Telling Our Story

Bahar Roziyeva always dreamed of a career in international relations, but knew that she would first have to perfect her English language skills in order to fulfill her professional dreams.  In 2011, she completed secondary school in Mary, Turkmenistan, and applied to the English department at a local university but was not admitted.  Disheartened, Bahar felt that her career ambitions were unattainable.

The Ministry of Health in Turkmenistan is committed to investing in its future by improving children’s health. The government wants to prevent common childhood conditions like diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, anemia, measles, and malnutrition. This commitment is why the government has strongly supported the “Keeping Children Healthy” campaign, a collaboration of USAID, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. The campaign shares key health messages with mothers through community health care providers.

I  first came to the center in October 2011. It was a stormy day, and my feelings toward the world around me were as stormy as the weather outside. I was completely worn-out by problems in my personal and business lives. I am not used to friendliness from my peers, as I live in a dog-eat-dog world. All my peers living in my neighborhood relieve their stress by smoking, using drugs or drinking alcohol.

Beshim Tanniyev has been working in his family’s greenhouse since 1978. For over 20 years, his family planted local varieties of cucumbers that were not resistant to most plant diseases found in Turkmenistan. He wondered if he would ever be able to increase his income and provide better opportunities for his family.