in our essence.

This evening I am back in my home town of Marlow. It is so good to see my wife and children again. I hug them tight.

This is not the end though. The trip wasn't designed for my benefit; I now need to make it work for those I visited. I live this life because at my deepest level of my being I reject the ugliness and outrage of injustice, and I restlessly search for truth and the beauty of the human spirit. Tenacity to grasp tight to love and human beauty despite of, and in the face of, the rawness and injustice of human anguish. This for me is what life before and life after death is all about.

There is so much still to do; I’ll be back at my desk tomorrow morning.

Partners in life

Matthew Reed - Kyrgyzstan

Flights out of Tajikistan over the mountains are subject to cancellation when the weather is poor. Now not needing the contingency day built into my programme to deal with this eventuality I have another full day in Bishkek. I put it to use visiting Development and Co-operation in Central Asia (DCCA), a partner of Christian Aid based in Bishkek. I have a valuable conversation discussing and reflecting on some the models of development  I have observed over the last week, social and political issues in Kyrgyzstan, and geopolitical issues facing the region.

Christian Aid does not work operationally on its own. We always choose to work through partners, that is other organisations. Naturally the partners range in their size, and the depth and breadth of their geographical and programme focus.

This approach to development, and emergencies, of working through partners has many benefits; we do not replicate local infrastructure, we do not incur the high cost of flying materials from the UK and we minimise duplication by joint funding with other agencies. Primarily though our partners are selected for their inherent discernment and expertise into the broad and detailed situation in each country we work in. There is a corresponding truth in this approach, that we assume and trust that people locally will have determined insights as to what is best required in their nation and communities.

This is not a blind trust, as robust conversations about priorities and approaches is part of the partner relationship, and there is a natural turn over of partners as priorities and needs change and partners no longer require our support. In 61 years of working with the world’s poorest communities this has become though a honed model that works; it continually reflects our experience that with our input, support, experience, and advocacy support local people form excellent solutions to the challenges they face.

As our supporters and donors would expect, this approach of working through partners is driven by maximising our impact on poverty and marginalisation in the most cost effective and efficient way possible.

It does though also convey theological truths, some of which I have already alluded to.

In the Christian tradition, the image of God presented is of that of coming out to meet us and be with us in the reality, ambiguity and messiness of our lives; in our beauty, profundity and potential, and our superficiality, vanity and stupidity.

Working through partners is such a going out; it has been good to affirm that on this trip.

In all three religions that look to Abraham as the ‘father of faith’ there is the consciousness that interpersonal relationships and the connection between humanity and the divine are defined and refined on trust in the other and mutual interdependence. Something of the truth of this is reflected I think in our partnership approach.

Homeward bound

Matthew Reed - Kyrgyzstan

Today I fly back to Bishkek at the start of my journey home. Last night I had dinner with colleagues in Dushanbe thanking them for their friendship and their care and diligence in facilitating and supporting my trip. They warmly encourage me to come back on holiday with my family.

For the second time in a week I have the misfortune of a taxi driver with short term memory loss. Having vigorously assured me at the airport he knew exactly where my guest house was, he lost all knowledge of it once clear of the airport. He kindly offered his friend's guest house instead. We eventually make it to my guest house; I've remembered the way.

Today is my wife Jennifer’s birthday. After some grappling with the Russian version of Skype I get through to her; its great to hear her voice and speak to my children. Home feels a long way away.

The Soviet Block

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

Such is the plight of many older people in Tajikistan that their very being is eroded by malnutrition, poor health care, and absent families who endure the often maltreated life of migrant workers in Russia. In desperation some older people sign over their modest apartments in an arrangement where they remain in residence until they die, cared for by the new owner. For several people in the neighbourhood though the new ‘carers’ have heralded suspiciously early deaths. The existence of this barbarism means many elderly people live in fear of their lives, so the daily food and home care offered by Christian Aid is invaluable.

Part of the shock of poverty in Tajikistan is that it didn’t used to be like this. Many of the people struggling to survive have not been used to this existence. Anastasia Bougrova for example was before retirement a doctor, a consultant; she now like all others of her age does not know where the next meal will come from. Nurse Nazarava does today; she puts the food left over from her neighbour’s plate in a jar to have later.

