SANOBAR KARIMOVA

OSHOBA VILLAGE, TAJIKISTAN

Sanobar is 41 years old and has five children, three daughters and two sons. She lives with her mother-in-law who is very nice and understanding. Sanobar is known for her generosity, it is difficult for her to say “no” to people. Her husband has to go to work in Russia for 4-5 months/year. It is very difficult for them to survive without his earnings in Russia. Her mother-in-law is the most important person for her now that both of her parents have died. She helps her cook and looks after her children and is like a mother to her. That is why Sanobar is able to come to the workshop without any worries. She only returns home for lunch which her mother-in-law prepares for her. Sanobar plans to educate her children. Her oldest daughter studies medicine. It is very difficult to find work in the village and Sanobar is happy to earn money by spinning. She was very happy when she received her fist earnings. She used it to buy things for her home. Her children are her happiness – when they are happy she is happy. She loves to clean the house and the garden – she likes when everything is tidy. She also enjoys taking their sheep to the pasture. The saddest time in her life was when her mother died – she was still young, only 66 years old. Sanobar enjoys working with Oigul, their spinning group leader, very much – how she explains things to them, teaches them everything and even how she gets mad at them on occasion. When she first started doing this work she thought she would not be able to do her housework, but then she realized that this was a good opportunity to earn money. Especially when there is an economic downturn and a poor fruit harvest, these earnings help her a lot.