Traditionally nomadic, many people in rural Kyrgyzstan remain dependent on herding and seasonal migrations to mountain pastures. The village of Tolok lies at 2,600m altitude in the Kochgor Valley near Lake Son Kul, home to about 800 people in a dry, cold, and windy climate where few crops can grow. Children play an important role in village life, collecting water, caring for animals and younger children. Each household requires 40 liters of water daily, which must be carried from pumps to homes. Mutual support is important in remote mountain communities, but increasing competition for pasture following privatization is challenging. Diets consist mainly of dairy, tea, and bread, with meat reserved for special

1. Researching Community Health
Visible Voice in Rural Kyrgyzstan
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3. Traditionally a nomadic people, many people living in rural areas remain dependent on herding
and each year seasonal migrations take them to the summer pastures in the high mountain
valleys.

4. Tolok village lies at an altitude of 2,600m in the Kochgor Valley close to the Son Kul lake. The
village is home to about 800 people. The climate is dry, cold and windy. Few crops can be
grown in these conditions.

5. Children play an important role in the everyday life of the village, Collecting water, looking after
animals and younger children in the family. The water supply comes from a natural
underground reservoir.

6. Each household requires around 40 litres of water each day and all of this has top be carried
form the water pumps to the houses.

7. If you can get a friend to help you out that makes the job a lot easier. Mutual support is
important in these remote mountain communities but increasing competition for pasture
following the privatisation of land ownership is raising some challenges in the post soviet
period.

8. Village diets are generally basic consisting of dairy products, tea and bread. Although the
villagers have animals, meat is usually reserved for special occasions. Few vegetables grow in
this village.

9. With few jobs available in the villages these days social inequalities have increased with a few
families owning large herds and flocks while many others live a subsistence lifestyle herding for
their rich neighbours.

10. We normally start our field work with a village meeting where we explain the project, answer
questions and discuss possible topics for films and photo galleries.

11. Our research methods include: Conversational Interviews, Photo Observations, Participatory
Video and Photography Workshops,Village Screenings and Collaborative Review Meetings.

12. Villagers decide on a topic, plan, photograph, film and edit the material. In Kyrgyzstan stories
often focus on the everyday working lives of men and women in the villages. Livestock
breeding, not surprisingly, is a common topic.

13. Although the village administration is dominated by older men the participants in the
workshops are predominantly women and younger men. The films are then presented to the
rest of the village for discussion of issues raised.

14. Taking part in a Visible Voice project doesn’t feel like being a participant in a research project.
It’s more like working together to show the world what your life is like.