Poor village women in Kyrgyzstan practise an age old tradition of felt making
In the mountain villages of Naryn oblast/province in Kyrgyzstan, fat-tailed sheep are primarily kept for their meat (and fat). Until now, wool has often been seen as a by-product. However, as people outside Kyrgyzstan, especially in Europe, discover the value and beauty of shyrdaks, wool is taking on increasing value for felt production. Felt is produced for a whole range of things. Felt that is 5cm thick is used to cover the traditional yurts (smeared with a layer of fat) that are home to herder families in the high pastures over summer.
But the most famous use for felt in Naryn is to produce “shyrdaks” – mats that are stitched together in layers of felt of different colours according to patterns passed down from generation to generation. Shyrdaks have a very special place in Kyrgyz society, being used in everyday home use, as well as being an essential element of any traditional family event such as weddings and funerals. They vary in size from around 1 – 15m2 and cost up to US$200 in the village.
But felt making is hard, time consuming work. Generally women work in groups of 6-8, making and dyeing felt in summer, then during the long cold winters produce shyrdaks from the felt. There would typically be 60 person days of total input by a group of women. The return they receive is about 85 cents per labour-day, after payment of expenses like wool purchase, threads, beading and dyes of around US$50. Despite being below the “$1 per day” poverty threshold, in very poor households with little other cash income this is a very significant opportunity.
Felt making methods have not changed in centuries and there is much potential to reduce the back breaking labour with the introduction of mechanized carding and felting equipment.
During a visit to Naryn in August 2010, KNZRT trustees Brian Hedley and Tony Ryan watched a group of village women making felt. After washing the wool, one lady cut it into 3 inch lengths, then two more ladies beat the wool with a length of wire – their equivalent of carding.
After this, the wool was wetted and trampled by foot, and finally laid onto a bamboo mat (in this case 6 m x 2 m). Then it was rolled and unrolled repeatedly until the felting process was complete. By this time, the felt had shrunk to 5m x 1.5m. This entire process takes about 25 labour days.
The next step was dyeing the felt. There is a resurgence of interest in the use of natural vegetable dyes. This is due in part to the fact that imported dyes from China do not hold their colour and in part to the fact that the foreign market for quality shyrdaks is paying a considerable premium for natural dyed products. A USA Peace Corps volunteer in Naryn (Carl Beien) is actively working with local women to promote vegetable dyeing knowledge and skills. Carl recently took a group of village women into the hills to identify plants that can produce suitable colours for shyrdak dyeing.
During winter, the women work with their felts to produce shyrdaks in a range of sizes, colours and patterns. As the tentacles of the financial crisis have reached further into the remote mountain villages of Naryn, and remittance incomes fall, the opportunity to earn cash incomes from shyrdak production has taken on a much greater level of importance in the lives of these poor people. This is where the work of KNZRT is significant – reducing workloads, improving product quality and increasing product value.
KNZRT is planning to introduce carding and felting equipment from Ashfords Handicrafts in New Zealand. The Trustees of KNZRT are very grateful to Elizabeth Ashford for her generosity and support in their endeavours to help simplify, improve and streamline these unique and ancient techniques.
Award for Social Responsibility – August 2009
During August 2009, three of our KNZRT trustees (Umit Ukaeva, Brian Hedley and Phil Rolston), assisted by the KNZRT programme manager in Naryn, Mr Bakyt Egemberdiev, spent 3 weeks in the Naryn project area. At the end of their mission, they recognized the Ak Muz goat group for their excellent work as a group, presenting them with the “social responsibility” award for 2009.
The group started as a goat group in 2008. Since then they passed on goats to another group of poor women as required, then passed on kid goats to another group of poor women within this year. In May 2009, they also diversified into dairy products which they manufacture in summer for sale at high prices in winter. These women are smart!
“I would like to thank NZ donors for their support. We have not got such a support even from the local well-off farmers and local government. We were so thankful that each group member decided to give a goat kid to a young poor family next year. This way we would replicate your project and this would set an example to the people, who could make input as well. It has worked already; a couple of better-off farmers distributed some goats and sheep between poor families as well.” Aida, leader of the goat group.
During the trip, Phil Rolston and Lynne Hedley prepared a great summary of each group’s progress – a selection of which are summarised below.
Tashbashat Milk Processing Group “Mai-Bulak”
The group was established in August 2006 and is now our most successful group. The 5 members now have established a successful business producing pasteurised milk, curd, yoghurt, soured cream.
Good news:
- Monthly earnings per member are NZ$70 – roughly the equivalent of a school teacher’s salary.
- They have assured the hygiene quality of their milk by making sure that milk is sourced only from brucellosis monitored cows which are brucellosis tested every 15 days
- They have secured credit funds to buy more cows as a means of (i) expanding their production base and (ii) financing the construction of a whole new processing facility.