I am taken to see several people in their soviet apartment blocks, identical to buildings throughout the old USSR. Panes of glass are randomly distributed amongst the window frames, dogs guard their hoards of rubbish, rotting concrete hangs from lintels and mail boxes that have been idle for years swing in the breeze. I go to meet Yuri Barrotov, aged 76, who lost his sight in a mining accident. In the past he would have received a satisfactory pension and state care; now he sits in the dark with a few of his old tools as companions. In the corner of the room a sack of EU food aid questions who will cook it. As I listen to his story and somewhat uncomfortably take some photographs, Yuri’s dinner is prepared by a volunteer from our partner, the National Volunteer Council.

Despite the despondent circumstances endured by many of the people I have met today, there has remained a tenacious and profound sense of human dignity. There is an ubiquitous and understandable yearning in these older people for the safety and predictability of the Soviet era.

These older people do not feature highly in plans for the brave new order, with its decisions based on potential financial return.

Once again the work we support here rejects human disposability. It makes life desirable and treats each beneficiary as a unique person; in so doing it reflects in some humble way without fanfare the great commandment.

But what of the degradation, poverty and suffering there to start with? Where is the Holy, the Divine, God in the mess of all this?

One response could simply be to recite the mantra of the stable, an exile in Egypt, living under occupation, and an untimely death as God comprehending and partaking in the human torment. In the face of those I meet with today this approach sounds rehearsed and feels glib and inappropriate, even insulting; it is not a line of inquiry I would begin to want to pursue.

An alternative could be to refrain from words altogether and submit to a humble and sustained silence. This could have it attractions, for it witnesses to the inexplicable. But it is also unsatisfactory, for it hints at authenticating or colluding with the ugly unacceptable face of human suffering.

Neither glibness nor silence is good enough.

Personally, despite at times a perceived pressure from others, I am resigned to stay with the question and act. This is not laziness, because I have relentlessly wrestled with it for decades. It is just how it is.

It is in the question though that I return to the love of God personified in the person of Jesus, uniquely attuned in its encounter with humanity.

Or to cut the crap, witnessing people care for each other in the profound manner I have witnessed today.

The new generation

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

The first images I am presented with this afternoon are of young people trekking in the Tajik mountains. Some of my most formative days as child were spent walking in mountains my attention is immediately captured.

Magareta Boutoiva, director of Zumrad, talks me through her work. This is a scheme we support working with orphans and abandoned children who either reside in the notorious Internats or chance it on the streets. The sewing, IT and language skills young people learn at Zumrad are deployed in making mountain trekking kit including rucksacks, sleeping bags, tents and clothes. They then go for weeks at a time into the mountains for ecological and self sufficiency instruction. The group of young people are gathered to meet are animated in their enthusiasm for the scheme, and describe have how through it they have grown in self confidence. Some of these teenagers will hope to use the sewing, trekking and language skills they have learnt for future employment; the perpetual benefits though are reinstalled faith in themselves and others. They invite me to return to Tajikistan and trek with them, an invitation I would love to accept.

In Britain and Ireland we are having a renewed effort to energise younger people to know more about poverty and injustice and be part of generating solutions. In a few weeks time our 15 new Gap year volunteers will be here in Tajikistan and will see the work for themselves. A conversation emerges of bringing some teenagers from Britain and Ireland to share in a summer trek through the Tajik hills with these young Tajiks. I intuitively warm to the idea and we agree to work on it further.

Solidarity

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

In my meetings with people throughout these lands I have tried to convey something of Christian Aid in Britain and Ireland, how we receive a lot of our income and support from the public, with 300,000 volunteers involved in Christian Aid Week. I do my best to describe this through my interpreter in a way that does not create obliged deference. Rather I want to convey the sense of solidarity between many people in Britain and Ireland and people living in more challenging situations. My point is increasingly hitting the mark with groups I meet. Christian Aid raised about 90M pounds last year from a large number of donors; we wouldn’t be the same organisation if this had emerged from a small handful of donors. Christian Aid is about many standing in solidarity with the poor and the marginalised throughout the world.

Today I can add to my description by conveying news of the 3000 Christian Aid supporters who made their way to Whitehall this week to demand better policies from the British government to support development. The group of elderly people I am meeting with stand and applaud our supporters. I promise to take their greetings back home.

