Contributor: Altynai Djumabaeva

Sary-Mogol is a very remote village in the Chon-Alai region of southern Kyrgyzstan, located at 3,000 meters above sea level. The 680 families living in Sary-Mogol grow mostly potatoes with some difficulty due to the acutely continental climate and altitude; they primarily engage in animal husbandry. The duration of the frost-free period is only 85-90 days per year.

Growing vegetables at high elevation here is a challenge, since the frost-free season is only 85-90 days. Kompanion, a Mercy Corps-founded microfinance institution, is helping train local families how to grow vegetables under these conditions. Photo: Altynai Djumabaeva/Mercy Corps

Kompanion Financial Services — a microfinance organization founded by Mercy Corps — has a small office in this village, where an estimated 70 percent of families live below the poverty line. Kompanion’s goal of “supporting the strengthening and growth of communities” addresses the problem of poor nutrition.

Kompanion aims to show people that having a healthy diet is possible in harsh climatic conditions. Micro-nutrient deficiencies are often the crux of childhood stunting, therefore small increases would have a significant impact on children’s development.

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