2017 Kyrgyzstan Heritage Weekend – Kyrgyz Children's Future

On the weekend of June 23-25, 2017, over 15 families with children adopted from Kyrgyzstan came to the DC area from all over the United States to celebrate their children’s heritage. KCF first organized this event in 2011, and we have held it every two years since. More than 20 Kyrgyz volunteers participated this year, including staff from the Kyrgyz Embassy, Kyrgyz students from New York City, and Kyrgyz people who are living in the DC area.

: We are so grateful to all the Kyrgyz people who volunteered to participate.

: Children who attended our 2017 event.

Friday

Reception at the Kyrgyz Embassy

The event opened on Friday afternoon. The Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Washington, DC, hosted a reception for families. Ambassador Kadyr Toktogulov met the children, gave each child some gifts, and they prepared a wonderful buffet dinner for everyone.

Saturday

Cultural Activities:

Saturday was a day of cultural activities. The children were divided into 3 groups based on age, and each group attended 5 sessions throughout the day on felt crafts, Kyrgyz music and dance, Kyrgyz food, Kyrgyz language, and Kyrgyz animal sports.

Kyrgyz Animal Sports

: The children learned about hunting with eagles in Kyrgyzstan

: They also learned about horse games, and the different provinces of Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyz Felt Crafts

: The oldest kids sewed felt pouches and decorated with felt shapes.

: The youngest kids created landscapes with felt.

: The middle-aged kids made yurts with felt on wood.

: Showing off his finished product.

Kyrgyz Food

: The children learned about foods of Kyrgyzstan, and tried Kyrgyz snacks, like chak chak.

: The children learned about plov.

: The middle-aged children made potato pelmeni.

: Fun class making pelmeni.

: The older children made samsa.

: Filling the samsa.

: The youngest children shaped boorsok dough, which was then fried.

: Forming boorsok

Kyrgyz Language

: Children learned to say simple phrases and greetings in Kyrgyz

: Children looked at the Cyrillic alphabet compared to English.

: Children figured out how to write their names using the Cyrillic alphabet.

: They then made name tags using the Cyrillic alphabet

: Children decorated their name tags with stickers relating to Kyrgyzstan.

: Most children included a Kyrgyz flag symbol on their nametags.

: Showing off her name tag.

: Showing off her name tag in Kyrgyz.

Kyrgyz Music and Dance

Lunch

Delicious food with many Kyrgyz dishes was prepared for lunch.

: A peak into the magic happening in the kitchen.

: Preparing potato salad and plov.

: Some of the awesome volunteer cooks.

: Decorating cakes with a Kyrgyz flag design.

: Food included dumplings and plov.

: Lots of delicious salads as well.

: The kids enjoyed sampling all the options.

: Children also enjoyed renewing old friendships.

Performances

At the end of the day there were performances. The children showed what they had learned in the Dance class, and performed the Kara Jorga. Kurmanbek played and sang on the accordion and played komuz with his colleague, and Aika, Aidai and Aigerim performed a Kyrgyz dance.

Sunday

On Sunday morning, the families attended a W.I.S.E. Up workshop for adoptive families led by social workers at the Center for Adoption Support (CASE), helping the children learn different ways to handle intrusive questions from friends and strangers about their adoption, and to feel empowered to only share what they are comfortable with.