Brothers in Arms

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

Senior Lieutenant Comrade Moldavsky Mihail Petrovick has spent all his life with a fervour for justice. Despite now being 84 he is a passionate campaigner and advocate for pensioners in his part of Dushanbe to ensure everyone gets their allowance. Life for old people in Tajikistan is desolate. The pension, a meagre $10 per month, is no where near enough to survive. Supported by Christian Aid’s partner, the National Volunteer Council, Comrade Moldavsky makes representations to officials on behalf of people much younger than he is, and has established a formidable success rate.

In the war years Moldavsky survived the siege of Leningrad and unlike 30 million other soviets survived the whole war. He proudly produces a copy of a letter, addressed to him personally and signed by Stalin, thanking him for his services in the liberation of Berlin.

My grandfather was not so lucky. He didn’t make it to Berlin. He was shot in France in 1944.

Now over 60 years later Comrade Moldavsky and I are engaged together in the common pursuit of justice. He was my grandfather’s brother in arms against fascism; now we are brothers in arms against poverty. I tell him my family story. We embrace and my eyes fill.

Not to be outdone on the medals Stipanova Mirzoeva produces her jacket adorned with decorations from the soviet era. In her younger days she was Head of the Physical, Cultural and Sports Committee of Tajikistan, a reasonably senior rank in the Soviet system. She is still remarkably fit at 89. ‘I still go running,’ she assures me and I can quite believe it. I am tempted to sign her up for the London marathon.

She also has spent a lifetime working for the greater good and has no intention of retiring from that now. Indeed every day she runs a drop in centre where free lunches are available for the poorest pensioners in the district. She is supported in this by Christian Aid.

The Crescent and the Sickle

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

One of my aims on this trip is to understand more of the religious context of our programmes. In Soviet times religion was of course repressed, the ‘Opium of the People’, although in reality the long-established Islam had been sufficiently far from Moscow to survive. In ‘Brideshead revisited’ Evelyn Waugh refers to the return to religion as needing ‘but a twitch upon the thread.’ What, I wondered, was the return to in central Asia, and who was pulling the thread?

In Kyrgyzstan it was apparent that the little new building work taking place in rural areas was of mosques. Less physically apparent, but also growing, were active members of Christian churches. At their core Christianity and Islam are faiths of peace and justice. Regrettably however that is not how either belief has always been experienced. I was keen to hear from people as I travelled how the increase in religious expression is changing society.

The clear response in Kyrgyzstan was that the one of the rudiments of the Soviet system to survive to the new order is the embedded conviction that humanitarian approaches to being human must transcend divisive religious practice. Music to my ears.

Today in Tajikistan our partner Mehrangez have arranged for an assembly of village Mullahs to meet with this peripatetic English theologian. It is profound visit. We sit and share bread together and drink tea and exchange our hopes for humanity as people of faith. I quiz them about Islam in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. They ask me about Islam in the UK and terrorism, and tease me about the world cup defeat. Barno, aware of the complexities of what we are discussing, works extra hard to get the nuances of our discourse right; I have to assume by the warm embraces that follow that she has done well. Not unsurprisingly when our humanity is laid bare in each other’s company there is listening, praying, hoping and great deal of laughter. They recite, believe and practice the Soviet mantra of humanity first, religious practice second. We have a meeting of minds and souls.

I still search for who or what is twitching the thread of the Islamic revival in Tajikistan. I leave hearing that for these people it comes from within, their response to being human, of living in profound communities that part of me covets, and a humble consent to walk the way of God.

I hear how for the benefit of the whole community they have integrated the Mahallah Committee with the self group we support in the village. The consequence is a number of new suggestions coming from the village of projects they can do to make their economic development sustainable. I sense the inevitable grant request looming. I cannot assist now but it helps to be reminded that our capacity at Christian Aid to bring transformation to communities is hindered only by our limited resources, and not by our aspiration.

We left each other as children of Abraham putting our humanity first and rejoicing in each other’s expression what it meant to travel life in search of the Holy, the divine, and the reality of life bigger than ourselves.

