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Venture From The Heart

Harriet Russell travelled alone to Kyrgyzstan for three months in 2008. Through her independent volunteer work and staying with local artisans, she learned about the daily lives of the Kyrgyz people.

Harriet ventured to places where the townspeople had no contact with native English speakers, and even the Peace Corps is not allowed to go. She visited social agencies, crafting collectives, and many schools. Using her professional skills, she coached women in small business development, taught yoga and stress management, trained English language teachers in methodologies, and bought the first books for an English language library.

Harriet believes that education and cross-cultural exchange are the grassroots vehicles for world peace. She intends to dispel fear and ignorance and show “The world is one family.”

Our Initiatives

English Language Programs

English language programs will help villagers to learn English, the international language for trade and cross cultural connections. However, villagers do not have the opportunity to practice English with native speakers. These programs will give them leverage to communicate on a global level and find opportunities in a global economy.

The programs may take place on location in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, a group of Kyrgyz teachers of English and some of their select teenage students may further their fluency in English through home stays and language classes in N.E. Ohio. The Kyrgyz visitors will go back to their villages and teach English to others, sharing with others what they have received.

Progressive Pen Pal Program

The Progressive Pen Pal Program will help teens and local teachers meet each other through correspondence. It will enable cross-cultural understanding between the Kyrgyz people and local Ohioans. Beyond just writing letters or emails, this program will have adept editors who can correct the English in the correspondence and send them back with these corrections, thus adding the element of extra language learning.

Preservation of Traditional Craftsmanship

The traditional craft of making felt carpets by hand is a difficult yet treasured art in Kyrgyzstan. This ancient art is a living current craft passed down for generations. It is difficult in the village economy to have enough cash flow to buy the materials, however. If a number of orders can be generated from the same shipping area (Ohio) then partial monies can be advanced to the artisans in Kyrgyzstan to buy materials. This will give the artisans meaningful work and a livelihood as well as help preserve this unique craft.