SIIM Donation Makes Kyrgyz Children Smile - SIIM News Fall 2009

SIIM member Dr. Neil Halin and his family were recently afforded the opportunity to spend several weeks in Kyrgyzstan attending the wedding of a former exchange student, Nurjan Mamajunusova. Weddings in Kyrgyzstan are multi-day affairs involving visits to extended family in multiple villages and one of those visited was that of Nurjan’s mother. Neil and his family asked if they could bring gifts to the village and were told that the children needed book bags.

Dr. Halin asked SIIM Executive Director Anne Marie Mason if SIIM had any leftover meeting bags that they could donate to the cause, and found that there were several boxes sitting in storage. These were boxed up and shipped to Boston, packed into two suitcases, and flown to Kyrgyzstan.  During the group’s visit to the Mamataliev Manap School in Kizil-Bayrak Village (a new school built by villagers from supplies provided by the central government), the bags were received by teacher and Vice-Director Aichurok Mamatalieva and several other school staff members. The family toured the new upper school (grades 5 and up) then visited the lower school (kindergarten to grade 4) where the students had already started the school year.

The teachers and students were overjoyed to have brand new book bags, some for the first time. SIIM’s donation of book bags made the start of school this year a special event. Many thanks to Anna Marie Mason and SIIM for making this donation possible.

Photos courtesy of Neil Halin