The nomadic children in northern Kyrgyzstan | DW Documentary

The nomadic children in northern Kyrgyzstan | DW Documentary

The pastures in the mountains in the north of kyrgistan are green and Lush many families spend the Summers up here grazing their animals just like their nomadic ancestors a special time for the children in the group also beautiful cushions like this someday too SAA I often go to the horse Market with my dad with 3 months of school holidays life up here can quickly become monotonous for the Children I have lots of chores getting water collecting firewood would looking after my little siblings I have to help my mother but now there is a place where the children of the nomadic families can Meet hurry up a school for Learning and play has been set up in a traditional y they’re very curious and always want new jobs [Laughter] it’s just after Sunrise around 5:30 in the [Applause] morning the high pasture where 12-year-old alihan lives with his family is almost 2,000 m above sea

Level before breakfast he and his mother milk the cows and then send them back to the pasture with their Calves alih please get the next two cows ready alihan’s only vacation is from school everyone has to pitch in this time of year alihan helps us out a lot without him we couldn’t do it alihan gets up early and has lots of chores I wash the dishes sometimes I look after my little

Brother feed the dogs and chickens things like that I usually do my chores right except maybe when I really don’t feel like it after milking his father drives the cows back onto the mountain to graze all Day sisters acuk auk and Alina live 3 km away and 500 M further up the mountain they too spend their 3 months of school holidays up here the mountains have no cell phone reception no electricity and no running water the girls have to fetch water from the river several times a

Day my bottle is full sister K’s children have to begin helping with chores as soon as they’re able to we don’t mind getting water we only do it four or five times a day the girls also have to make sure there’s enough firewood it’s not an easy

Task since there are fewer trees on the high pastures TI you have to tie it together here in the middle gulat the girl’s mother has to run a six-person household with basic means here drink something I have to look after the baby all the time so I’m very glad that the

Big girls can help out a bit the family breeds horses for a living and the father is on his way to check on the free roaming Herd the nearest Village is kelu more than an hour’s drive away and is where most of the Nomad family spend the rest of the year Xena Shiba is on her way to the kindergarten she’s been a teacher for more than 30 years and is now also the director the kindergarten and school

Both close at the end of May when the families bring their animals up to the mountains a few years ago a program for schools and the high pastures was set up so that the children wouldn’t fall behind during the long summer holidays it’s financed by the foundation of former president Rosa

Otuna children who spend the summer in the mountains are welcome to attend the year school I give a few hours of lessons every day and try to teach them something but we also play games and explore our Traditions so they aren’t forgotten the kirgis language and culture were suppressed during the

Soviet era much like other Central Asian cultures and languages kyan’s Independence led to economic decline today the average income is less than 300 per month one of the main reasons many families have returned to the almost 3,000 yearold nomadic Traditions the pressure to make ends meet is so great that sometimes

Schoolage children also have to earn Money Jenna hopes to offset some of the effects of the demands the children face yeah at School every summer during during school holidays I go to the high pasture but it’s also a place where I can relax with the fresh air The beautiful landscape and the Clean Water I love being in the mountains and I love the children that the horse breeders live on the edge

Of the village more and more kiris have discovered that they can earn good money with this traditional work their horses are popular in neighboring wealthy Kazakhstan but the pastures don’t produce enough grass during the summer so they drive their horses up to the high Pastures jna on the other hand enjoys the ride to the mountains with her husband he used to work as a mechanic but his is now retired without him in the car the Y School wouldn’t be possible alihan has to deliver his firewood before he can go to school in the

Y it’s mid August and the family has been in the high pasture for almost 3 months gulas and her husband Milan have carved out a new household in the mountains this is the sixth summer they’ve spent here with their Children we have about 60 goats we also keep chickens and turkeys and a few dogs but the cows are the most important we mainly live from selling their milk I studied at the University in Bishkek and I’m actually a business mathematician by profession but it’s hard to find that