Afghan winds

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

I am now the proud owner of a full Tajik ceremonial outfit, a kind gift of the community I visit today in Shartuz provence in the south of Tajikistan. Mehrangez, a Christian Aid supported project, is working in this village of Ok-Oltyn where temperatures reach nearly 50 degrees in the summer. It is not that today, but I can imagine the full length deep blue robe comes into its own in the sub zero winters here. I am quite warm enough as I am paraded for the village in my new attire. I wonder how I will get it home as I don’t have a great deal of space in my pack. I may have to wear it; let’s see what UK immigration makes of that.

‘You are Tajik now’, proclaims one of the older men as I put the traditional hat on. Through my interpreter I make some half baked joke about needing a hat as I don’t have much hair. I haven’t seen a bald Tajik man yet; a nervous giggle shimmers around the gathered women complemented by an empathetic nod from the men.

I am being accompanied on the field visits by my interpreter, Barno, and my Dushanbe based colleague Zarina (who naturally alternates between Tajik, Russian and English). One of my own frustrations on the trip is only speaking one of those languages (English for the record) but my efforts at humour have found common human ground everywhere I have gone.

Once I have de-robed it is down to the now familiar business of drinking green tea and listening to the community and the challenges it is experiencing.

This part of Tajikistan is near the Afghan border and again the first point they mention is the changing climate. For the last few years the summer temperature has increased significantly and has been accompanied by a roasting wind from Afghanistan. The heat is reducing crop yields, mitigated in part by costly fertiliser. Lower winter temperatures put insatiable pressure on the power supply with the corresponding plunder of the few remaining forests. Not only is climate change here impacting on the economy of human survival, but easing of its effects is making the problem worse.

Proportionally these villages burning more wood will not be the forebear of a ruined climate, but the millions of additional heaters and air conditioning units in the rest of the world may well be. Climate change is not tomorrow’s problem; it is today’s harsh reality for many people rummaging for survival. I leave reconvicted that tackling it must start with our own life style decisions. I feel like taking a penitential walk home.

The good news is that our partners on the ground here, Eco Youth Centre, are on the case and demonstrate a prototype solar heater in the village of Malcham. I often aspire for NGOs and business to combine their proficiencies more effectively, so I am delighted to hear that a commercial partner has been found to get the heater to market.

Come fly with me

Matthew Reed - Tajikistan

Today we are leaving Kyrgyzstan and travelling to Tajikistan. Although this other ex Soviet republic shares a border with Kyrgyzstan we need to fly given the enormous distances and a 5000 m mountain range. We fly with Tajikistan Airlines, with the whole routine being much as described by my colleagues visit last winter. You can read their account here.

The last time I flew in an un-pressurised prop of this size I disembarked at 10,000 feet (voluntarily) with a parachute, and trust that will not be required today. The in-flight entertainment alternates between gasping at the majesty of the surprisingly close snow capped mountains whilst having some success at managing down the expectations of a very large Tajik doctor about how much of his Johnny Walker ‘flying medicine’ I am going to consume. I enjoy the whole experience, including what felt like a nose dive when we reached our destination.

The only similarities between these central Asian states is that they end with ‘stan’, were once part of the USSR, and are now struggling economically to find their way as independent nations. In all other ways they are their own lands, as varied in culture and geography as Germany and France. Tajikistan was the most ethnically contrived of Stalin’s Soviet republics leaving it inherently unstable when the shock of independence came calling in the 1990s. The subsequent civil war has however delayed adaptation to the new international order contributing to Tajikistan being one the poorest countries in the world.

Having flirted with the abyss and witnessed the destruction in neighbouring Afghanistan, Tajikistan is now peaceful and determined not to descend to violence again. The legacy of the war in the 1990s is still being realised, with a generation of children missing schooling whilst living in Afghan refugee camps and many economically active people having emigrated.

The capital has now lost its callous ‘Starlinabad’ title reverting to the name of the earlier village on the site, Dushanbe. This suits it far better, for it is handsome and cordial city with dignity and presence. It is here that we have our Christian Aid Central Asia office and I have come to see both the Christian Aid staff who are based here and our Tajik programmes.

