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Loneliness, lack of prospects, violence - in Kyrgyzstan the corona lockdown has aggravated the situation of many young people. 32 have committed suicide since the beginning of March. A mentoring program should help them.
By Demian from the East, ARD Studio Moscow
"Good morning, it's 6:00 in the morning," says Anelja into the camera on her smartphone, slightly out of breath from jogging in the fresh Kyrgyz mountain air. "To be honest, I don't understand people who don't have time to jog. Health is the most important thing in life." Anelja Kubat Kysy, 18 years old, lives in the small village of Min-Kusch. Recently she has been bubbling with motivation. Thanks to her new mentor, whom she met through the "You are not alone" initiative.
She has been talking to Ulukbek Israilow on videocall since the beginning of May. He is 20 and is studying psychology in the capital, Bishkek. They never met, but already call themselves best friends. "In the beginning, Anelja was a very closed girl, but over time she opened up and we started talking."
Ulukbek and Anelja in video chat: Life before Corona was not easy for children and adolescents in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The lockdown has worsened their situation.
They fight each other against boredom and depression during the Corona period: read one book a week, get up at 6 a.m. and jog or learn new languages. For Ulukbek, it's about applying his psychological knowledge in practice - and helping the sometimes very lonely Kyrgyz youth. Anelja thinks so.
"I learned a lot from him, for example how to start a business," says Anelja. She has set a new goal: to be a successful business woman. "You have to believe in yourself for that." She also got the sentence from Ulukbek.
Anelja owes the mentor to the initiative of Banur Abdiewa. The educator came up with the idea shortly after the strict Corona curfews began in the country. "We were very saddened by the fact that one person died of Covid-19 during the first two weeks of quarantine and there were nine suicides among young people in Kyrgyzstan at the same time." From the beginning of the year to the end of March, 32 youths committed suicide in Kyrgyzstan.
With friends, Abdiewa decided to take the initiative "You are not alone!" to found. It brought together volunteers, psychologists and even Kyrgyz stars. 106 pairs of mentors came about in this way. "The stars, for example, compete: They set a deadline of four days. On the fifth day, the youngsters have to show their work, for example a short video or an essay."
The stars also include a member of parliament and a popular singer. "Our goal is to get the children out of their inner unrest, to motivate them to talk and do leisure activities that make sense." In the end, Abdiewa is convinced that this would dissuade the youngsters from thinking about suicide. She plans to continue after the Corona crisis. A holiday camp could arise, the folk singer wants to invite young people to a festival.
Kyrgyzstan is actually a paradise for mountain tourists. 95 percent of the country are mountains. But there are currently no tourists. Because of Corona, the country has declared a state of emergency and an entry ban, and borders between regions have also been closed. The military set up checkpoints. Result of strict rules: Corona cases confirmed in 1845, only 17 dead.
But for the children, the strict starting rules are tough. 40 percent of the Kyrgyz population are children and adolescents. But three out of four children have experienced violence in the family, reports the children's aid organization UNICEF. "Especially in our project, there are children of guest workers who went to Russia or the Ukraine to make money there," says Kurmanzhan Kurmanbekova, who advises the initiative as a psychological expert. "These children are housed in Kyrgyzstan with aunts, uncles or other relatives and they do not get the affection, understanding and love that every child needs. It is not uncommon to hear of situations in which this relationship abuses the children. The children are not protected. "