- The group savings fund has a NZ$222 balance and each month they lend from the fund at 10%/month to group members and 15% month to outsiders.
- In addition, they hold a working capital cash reserve fund of NZ$235 which is used only for milk purchases and emergencies.
- There is strong demand for their products from restaurants and shops in Naryn.
Challenges:
- For a number of weeks the group has been forced to close operations because of cattle brucellosis in the village (despite the fact that the group’s animals and products are brucellosis free). Production and sales resumed on 1 September 2009.
- In addition to brucellosis, there was a rabies outbreak and the whole village was “locked down” for a period until all infected dogs/cats were shot.
- The group wants to improve product packaging and plastic packaging is proposed. Equipment and materials are available in Bishkek.
- There is a need to have a bigger building for milk processing with good access to fresh water. The present dairy is small and does not meet all the food hygiene standard requirements of the Government Sanitary and Epidemiological Unit.
- There is land and a building base available in a good location with access to water for NZ$3,350. The group have applied for collateral based credit which will be used to buy good quality, pregnant cows. The group strategy is that the income from the first 5 cows will be sufficient to pay the interest at the end of year one and then they will buy 5 more cows and suitable fodder. The loan will be paid back in 3years, at which point they will apply for a further loan to build a new dairy.
- The group identifies further training needs in (i) animal husbandry, diseases and feeding; (ii) business planning and accounting; (iii) technical training on milk product packaging; (iv) hard cheese and butter making in the future.
Tashbashat Village Bakery & Milk Pasteurising Group
This group of 6 poor women developed operations in 2 stages – milk pasteurising in 2006 followed by the bakery in 2007.
Good news:
- They have a supply contract for milk and bread with a local school; they supply 8 local shops in the village and also sell at the market in Naryn town – 30kms away.
- The women have plans to develop sales in neighbouring villages and have already submitted an application to the Naryn authorities to become a registered agriculture co-operative.
- They are generating monthly revenues of between NZ$20 and NZ$67 – the equivalent of a school teacher’s salary.
Challenges:
- In July, health authorities temporarily closed the pasteurizing operation due to an outbreak of brucellosis and rabies in the village. They hope to resume activities later in 2009.
- The group needs to expand and upgrade their premises as the present bakery is small and lacks access to running water – a sanitation requirement.
- They also need to secure a reliable supply of clean milk. They recently applied unsuccessfully for credit and are at present looking for another source of funding to finance the upgrade and the purchase of milking cows.
- To under-pin their expansion plans they need further training. (i) improved baking skills: (ii) business planning and accounting.
Ak Muz Village Livestock Forage Production Group
Better livestock feeding is a major need in Naryn. In spring/summer, pasture quality is often poor while in winter, supplies are frequently insufficient and animals starve. KNZRT is addressing this forage challenge. This group of 10 farmers is growing sainfoin (a high altitude legume crop) and chicory – introduced on the advice of KNZRT trustee Dr Phil Rolston.
Good news:
- Chicory crops are now in their third year and are still producing strongly.
- Management has been good – the crop was allowed to re-seed in 2008.
- Sainfoin and chicory are a good pasture mix – they have similar growth patterns and importantly, chicory benefits from the soil nitrogen fixed by the leguminous sainfoin.
- They plan to expand the chicory area in the spring of 2010.
- One farmer has made silage from his crop for 3 years which he uses for winter feed.
- Animals fed on sainfoin silage have performed strongly – winter milk production increased by 50% and live weight gains of lambs were improved.
- The farmers have established their own group savings fund – current balance is NZ$175. Members can take loans from the fund at an interest rate of 10%month!
Challenges
- Haymaking in wet summers often results in crop losses but farmers are slow to adopt the new silage technology.
- KNZRT has imposed a condition that members must pass sainfoin seeds onto a new group of farmers. This is not yet happening as planned.
- They have on-going training requirements in business planning, and preparing proposals for micro-credit.
JylanarykVillage Home Garden Group “Momo” (Berry)
This group began in late 2008 with 8 women members. When asked why they chose a home garden project, the response was “to improve the nutrition for the family”.
Good news:
- In March 2009 (spring) each member received 11 apple and 2 apricot trees, along with 25 blackcurrant and 87 raspberry canes.
- They received specialist training on planting, with further training in fruit preservation and storage to be delivered after harvest in October by KNZRT partner UNDP.
- As the winters are extremely cold there is a need to store and preserve as much produce as they possibly can.
The group savings fund balance is NZ$67. The initial contribution by each member was NZ$3.30, with regular contributions of NZ$$0.70 per month. They have an internal lending rate of 5% month.
Challenges
- Almost every type of vegetable will grow here but the problem is a lack of water.
- They have on-going training requirements in greenhouse training, preservation/processing training insecticide control – members prefer it to be non-toxic and natural – they would like information on natural control methods.