Kind of well-paying job around here and since my husband likes animals we’re doing this now would you like some tea almost every family lives in a yurch during summer on the high pasture but they no longer move around like they used to the yach is the center of daily life

For Milan and gulas too it’s a kitchen as well as a living in bedroom all in one the campsites are usually several hundred meters apart and are passed down between families or are allocated by the community the school YT was provided by a villager Jena was one of the first to

Teach here in the mountains the teachers are usually volunteers some of the children have to walk several kilometers to school the school offers 3 hours of learning and play during the Week hi wow you’ve got a nice hairstyle today Jenna made many of the materials herself the children prepare the yurt for the next lesson while xenna greets her two granddaughters who are also spending the summer up here but first things first school can’t begin until everyone has washed their

Hands and taken their shoes off the children are between 3 and 12 and Jena has brought games appropriate for everyone what does a car run on on gasoline the chicken flew upside down with their heads hanging down I’ve kept this for a long time said the boy and gave his girlfriend a gold

Ring she took it and would occasionally look at it 80 y schools are Now supported by the Rosa otaya Foundation with materials and courses Jena wants to bring the children together and Foster their love for learning I want them to achieve their goals get a good education or go to

University maybe one day one of my children will even become president the art school has plenty of room for Big Dreams J is a good Teacher she plays with us and I really like it here now WB a pencil in each hand like this for good job look you can really see the difference I like painting best I like the swing the slide and the Y Spee I get bored when there’s no school all the kids in the area come here so it’s a really great place for us to be meeting life on the high pastures is centered around the nomadic family’s biggest resource livestock and the knowledge has passed down from one generation to the next

Maybe one day alihan and his younger brother will take Over gulas makes dumplings to bake over an open fire she spends the whole day doing chores things will get a bit easier when alihan’s little brother is also big enough to go to the Y school then I can do my work in peace get water do the laundry and tidy up in the

Yard like many families they see the hard life on the high pastures as a temporary solution both parents want something better for their son’s future and support alihan in his studies I think it’s good that the children go to the Y School we’re grateful to Jia for organizing it every

Year her work isn’t easy and it’s only thanks to her that the school even exists Maybe God willing my son might even become a doctor although the Summers on the high pastures are full of Adventure alihan and the other boys don’t want to follow in their parents’ footsteps when they grow

Up I want to be a policeman when I grow up and help catch criminals for Kyan I want to be an architect and build Buildings I want to be a dentist doctors are always well dressed they’re very clean and wear a white smok that’s my absolute dream job but today alihan is learning how to be a good farmer it’s Sunday and there’s a livestock market in the town of Caracol how much is the

Gat how much do you want for that cow 45,000 Milan is mainly looking to buy a horse for his son livestock has become cheaper because the price of feed has gone up a lot horses get this tooth when they turn four that’s how you can tell its Age I often go to the livestock market with my dad I like to look at the horses and the Bulls alihan doesn’t mind a horse with a bit of a temperament but this might be a bit too much that’s a wild horse it Heats being tied

Up it’s not easy to find the right horse careful alihan Where’s this mayor from from this Area can she be milked I don’t know but she’s very Calm ride her around a Bit this horse has the right temper for alihan he’s been riding since he was Four do you like the horse you have to look at their legs to see if they’re healthy and good race horses should have pointed ears so what do you think I like it a lot I could train this horse and race It a horse is a big investment it’s important to know what you’re buying back in the mountains Jena’s two granddaughters are waiting for their grandmother her son and his family are difficult to reach and family visits are rare I’ve missed you so Much little malink Kai is only a few months old this is my first ever visit the trip up here was really hard for me but I finally get to see my little granddaughter again which is a great joy for me a feast has been prepared to celebrate the grandparents rare visit a

Real treat in this remote camp I’ve been coming here for three years now I chose the site because it’s beautiful here and the horses have plenty of space and good feed it’s also cooler up here I have some valuable race horses and I train their fools to race myself

