Christian Ramirez came to Kyrgyzstan six months ago. He came to work not just anywhere, but in the most remote part of the republic — Leilek district of Batken region.
— How did you get to Kyrgyzstan, and even to such a remote area?
— I am a psychologist and have been working at Medecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders/MSF) since 2017 in various projects. I came to Kyrgyzstan at the beginning of April 2023 as a Project Manager in Batken.
This project aims to address three main challenges: capacity building of medical staff, improving the psychological and emotional resilience of residents, water supply and sanitation.
Christian Ramirez
We train medical personnel on how to act in case of a mass influx of patients. We also work with residents of 16 villages in Kyrgyzstan on the border with Tajikistan on their psychological well-being.
— What do you think of ordinary life in Kyrgyzstan? Is there anything that particularly impressed you?
— I like life in Batken region. I find it interesting. The location is great, we have mountains and this area of Kyrgyzstan is really beautiful. I have not had the opportunity to visit other districts of the republic, but I can say that Leilek district is beautiful.
I really like living here and I think the people here are very kind and strong.
Christian Ramirez
They want a stable and good life. And that’s what they value very much — their families, their land and they want to live here peacefully.
— What surprised you about our country? What did you not expect?
— I didn’t expect to see such nature, especially the mountains. I’m from Mexico, and I noticed that we have similar things in terms of culture, for example, horses.
People in Kyrgyzstan like to ride horses, just like in Mexico.
There are some similarities, even in the way we look physically. We are not very different from each other.
— Living here, in Kyrgyzstan, do you miss anything special about your home country?
— Not really. I have not been in my country for a very long time, everything is fine now. But sometimes I miss the food.
— Do you like the Kyrgyz national dishes? What do you like most of all?
— I love meat, and people here love it too. This is what brings us together. My favorite dish is shashlyk. And lagman is also very tasty.
— Do you have a favorite place in Kyrgyzstan?
— Yes, Razzakov (laughs). I feel comfortable here, it is a beautiful city. I work here, I met my colleagues. In my opinion, it is a wonderful place.
— What has fascinated you in close acquaintance with the local population?
— I think that the values associated with the family are something that is interesting to look at. People are really attached to their families and attach a lot of importance to them.
I was fascinated by the resilience and strength of the people in Batken region.
Christian Ramirez
Even after going through very difficult times, they still stay here and want to be better. They are strong, and that is also very important.
— Is there anything that disappointed or unpleasantly surprised you when you got to know each other better?
— No. There hasn’t been anything like that. I think it’s a matter of adaptation, of course. Different types of personalities can be found everywhere. You have to be flexible to adapt, to understand the way of thinking. I wouldn’t say it’s disappointing.
