Aizhamal Ishenbekovna Kurmanakunova is a resident of the village named after A. Toktonalieva in the Nurmanbet ayil district of the Issyk-Ata district in the Chui region. According to her, just a week after her marriage, she went with her husband to the summer pastures to tend to the livestock.
She says that she lived a life reminiscent of the movie "Boz Salkyn," and thanks to her determination and thirst for knowledge, she successfully realized herself in the field of education, achieving the position of kindergarten director.
Kurmanakunova was born in 1982 in the village of Kara-Moynok in the Kochkor district of the Naryn region. "My parents were livestock breeders during the Soviet era, and by the decision of the authorities at that time, they remained living in the villages of Chym-Korgon and Iskra in the Chui region, taking care of the livestock. From time to time, they would also go up to the summer pastures in the Issyk-Ata district. During the holidays, I always helped my parents, milking mares and cows. At that time, my older brother's friend would come and help us. It turns out he was watching me from afar and thought, 'This girl is suitable for me; she is very active.' So I finished school and couldn't contain my big plans for the future; I dreamed of getting a higher education, working in medicine or education. At that time, my mother suddenly passed away. Many wanted to marry the grown-up girl. Suitors began to come. On one hand, my mother had died, and I thought about how I would study due to life circumstances. At that moment, my sister-in-law came and introduced me to my future husband, convincing me: 'Your life will be good; he has a future, he comes from a well-mannered family.' So my future husband came to ask for my hand, and I agreed to marry him. My husband, Kanybek Eshenkulovich Tursaliev, was born in 1979. He is the fourth of nine siblings—six sons and three daughters. He is engaged in agriculture and breeds purebred horses. My husband and I have been married for 24 years now. He is reasonable and reserved. To this day, he supports me in everything. We have never quarreled; we support and understand each other, living in harmony," she says.
The couple got married in the summer of 2001, and Aizhamal shared about her subsequent life.
"After the wedding, we lived in the village for a week, and then we went to the summer pastures to tend to the livestock. My husband was a resourceful person and knew how to manage the household well. Together with our 'ökül ata,' they took a flock of sheep and went up to the mountains to the summer pastures. I joined them. When I was not there, my husband milked the mares. When I arrived, I immediately took on the familiar task from childhood. At that summer pasture, no other 'kelin' milked the mares, but I did and treated the arriving guests with kumys. Since we lived in the same yurt with our 'ökül ata' and mother, a guest would come in the morning, another in the afternoon, and we managed to treat them while also taking care of the livestock, milking cows and mares. The wonderful life in the summer pastures, familiar to me since childhood, did not tire me. On one hand, my husband always supported and helped me. I was also a support for my husband, taking on any of his work," the educator recounts.
Aizhamal Kurmanakunova recalls that at that time, milk and kumys were not sold. "So in 2005, our son was born. And then we also went up to the summer pastures. In 2007, our daughter was born. Since then, I stopped going up to the mountains. My younger brothers-in-law grew up. My husband took turns with them to tend to the livestock. Thus, in our happy life that began in the summer pastures, we had two sons and one daughter," she said.
At the age of 30, Aizhamal achieved her childhood dream, studying and working, achieving success. "In the flow of such life, I didn't want to just live; I wanted to study and work. And in 2012, a kindergarten opened in the village, where I got a job. Now I had to combine work with study. Thus, I obtained higher education up to the master's level. From 2012, I worked for a year and a half as an educator in the kindergarten, then I became a primary school teacher. I worked as the deputy director for educational work in the school and as a social educator. Thanks to honest labor and tireless efforts, in 2022, I was appointed as the head of the same kindergarten 'Epkin-Nur,' and I am still working there," said the resident.
According to her, from the very beginning of her work, she tried to actively participate in all competitions. "In my school years, I never missed competitions. I remember in the 7th grade, I took 1st place in the 'Kyrgyz Tili' competition for dough cutting. In our ayil district, a competition for setting up and decorating a yurt was held in honor of Independence Day. At that time, I showed and demonstrated the authentic life of Kyrgyz people in the yurt down to the smallest details, and we took 1st place. I told and showed how mothers of that time coped with difficulties, how they managed the household in harsh conditions, and how they made their lives easier.
In the 'Shayir Jenerler' ('Cheerful Daughters-in-law') competition in the Nurmanbet ayil district, I participated completely by chance. Our organizer, Zhyldyz Sagynbekova, suggested that a teacher from the kindergarten participate. But no one from the staff showed interest. So I decided to participate myself. But I didn't prepare. Because, as the name of the competition suggests, it was necessary to show the lifestyle of a Kyrgyz 'kelin.' For a daughter-in-law who learned handicrafts from her grandmother and mother since childhood and was accustomed to managing a household and life in the summer pastures, it was not difficult.
By the way, both my mother and grandmother were craftsmen, skilled in all trades. I regret that my mother passed away early, and I didn't have time to learn much from her. But what I learned from childhood, just by looking, I did what they did, now helps me in competitions. I demonstrate handicrafts, national Kyrgyz dishes, customs, and traditions at various competitions and festive events. In the 'Shayir Jenerler' competition, I won in the nomination 'Uuz Kelin' (Wise Daughter-in-law).
We grew up reading, seeing, and learning from our mothers, who were resourceful and inventive, creating something from nothing, overcoming difficulties, cooking food, and managing households in those times. As a representative of that generation that received such upbringing, I dream of developing a project that would teach this to the youth. National handicrafts are fading into the past. If you look in the villages, animal hides and wool are no longer processed. What is wrong with spinning threads from them, making natural 'shyrdak,' 'ala kiyiz,' 'talpak,' 'koldoloon' and beautifully decorating them, adapting them to modernity?
My hobby is to knit socks, read books, and spend time with children in my free time. I really love flowers. The house and yard are full of flowers. In principle, I don't have free time, but after work, I engage in exactly this," she said.
