A big help in anyone's language
Years before the global financial crisis, there was one in southern Kyrgyzstan. In an area of over 20% unemployment and deeply underrated salaries, one organisation that Crossroads shipped to recently, is turning those figures around.
They do this by providing excellent accessible language tuition. As their Director explained in a recent letter, “Other than Tajikistan, Kyrygzstan is the poorest nation in the CIS... I would venture to estimate that every single family in southern Kyrgyzstan has a family member (whether immediate or extended) working abroad... Knowledge is power, and the languages learned here allow people to land well-paying jobs in their own communities which in turn empower them to change their communities for the better. A better village is a better country, and a better country is a better Central Asia.”
Last year Crossroads shipped books, computers and electrical items to their organisation. Hearing the impact of these items on the work of the organisation was a joy.
“Crossroads injection of fresh material, furniture, and equipment was a new beginning. [It] helped move everything forward enough that the company can go on helping locals learn and improve without continuous foreign investment.”
“Our office staff was noticeably impressed by Crossroads. First of all, conceiving of such an idea (other Western nations sending aid to this area of the world) seemed foreign to them. Then, to actually see it put into practice was amazing for them. I think Crossroads’ impact on their lives has been monumental. To know the desk you’re sitting at came from Hong Kong via Kazakhstan lends a mutual feeling of togetherness, engendered by the generosity of others. It can feel pretty lonely here in the middle of Central Asia, but having gifts like this given fosters a more global awareness that can’t be duplicated.”
