Our Stories

Summer Camp Memories

Weather is changing, along with the leaves in Kyrgyzstan, and as children finish their first quarter of school many are looking back fondly on summer camp memories. CDI partnered with one summer camp this year with a Chronicles of Narnia theme. Every counselor had a character-based group of kids: Centaurs, Beavers, Fauns, Foxes etc. Aslan was […]

Professional Guests

The speech therapist shows CDI staff how to massage a child’s cheeks.

Visit a Lovely Soul

This four-year-old’s name literally means “Lovely Soul.” When she grins, you can see that it’s a good fit. We’ve been visiting her for one year, and last time we complemented her mom on how much progress we saw. She is slowly learning to sit on her own, drink from an open dish and train her […]

Seeing Results

Work with disabled children is a slow process, and we seldom get to see the fruit of our labors. One CDI staff member was going about his physical therapy business, when the mother of one of the disabled kids stop by. “Monty” didn’t think much of it because this mom frequently stopped by to see […]

Birthday Picnics

“Who would give $25 to provide a birthday party for a child who’s never had one before?” This was the challenge to my friends on social media. The response was enough to keep CDI partying for the rest of the year! The hope is to give every child at the local institution for children with […]

A Remarkable Outing

In much of the world, an afternoon in nature, barbecuing a delicious meal is an ordinary – if welcome – break from the routine. For the kids from the disabled children’s orphanage outside of the city of Bishkek, however, this is not a typical weekend getaway but a rare and exciting occasion to get out of […]

Hockey Tournament Extraordinaire

At the whistles blow, orange and green jerseys shot off after the white ball, hockey sticks low to the ground. The game lasted only nine minutes but both teams scored twice. Then orange swapped out for the black, and the tournament continued. CDI’s sport project has been teaching floorball in four different schools over the past year […]

Volunteer in the Village

What’s a great way to help people while you explore your own interests and talents? Volunteer with CDI! Marvin B. came from Germany to Kyrgyzstan for 6 months, helping tutor German children of CDI staff and doing work in the community. One of Marvin’s biggest contributions was in the preschool (kindergarten) in a village outside […]

Change Your Life

Women in a village not far from Bishkek heard some new information recently. And that information brought about big changes. The CDI seminar “Change Your Life” focused on stress management through fitness, stretching, massage, and nutrition, with additional input regarding anger management, conflict resolution, forgiveness, and inner thought life. Chinara has a houseful of children and grandchildren. When she […]

Proud Display

“Sherzod” dashed joyfully into the cold, dingy classroom. Two years ago he never would have guessed that he would enjoy another course at school. But the wood-working class is different. The German master carver treats him like a respectable man, not just a school boy. Sherzod’s chest puffs up with pride as he thinks of […]

Prototype for Warmth

Now that cold weather has set in, there is one village medical clinic in Kyrgyzstan that will be warmer this year than in years past. Staff from the Kara Suu office of CDI travelled to the remote mountain village of Bekjar to lead local workers in the construction of a more efficient furnace. The Kara Suu […]

Helpful Horses

The Bishkek CDI office is pleased to announce that the therapeutic riding program is up and running, with 3 horses ready for gentle, nurturing action. Kids who have been touched by the Children at Risk project staff in the homes for disabled children are candidates for riding therapy. Bakit didn’t seem at first like a […]

«‹ 2 3 4 5 ›»