Celebrating Health

The Home Health course provided by the Jalal-abad office of CDI in the village of Arkalyk recently wrapped up with a big celebration.  Office director Ron Manila attended the celebration.  The event began with participants and trainers seated around a traditional Kyrgyz dasturkan, or tablecloth, covered with salads, breads, and sweet.  CDI staff invited the participants to share highlights of the course.  Jumakhan told of learning that various sorts of beans are rich in proteins and other nutrients.  She said her family had planted them in their garden this spring for the first time.  Sonun remembered that the relational lesson about gossip had helped her refrain from saying negative things about her neighbors.  Iris remarked that she is enforcing hand washing with her grandchildren now.

The group shared a meal of osh, a traditional rice pilaf dish,  The CDI trainers admonished the participants to keep practicing and sharing what they learned.  Then all the participants received an official certificate and a copy of the home health book Where There Is No Doctor in the Kyrgyz language.

CDI trainers have hopes of doing more seminars in Arkalyk as the community is open to new ideas and to change.