LALBEGIM

SHIVOZ VILLAGE, TAJIKISTAN

My name is Lalbegim. I am 39 years old. I was born and live in Shivoz village in the Roshquala region of Tajikistan in the Pamirs. Our family is large – eight people in total. I have three children, two daughters and a son. I am divorced and my husband lives in Moscow. He does not support us, I am raising our children by myself. My children and I live with my parents together with my brother and his wife. My mother and father are pensioners and my brother and his wife do not have jobs, only I now have spinning work. My family is very supportive. Sometimes we argue but overall we get along very well. Everyone in my family works in agriculture all year long. We plant potatoes, carrots, beets, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage, most of it for our own consumption. The biggest challenge in my life is being a single mother. Two of my children are in puberty and it has been very challenging to parent them. My daughter finished school this year and because we did not have money to send her to the university she left for Moscow to find work. I have been very worried about her. My son is studying in 10th grade. When he was younger he was an obedient child but now he does not listen to me at all. He listens only to by brother because he is afraid of him. My younger daughter is in first grade. She is a good student and loves to draw. I enjoy sewing, knitting and spinning and have been very lucky to find a job spinning yarn for export. I love my work very much. First it was difficult but I understood that having this work was the only thing that could improve my life so I tried very hard. I am also very curious and enjoy trying new things. Now spinning is easy for me and the spinning and rewinding machines are very convenient. When I have free time I knit socks for my children. My dream is that my children are healthy and there is happiness in our family. And I also hope that our clients like our yarn.