Over the past few months Christian Aid has relocated posts from London to our offices throughout the world. This is quite a change for us, employing less British staff and more staff based in the regions where we work. This is accompanied with appropriately moving management responsibility for programmes out of the UK as well. Most of our staff team in Central Asia are Tajik nationals and I am delighted to get to meet them and share news and best wishes from colleagues in London. I am made to feel extraordinarily welcome.

Liberation or captivity?

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

What is clear to me so far on this trip is that the post Soviet era is not experienced here as uncomplicated liberation. There was jubilation in the early days of course and excitement of a nation coming of age. Now the party is over harsher realities reside. The creation of this nation state was not sought or struggled for; for many it was rather imposed by the world’s confidence in its new order. There has been no great rush to tear down the signs of the USSR here; giant heroic Soviet figures still adorn plinths and concrete celebrations of unremembered victories remain unbothered. Instead people reminisce for the time when schools were free, doctors available, and things worked. Then, they tell me they had freedom; freedom not to be hungry, freedom to have a job.

Of course the Soviet past in Central Asia has been more complicated than that, with many who did not find it so freeing unable to witness to their stories from the grave. But I do wonder what freedoms we are ushering these states into. Is it the freedom to have a mortgage, with the hope that by the time it is paid back you still have enough mental facilities to remember why you started it? Is it the freedom to have so much choice that whole industries are created in the west to help consumers make decisions? Is it the freedom to participate in economic growth which clearly does not necessarily lead to better relationships and a happier and more fulfilled life, often rather undermining these things?

There are signs though that point to hope for these people, not least their robust confidence. But what is this new found ‘freedom’ all about? For sure there is the freedom now to choose a house other than official design A, B or C (not that many people have). Yes there is freedom of international travel, yet only other ex Soviet states offer any welcome.

In the period of ‘great collective enterprise’ land was state owned. In the early days of the new era land was privatised with each farmer being allocated a piece of irrigated land, some pasture land, and some dry barren land (the vast majority of this country). This has its own logic of equality, but resulted in each farmer having small pieces of land no where near each other. Sustainable agriculture in these circumstances was more than challenging.

Now farmers are collectively working the land for the greater good. Not so far from the ‘great collective enterprise’ these people are supposed to have been liberated from.

What persists in this land is a real sense of human endeavour that goes well beyond the nation state. Indeed I wonder if one of the main challenges faced by the government here is a lack of enthusiasm for a state not asked for and currently unable to offer what the USSR did before. These people have lived for generations understanding that the world is bigger than their national perspective. I hope that can continue.

The pressures on the region are clear to see. Russia has opened an airforce base outside Bishkek whilst at the international airport USAF planes appear un-embarrassed as they interpose with a competing idea. Trade once gave this region high influence in the world; others now have an appetite for that influence here again. I hope that the development and social needs of the people of Kyrgyzstan will not be expendable in other nation's haste for power.

Energy for change

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

Today we are in Balykchy at the west end of the Lake Issy-kul. Besieged by the desert that encircles it, the town is for the time being just holding out. I like it. It has a frontier sense of the unexpected so absent in sterile market towns in the south of England. I am aware though that this response is a luxury as I have a ticket out. Balykchy is now home to the young, the old, women, and anyone else who cannot get work in Russia. Tenaciously supporting the community as it grapples with its plight, ‘Resource Centre for Elderly’ is a Christian Aid sponsored project supporting the elderly here to survive. They in turn care for their dependent grandchildren.

A visit to a self help group is accompanied by the usual hospitality and stories that are off the radar of my own experience. Nena, aged 84, has spent her entire life working for the greater good. Now long retired and widowed she has found herself in the extraordinary situation of being homeless. Her apartment was sold by her children who now reside in Russia. The self help group rallied round, as they have for numerous others, and provided her not just with shelter but confidence again in the human race. Now she helps others, part of a profound network that again I am humbled we are partners and funders of.

One of the issues facing people locally is energy supply. The Soviet houses had heating provided ‘centrally’ and piped from the district heating facility. This worked well, until the state failed that is. The electricity supply couldn’t cope with the subsequent rush to electric heating so to survive the bitter winters people resorted to cutting down trees for firewood. There were not many trees here to start with; now there are significantly fewer. ‘Resource Centre for Elderly’ has a holistic approach to its work with old people and now sees sustainable energy supply as a key issue. They demonstrate to me three experimental renewable sources of energy. The first is a solar stove heated by a small concave reflector. Its effectiveness is amply demonstrated when a piece of paper placed on the stove ignites within seconds!

