Tajikistan

---

Wow! It has been almost a week, and I still can’t get my head around the fact that we are in Tajikistan!! We are on another US Aid ACDI project and loving it! It is fascinating. Ed’s project is orchard management which is quickly becoming much easier than my record keeping project. We are here until Sept 5^th, so a very short time to try to get up to speed on the needs of the groups we are working with. Ed & I are working together as the groups are far apart and require a translator. It has been a very long time since we have been in a situation where there is really no English. The schools are beginning to teach the younger students some English, but Tajik is the national language and Russian is the default.



So far we have met 2 different groups. Ed’s men’s group were receptive to suggestions on pruning techniques and orchard management ideas. After the initial planting 3 yrs ago, little work has been done. They are beginning to harvest and seeing the needs for proper pruning and pest management. Meanwhile, my group of women decided I needed to look more Tajik and dressed me accordingly. A very good social interaction, but not what I had expected. A bit difficult to drum up any interest in record keeping on my first attempt.



Today, we met with a women’s group. This time I had a bit more interest. It is fascinating as we learn more and more of the culture. The women are very kind, hard working, and have a wonderful sense of humor. Afterwards, we met Mohamed Nabi, a wonderful expert grafter who was willing to show us restoration work he was doing on an orchard, as well as his home orchard. After watching him saw away on some of his branches, it was easy to give him the pruning saw we brought, in addition to one of the pruners. He was delighted and started using them immediately.



Lunch was at his home, delicious bread baked in a tandoori oven. We ate in a traditional way, breaking up the bread, and combining the soup and salad, making it a one plate meal. It was delicious! The food has been good. The restaurants we have gone to, have no menus, so Muzafarr (the project coordinator and our wonderful translator) accompanies us each night. Travelling independently, this would be a difficult country unless one was conversant in Russian.

---

Photos

Gen Somoni
enjoying a walk with our co-worker's children - as they practiced their english

Beautiful lunch with one of the farmers
We are eating well. The watermelon was delicious.

Cotton fields
their main agricultural export, left over from Soviet Union days

Women's group
I think I fit right in :)

Mohamed, expert fruit grafter
He was fascinating to watch, very knowledgeable

Ed giving Mohamned the pruners and saw
Thank you Merideth and Doug

resh bread from the Tandori oven
we are eating well!

Delicious traditional Tajik dish
Tear slices of the tandoori bread, add your bowl of soup and chopped tomatoes and dig in. It was delicious!

At the 44 springs
These lovely women asked if I would take their picture. Then gave me a bag of bread, samosas and other home made delicacies

Ed waiting for lunch
at our co-worker's home