The Little Earth Project in Yagnob: A Participant's Perspective

My name is Odinayeva Kurbungul. I am 30 years old. I live in the village of Piskon. I am married and have five children. In April 2024, I became a participant in the project “Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Women's Participation in Mountain Communities of Yagnob.” Together with other women, I took part in two training sessions.

The first one focused on gender equality. I learned a lot of new and useful information. It was my first time hearing about gender equality and the importance of women's participation in community development. The invited trainer talked to us about our rights and how the laws guarantee their protection. After the training, I began to feel more confident.

In the training on sustainable energy, I particularly enjoyed the demonstration of various energy-efficient devices organized for us by the staff of the Little Earth. Some devices were new to all the participants. We learned how to improve our situation using affordable and inexpensive devices. For example, using solar energy, we can cook food, boil water, and even generate electricity. I also remember the energy-efficient stove for cooking. It can help reduce wood use and eliminate smoke, which is very harmful to health.

As part of the project, I was also given a solar shower bag. The staff of the Little Earth showed us how to use it and how it works. This is a very useful item for my family. Since I have many children, I always need warm water—for washing dishes and for hygiene needs. I use solar shower bag on sunny days. I hang it on the wall of the house, and after a couple of hours, it heats 19 liters of water. My children now wash themselves more often, and washing dishes with warm water is much better. And all of this without using dried dung and firewood.

I believe that such projects are very important for the residents of mountain communities. Often, we do not have access to such vital information and knowledge, and the equipment provided helps us improve our living conditions and lighten our workload. Thanks to the trips, we get to know other interesting organizations and people.

The project “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Women’s Participation in Mountain Communities of Yagnob” is implemented with the support of the Swedish association Forum-CIV and with the assistance of the Swedish partner Centralasiengrupperna.

On the photo: Kurbongul is third from the left along with the other participants of the project.