We think climate change and energy supply is becoming one of the biggest issues for us to be working on in our duty of tackling poverty and social exclusion. Here in Kyrgyzstan is a superb example of what can be done at very low cost. A commercial producer of these stoves is now being sought. I am delighted again that we are part of this, building communities now and developing sustained ways of living on this planet for the future.

The bomb

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

Before I came here colleagues described factories silenced in the ‘disintegration’ that was drowned out by western euphoria when the Berlin wall fell. As Russian investment fled so did the jobs and livelihoods of many people in central Asia. After lunch we go to such a site, once a thriving silicon mine but now abandoned, not through lack of minerals to be mined, but through its investment being withdrawn. Natasha, probably well into her 80s, sat panning for silicon crumbs in the rubble, and remarkably finding enough to deny hunger another victory at least for today. Down the hill the plug of loose soil placed in the mine entrance in the 1990s is now being precariously tunnelled by hungry people in search of something. The site’s activity and results is desperate.

It then materialises that not only Silicon was mined here at Kadji-Sai but Uranium as well. ‘This,’ claims my interpreter with understandable national sentiment, ‘was where the material for the first Soviet bomb was mined.’

What should I make of this? On the one hand, this place that once had employed and fed many is now a wasteland, home only to scavengers almost robbed by poverty even of their human dignity. One the other hand, this position framed beneath the glorious snow capped peaks of the Tian Shan mountains and surrounded by people with extraordinary hospitality, could have been the midwife of the bombs we were told to be scared of as children growing up in the south east of England during the cold war. And to complete the irony for me, a priest working for Christian Aid, neat rows of graves in the Russian cemetery are identified not with the signs of the glorious Soviet, but by the cross of the Christ I too proclaim.

When the ground moves …

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

Later in the morning I am heading for Kyzyl-too school where young people not that much older than my own children are being trained by Shoola in emergency response. This area of the world is renowned for its seismic activity and the young people quickly adorn their yellow bibs (complete with EU branding to reflect their patronage). I am being accompanied in Kyrgyzstan by Umida, my colleague from our Dushanbe office in Tajikistan. Umida is our regional specialist in disasters and emergencies and decides that there is no time like the present for an earthquake rehearsal. We are ushered into room with people suffering imaginary bad injuries. I am tremendously impressed with the dignified maturity with which the young people both demonstrate their emergency and first aid skills, and reflect on the inevitability of having to use them.

Only the ground knows its timings so I leave wondering when we will be raising money to respond to an emergency in the region. Inevitably it will be anonymous to most people, but it will now be deeply personal to me.

Salt and faith

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

The first self help group I meet is in the village of Shorbulak which means ‘Salty Water’. Fresh water supply in the village is unsurprisingly challenging. The self help group, formed, cajoled, trained, supported and loved into being by Shoola, is enabling women to discover craft and business skills. To their own surprise the products they produce are selling well. The margin was impressive. Raw materials (wool mainly) cost 120 som; the rugs sell for 650 som after 3 days work. The scheme has clear financial benefits but also increase the women’s self confidence and have established mutual dependence and care. I thought I saw a wink on the austere statue of Lenin looking down from the hill above. But the best was the most unexpected.

A scheme to bring fresh water to the village had been talked about for some time. The proposal has remained a mirage though as the village has struggled to find the necessary 50% investment needed to match the World Bank's. Until now that is, and the profits from the rug selling. Over the coming months the dream will become a reality.

What started with a small amount of money from Christian Aid supporters has ended in a village with a sustainable income, renewed confidence in itself, stronger social infrastructure, and soon a robust supply of fresh, clean water.

This is why I support and work for Christian Aid. This is faith made real. This is the kingdom being built. This is lives transformed. And until they met me today, none of these people had even heard of Christian Aid. This is love giving just for the sake of it. This is what I understand the love that is God to be. And despite all the complexities and at times rubbish of organised religion, this is why I still dare to call myself a Christian.

