Real Poverty in Kyrgyzstan

I was working as a Program Recruiter for ACCELS in Kyrgyzstan late 1999.  On one of our trips, my driver took us from Kochkor to Naryn.  We had to pass Dolan’s Pass to get to Naryn.  The pass was very cold but made for some good pictures.

When we stopped I saw a Kyrgyz family near another car.  They were from Naryn, one of the poorest cities in the entire country.  I saw these two girls with their cheeks red from the cold.  My assistant told me their family was very poor.  They may have run out of gas, I do not really remember.  Unfortunately when I think of poverty, this image of the two Kyrgyz girls pop up in my head.

I sometime wonder what they are doing now.  They got to be around 22-26 years old by now having experience two revolutions in the country since the time this picture was taken.