The family is nearly self-sufficient while staying on the high pasture they go to the village for supplies once a week they always have fresh yogurt butter and cheese from the milk of their own cows they only Slaughter animals on special Occasions I think my son is doing well here there’s no decent work in the village and no support from the St you have to come up with something and take the initiative yourself horse breeding secures the family income but returning to the traditional nomadic life isn’t always

Easy four children in a y creates a lot of work the girls are mostly learning how to become good Homemakers and Mothers things were different in Soviet at times when Jena and her husband were young boys and girls were then raised as equals but even if life has become more traditional again Xena’s granddaughters are allowed to have their own dreams I don’t like it here I always have to work getting water

Collecting firewood looking after the little ones helping my mother when I grow up I want to be a famous singer I like being in the mountains we play together and go to the Y School I want to become a doctor and help heal people and Children Gul Jan’s yur is 3 km away next to the river she takes care of her grandchildren when they return from the Y School Sida bring me the detergent we’ll add more water in a second five grandchilden and her son and his wife live here several Generations often live together in kyrgistan

While her daughter-in-law does most of the housework the grandmother has time for the children Grandma can you help me it’s all tangled up all right I’m coming gja not only has time to play but also to do traditional crafts like sewing a cushion for the Earth can you help me

I can’t see so well can you thread the needle here you go good job thanks I’m making this seat cushion for you you’ll sew beautiful cushions like this someday too S for the grandmother used to take care of the children all by herself I think the yurt school is very good and I support the project the children are up here anyway they might as well learn something and have a bit of fun the teacher has lots of interesting

Materials and make sure they get a good education we’re happy with that Jena tells the children about a big traditional celebration the Feast of first steps which parents organize when their child learns to walk shena’s relatives are celebrating and have invited her to bring the school children to the party the little child’s feet are tied together with a Woolen ribbon

Then we have a race and the winner gets to cut the ribbon let’s prepare something for the party who wants to recite a poem They practice the leabi because the party is also held to welcome a newborn into the family we have to hurry the party is in 2 days just practice on your way home you can sing as loud as you want in the mountains nobody will hear you The party will be in a neighboring Valley the hosts have rented a house but are cooking themselves Jena and her husband brought nine children from the yart school they can experience two old K’s Traditions today the most important people at the party are the family’s oldest and the youngest

Members Jena’s aunts and uncles as well as the two children being honored today the newborn baby and a one-year-old boy the ribbon that’s used to tie the feet together is made by the grandmother or a respected woman from the village it’s woven from white and black wool and

Represents the good and bad times in life then we’re supposed to run across the meadow that’s right and remember boys no pushing over 60 guests around the feast consists of six courses and lasts several hours tradition has the men sitting on one side and the women on the other in

Ascending order according to age the eldest grandmother performs the Cradle ritual to officially welcome little Adar into the family in the name of Allah I lay you in this cradle may it always always bring you happiness become a happy devout clever and educated girl always sleep well in your cradle my little One the school children have practiced their songs well and everything goes as planned May there be many celebrations in our family where we come together stay healthy and live long may our girl be Happy little Amal is then prepared for his symbolic First Steps the boys are ready to go first then the girls the Winner’s power and speed is then transferred to the young one helping him through life cut the ribbon with Force well done and now lead him everyone walk alongside him go go

Go and with that begins a new chapter in Young amel’s Life the winners get a prize but Jen has also brought gifts from the school for the others the party should create fond memories the children are our future and I hope that they will take what they experience

Here and pass it on to their own children the last few days have been extremely hot well over 30° C which is unusual this high up in the mountains and by evening a thunderstorm is brewing The Heavy Rain continues for 2 days and nights causing massive floods when it’s all over roads are

Washed out all over the country and entire Villages are cut off Jena is worried about her son’s family and her students she hasn’t been able to speak to anyone yet since there is no cell phone service in the mountains drink your tea faster we have to drive up there there were supposedly

