Overcoming obstacles to reach the goal!

Sahiba Mamatova was born in Tepe-Korgon. At the age of 16, she began participating in various school and aiyl okmotu activities. She received her degree from the faculty of pedagogy. After marrying, Sahiba expected to live in peace with her husband and mother-in-law, but they did not treat her as she desired, and she soon divorced and left with the child. It was difficult at first. Sahiba moved back in with her parents, but due to rumors (divorced women are frequently blamed in the community) and other issues, she went to work in Russia. She saved money and returned to her home country after working there for several years. Sahiba started living with her parents and son, which is still very challenging for society to understand and has a negative impact on a young woman's life.

Despite this, Sahiba wanted to be a part of social life.  Samargul Bekbolotova, the head of the Women's Council, invited her to participate in the implementation of social projects a few years ago. Although it did not always work out, Sahiba began to implement her ideas little by little.

"In January 2022, as we were preparing to launch our initiative, we met with an active but insecure Sahiba. She actively participated in our seminars, but she claimed she didn't know what she wanted or what her goal was. Sahiba began working at the Innovative Youth Center soon after it opened. She continued to work at school like all the other young women in the village, proving to everyone that if you really want and work hard, you can achieve more," says Nurgul Karayeva, the head of the Demge Dem initiative.

The opening of the Youth Center is the goal of the "Demge Dem" initiative, which is being carried out by the Public Association "Zhash-Niet" in collaboration with aiyl okmotu and with the support of the "Living in Peace" project.

The Center assists young people in gaining access to educational, medical, psychological, and social services. There is a fully equipped computer class, a sewing workshop, a health corner, and astronomer and chemist corners. They are interested in hosting schoolchildren from all Aimak villages who do not have the opportunity to learn these skills in school.

Every day, Sahiba volunteers 5-6 hours at the Center, and despite the fact that the work is unpaid, Sahiba is motivated to develop herself and others. She was recently appointed Head of the Innovative Youth Center!  "We are proud to have a platform for young people, particularly young women, where they can feel free and realize their dreams," says Nurgul Karayeva.

Sahiba claims that the Center has provided her with new opportunities: "After signing the papers appointing me as the head of the center, I was inspired, but at the same time I realized what work would fall on my shoulders and what would be expected of me in the future. Every time I come to work, I realize that I did not choose this path for nothing. I've been a migrant worker for a long time, and I've seen how difficult family relationships can be. We have divorced young women working in the center, including myself, who have previously experienced misunderstanding and bad attitude from their in-laws or parents. I promised myself that I would fight injustice and assist young girls in distress."

This work was done by PA "Zhash Niet'' within the framework of the initiative "Demge-dem," which aims to create a creative, multifunctional youth space with the goal of realizing the main directions of activity of Aiyl Okmotu's youth policy.  The initiative is funded by the Living in Peace project.

The project "Living in Peace" is implemented by International Alert in collaboration with the Development Policy Institute and the National Mediation Center. The project is implemented with the support of the European Union.