The roots of her life lie in the village of Ak-Zhar, where she was born. Her husband, Erlan Shygaev, is also a local resident, and they were introduced by mutual acquaintances, which led to their marriage.
Gulzina is confident that her future husband noticed her right away. After discussing the situation with his friends, he invited her over.
“When we started living together, times were tough — people sometimes didn’t even have enough bread. Now I often remind my daughters: ‘Your time is the best — there is enough for everything, people are well-fed.’ In our days, there wasn’t even a thought of a wedding — there were simply no opportunities. But my husband always promised: ‘I will give you only joyful moments.’ And, thank God, now we have enough of everything,” she shares.
The family of Gulzina and Erlan consists of 9 children.
“Despite the lack of a permanent job, we have enough resources for everything we need. We pray for the health and well-being of our children. We discuss important life lessons with them and strive to provide them with higher education, putting in all our efforts,” added Ibraimova.
Their eldest daughter Myrzaiym was born in 2000, followed by Nazik (2001), Sezim (2003), Abdykerim (2008), Aibiyke (2010), Nurbiyke (2013), Zhyldyz (2015), Ali (2018), and Mariyam (2023). The family has 7 daughters and 2 sons.
“My husband and I enjoy watching the children play and have fun. Our eldest daughter has already graduated with a degree in law, the second is studying to be a pharmacist, and the third is training to be a midwife. Our son is currently a student, and the other children attend school,” shares the mother of many.
Gulzina also jokes that her husband often mentions that they will soon have to welcome suitors.
The couple prays that their daughters find good life partners from prosperous families.
