I am living about 5 kilometres from the centre of Khujand on the third floor of a soviet built apartment block in micro-district 8. There are two adjacent flats, one used for storage and visiting guests: The annex you might say. The connection is that Adiba has a disabled child and has worked as a translator for my local NGO Ranginkamon. They have been feeding me every evening and I really feel part of the family. Two days ago Adiba’s father had some work colleagues visit from Dushanbe to attend meetings. They are all doctors, parisitologists in fact, and had come to talk about malaria. Usually we eat in the kitchen but on this occasion the evening meal was set out in the living room
One of the doctors took this snap. You can see that everyone is relaxed and at home. Seated on my right is my host Moomin, and on my left is Tokhir, his colleague. Seated by Moomin is his daughter Adiba with her 5 month old girl Ozoda. Adiba is the only one who speaks English and does all the translation, though everyone else can understand more English than they can speak. On the right of the picture is Moomin’s wife Sonot holding Adiba’s 3 year old daughter girl Farzana. There were many toasts made. Tokhir has insisted I stay with his family when I pass through Dushanbe on my way back to UK at the end of November
'the views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not reflect those of VSO'.
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