Yesterday I attended an Anti-Trafficking Theater sponsored by OSCE and put on by 2 local NGOs. The event was mostly for school children, to raise their awareness about the situation of trafficking in Kyrgyzstan. Many factors, such as poverty, a new democratic structure, geography, and cultural/gender roles, lead to a high rate of trafficking in and out of the Kyrgyz Republic. There are false job opportunities in newspapers, and fake ads to work abroad hanging up all over the city. People are often lured by the prospect of earning lots of money, and overlook the suspiciousness of the jobs they are applying for.
So the Theater event was a good one. Lots of youth were involved in the performance and the auditorium was packed with kids. I think they got the message across while having some fun. I was impressed with the quality of work that went into this event.
I celebrated Hanukah last night, with my Jewish friends in Kyrgyzstan. I’m not Jewish myself, but I thoroughly enjoy potato latkes. Kelly and Sarah graciously shared their traditions with us, and wowed us with their cooking. The menu consisted of 3 types of Latkes: “The original, “The Taco Latke, and “The Health Nut;” and 3 types of toppings: sour cream, pico de gallo, and homemade apple sauce. It was a nice end to a long day.
As far as my work situation goes this is what I’ve decided: I will stay where I am for now, but will only work part-time with Ayalzat (Mondays 9-4, Wednesdays 9-12, and Fridays 9-12). The other two days I will work with the Central Asian Alliance for Water – on their gender and advocacy campaign. And during free afternoons I will have Women’s Leadership Club and Russian tutoring. I’ll visit a couple NGOs in Bishkek while I’m there for In-Service Training in January, and keep that as an option if this doesn’t work out.
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