Mountains and expectations

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

Despite the terrain in all directions being as dry and barren as anything I have seen before, turquoise water plunges through a ravine by the main road east of Bishkek. A few tourists are manoeuvring themselves into inflatables to raft the torrent fed by the winter snows still melting on the highest peaks.

This is now my second day in Kyrgyzstan and I am heading away from the capital Bishkek on a 4 hour drive to Lake Issy-kul. The journey on soviet era roads still in good repair is my first introduction to the extravagant beauty of this country whose name is suffixed by ‘Where?’ to most people I have talked to about this trip to Central Asia.

Sandwiched between China, Tajikistan and its large northern neighbour Kazakhstan this ancient silk route land is about half the size of France and home to 5 million of the world’s most hospitable people. The terrain is reminiscent of Ladakh in the far north of India and sufficiently like Afghanistan for a film crew to be making an epic here about one of the numerous wars in that land that few heed the lessons of. 93% of Kyrgyzstan is mountainous and infertile.

My trip to Ladakh 14 years ago was not without its complications. I was trecking with my brother, sister and parents at altitude when my mother become quite ill. It was a strenuous half jog out of the mountains into Leh and a subsequent urgent conversation that persuaded the regional Indian Airforce commander to dispatch a helicopter to rescue her. (She was fine after a few days in hospital, although undeterred from adventure, she required casevac again a few years later following a mountain fall in Indonesia.)

I wonder what events will populate this journey in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan!

Issy-kul is more of a sea than a lake, with a coast line of 600km and a far bank beyond the horizon. It has no outlets, despite the numerous rivers of melting ice and snow that flow into it, its volume being restrained only by evaporation. This is place where the Soviet navy once tested its torpedoes and where now Christian Aid funds ‘Shoola’, an NGO supporting the people living in challenging circumstances on the lake’s southern shore.

The staff at Shoola have gathered a number of people benefiting from their programmes to meet with me. I spend a lot of time in the UK reassuring people that their donations are making a real impact on the lives of poor people; this trip offers a good opportunity to reassure myself that this is true, and hopefully to share some common humanity and interaction with people known to most of the world only as a statistic.

I’m not disappointed. My experience of working for an NGO is to be constantly humbled by the quality of the local NGOs we are privileged to fund and support, and the tenacious grasp of life that recipients of those programmes exhibit.

September travels ...

Matthew Reed -  Kyrgyzstan

My name is Matthew Reed and I am Church and Community Director at Christian Aid. Currently I am in Central Asia visiting projects and meeting with colleagues.

This blog will be some of my personal reflections as I travel. This does not represent Christian Aid's official positions, or my own final thoughts on my visit, but I hope you find it of interest.

Starting soon

Tajikistan Travels starts up again soon with two trips planned for September and late October. The entries promise another set of perspectives and stories - so be sure to tune in.

Blogging On

A big welcome to Christian Aid News readers who've found this blog from the 'Blogging On' article on page 27. This is the very first of the Christian Aid blogs and it relates to a trip to Tajikistan at the beginning of the year by five staff from the London office. Scroll down through the page for daily stories from the two week trip - though please remember that the opinions expressed in any of the blogs and podcasts on this site may not represent official Christian Aid policy.

For readers unfamiliar with weblogs, do check out this article on blogging from the BBC Webwise site. The basic structure of Christian Aid weblogs is a long series of entries in the centre of the page. Links in text work in the same way as any web page and will take you to another article or image. 

You can leave a comment on any of the stories by clicking the 'comments' text under each article. To the right of the page, you'll also see an image gallery link and links to other Christian Aid weblogs and podcasts. Clicking the Tajikistan image gallery link takes you to the photo album for the blog - though bear in mind that we haven't always got time to compress images, so they can take a while to open if you aren't using broadband (ditto the video files - please don't click them unless you are using broadband).

So do have a look around and please let us know what you think! Feel free to comment on any of the stories and let us know what you think about our weblog initiative - we'd love to hear from you.

Video

Well we finally got around to pulling all the video together from our trip.  Now the edit is done, we can kind of forgive Amanda for making us stop every 5 seconds to film something.  Note that the footage here is really for briefing Christian Aid staff and not for external use... so please don't go using the video on your own site or reusing the footage in any way.

• Tajikistan video
• Kyrgyzstan video