The struggles of life ....

This beautiful young lady is Tania... Tania is one of those every day hero's of the under dog, and a protector of the helpless...and although she has been an integral part of the work in Kyrgyzstan, I have never introduced her here on the blog before... You may see her in the group photo's but being shy, she works behind the scenes...

Tanya had a very hard start to life, as a baby she was a victim of Chernobyl... she lived so close to the epicentre, that officials said that she was so badly effected that she would be dead in a couple days, then they tried to prevent her mother from leaving the village with her...With only the clothes on her back, Her mother walked for days and days north out of the region , then worked her way back across Russia, and back to Kyrgyzstan where her Grandmother still lived.... It was nothing but a miracle that she survived ..

Since returning to there home in Kyrgyzstan, they have worked tirelessly to help those around them.. Tanya grew up sharing her mother and grandmother with the hurting and helpless... If you ever had the privilege of meeting this family you would see that they truly spend every waking hour concerned for others... along with helping her mother take care of those in her village, she has excelled in English, and has volunteered as an English teacher in the local schools. and at the same time has been attending school herself.

This is where her storey takes another difficult turn... she returned to her second year at an excellent university in the area, only to find that with the economic down turn, the scholarships have dried up. She was not permitted to return.....

Her combined family income is not much more then $100 a month, and most of that goes to help others... they plant a large garden and have a couple cows for milk, but that is given to families in need... they have spent so much of themselves caring for others, that now when another set back comes... they have no where to turn.....

The interesting part is that I just found this out, not from her or her mother, and not from our other friends working there, but I found out through our friends David and Jayne who happened to find out more by accident... you see Tanya and her mom would never ask for anything for them selves... she has no problem asking us for help for others in need, but when it comes to themselves they will not ask... I guess they just figure that there are so many others in need, they don't want to take away from the help others are receiving... or at least that what I imagine as many times I face the same dilemma....just in a different scale.... You see her tuition for the year will be $1000... $200 0f which we have already found... I would sure love to have the rest of this in place before I head over next week... I can think of nothing that would encourage them more then this....

Here are a few more photo's of her working with those in need in her village....

Giving out blankets and food to an invalid man

A new quilt ( brought by a PI team ) for an old man

Visiting the men at the invalid home

putting down the new floor in the recently renovated Barber shop

Cooking meals for Nicoli when she first found him visiting Nicoli in the hospital after a sponsor was found for him

giving out presents to orphans at a Christmas party

preparing food hampers

making a senior feel special

having a seed party in the spring....... giving out seeds to those in need