Floods you want to walk no no we’re taking the car the rain only let up during the night and it is unclear whether it’s still possible to even reach the high pastures but Xena doesn’t want to wait my job is my life and I’m just used

To going to the children every day I can’t just sit around at home now sometimes it’s a bit too much for me but she can’t help herself so I have to be there for her they leave at halfast 8 just like every morning For the first few kilometers nothing seems out of the ordinary but when they’re just 15 minutes from the school they have to stop the heavy rain caused the river to swell dramatically it’s carved out A New Path and destroyed the roadway I hope the families up in the mountains are doing

Well how are they supposed to get supplies now the only way is by horse the flooding closed the yard School prematurely this Year Jena would have to walk for more than an hour the last couple of weeks will have to be cancelled since the high pastures are essentially cut off now come on let’s turn back there’s no Point but we have to organize a farewell party all the families in the mountains are fine no one was was hurt by the water and instead of going to Y School the children meet at alians where they quickly get bored this is the worst disaster I’ve seen in a

Decade the hot days melted away the glassier and then there was all the rain so there was a lot of water in the river and strong currents several Bridges were washed away and people are stuck up in the mountains the roads won’t be repaired again for a while but life goes

On alihan and his little brother accompany their father on his way to work he has to look for a lost Cow everyone reunites once shortly before the end of the summer vacation down on the shore of Lake iskul on the other side of the mountains the washed out road couldn’t keep them Apart Jenna has organized a big farewell party a swim in the country’s largest lake is a special treat after months in the mountains cool is not only a famous Lake but also a sacred place we believe that bathing in this water can also cure illness alihan tries to coax his little brother into the

Water I love to swim and lie in the sun I’m building a yur be careful I’m very happy that the children are having so much fun I get strength and energy from talking and playing with them many parents and Grandparents were skeptical when Jena first started the school

But she has since become a confidant and someone the mothers sometimes turn to for advice on how to raise and support their children thank you for this happy childhood dear Jenna thank you for the party for all your work and for supporting our children Yes dear Jenna

Yes thank you so much much for organizing the Y school every year when you support me and help everything works out it’s up to you the parents when you participate we succeed Jena manages to get the Nomad families excited about the yurt school every year as the highlight of the

Farewell party she has invited a singer to sing old ki’s folk songs with them fore [Applause] fore I really hope that we can continue the YT school next year and that the children will be waiting for me in the mountains again the holidays are almost over soon the children will go back to kindergarten and school in their own Villages but the Y school is something completely

Different I really enjoyed going to the Y school and will miss Jenna I’ll be back next Year

In summer, the nomadic children in northern Kyrgyzstan move to high pastures with their families. For the last several years, there has finally been a place there where they can learn and socialize with other boys and girls: the yurt school.

Every day, Jenya Scharscheva, the head of the village kindergarten, comes to the school yurt. She focuses on activities related to playing and learning. One of her protégés is 12-year-old Alihan, who lives with his family in a yurt at an altitude of 2,000 meters.

Like almost all nomadic children, Alihan has to help his parents tend the pastures and lend a hand around the house. But the yurt school helps him to continue learning. During the Soviet era, the number of nomads in Kyrgyzstan fell sharply. Today, however, many Kyrgyz have returned to this old tradition – including Alihan’s parents. Like their ancestors, they breed animals, especially horses, to earn a living in the breathtaking mountain landscape. In the yurt school, teacher Jenya tells the children a lot about traditional nomadic life and Kyrgyz traditions. They rehearse songs and poems for family celebrations. In this way, they learn about old Kyrgyz rituals. These include the “cradle festival”, which welcomes newborns into the family and the “celebration of the first steps”, which is organized by parents when a child learns to walk.

For nomadic children in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, summers used to be lonely and isolated. Now, that’s no longer the case, thanks to the yurt school.

#documentary #dwdocumentary
______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to:
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocarabia
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/dwdoku
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/dwdochindi

For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental

We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G