She was born on January 2, 1979, in the village of Don-Aryk in the Chui district. Together with her husband, she raises four children — three sons and a daughter. “My daughter is married, the eldest son lives separately, the second is in the 10th grade, and the third is in the 7th. We met on March 8 when he was working as a taxi driver. I stopped a taxi, and he turned out to be behind the wheel. We were coming back from the market, and during that time, we got to know each other. We have many memorable moments. Here’s one: since we got married, my husband always calls me ‘Jan’ [‘Dear’]. Once, when my ‘abysyn’ came to visit, she also started calling me ‘Jan-Jan’. We couldn’t hold back our laughter, and I said to her, ‘Oh, jene, my name is Kanykey.’ She was surprised and asked if ‘Jan’ was also a name. Since then, my husband continues to call me that,” Kanykey shares her memories.
Kanykey was influenced to become a teacher by her teacher Asira, who had a significant impact on her. “Her care and guidance helped me realize how important this work is. I understood that teaching is an honorable profession. In Kyrgyz culture, there is a saying: ‘The language of a child is honey’ [‘Bala tili bal’], and ‘The heart of a child is pure’ [‘Bala zhuregu taza’]. It is a great honor for me to pass on knowledge to the future generation. This year marks 20 years since I have been working in this field,” she recounts.
Kanykey graduated from school in her native village of Don-Aryk in 1996 and then enrolled in the correspondence department of the Kyrgyz National University, which she completed in 2002. “A true teacher is not just a source of knowledge but a second mother, a reliable friend, and a mentor. I have received many awards for my work, including a Certificate of Honor from the Ministry of Education and Science on last year’s Teacher’s Day. I would like to express special gratitude to the director of Lenin Secondary School, Zoe Likhuzova, for her support and recognition of honest work. I am also grateful to the deputy director Cholpon Asanazhanovna for her inspiration and support. Without hard work, it is difficult to achieve success, as the saying goes: ‘Honest labor brings sweet bread,’” she asserts.
Kanykey recalled a funny incident from her practice. “The laughter of my students is also my laughter, and their sadness is my sadness. I work in the primary Kyrgyz classes at the V.I. Lenin School, where Kyrgyz classes opened only 5 years ago. I am the class teacher of the fourth Kyrgyz class with 12 students. I start each lesson with a good mood and songs. Once, when I was feeling unwell, one of the students noticed and asked, ‘Teacher, are you not in the mood today? Did you have a fight with your husband?’ — and I couldn’t help but laugh,” Kanykey recounts.
Each class she teaches is unique to her. Teachers take pride in the successes of their students, and it is they who shape the future of the country by providing quality education and upbringing. “Everyone has a goal, without which life becomes boring. My dream is for my students to master professions and contribute to the development of our country,” she adds.
Kanykey is also fond of reading and reflecting on the aphorisms and teachings of famous Kyrgyz writers and akyns,” she concludes.
