I have been given the opportunity to accompany BA staff members for one day, to see how they work and to meet the babushkas and dedushkas themselves. Early in the morning, we drive to one of the meeting points, where they distribute the money to those babushkas and dedushkas that are still healthy enough to walk. The first snow had fallen the day before, and the roads in the suburbs are even worse than usual. Babushka Adoption Foundation owns a car, but for those occasions, a four-wheel jeep would probably be more suitable: There are holes everywhere in the roads, and because they fill up with water, it’s difficult to judge how deep they really are.

We reach the first meeting point. There are many elderly people already waiting for us, almost all of them babushkas, wearing the colourful headscarves so popular among elderly women. They line up, show their passports, some of them still wrapped in the old Soviet cover, and their Babushka Adoption card, sign their name and receive their 800 SOM for the next two months. Again and again we hear them thanking and blessing us for those 20 US$.

Franziska Keller,
Bern, Switzerland

I found out about Babushka Adoption in 2006 and I have happily supported the work of this organisation since then. Babushka Adoption offers you a unique opportunity to support elderly people in Kyrgyzstan. These vulnerable elderly people have no family networks to look after them and they try to live on a very small pension. Babushka Adoption not only helps them financially, but also through various social services. In 2006-2007 I worked with this organisation as a consultant and I very much enjoyed working with such a highly motivated and creative team of people. The team at Babushka Adoption are very committed to their work and I am convinced that they will develop this organisation into one of the best NGO's in Kyrgyzstan. It is well worth spending 150 Euros a year to support Babushka Adoption and the wonderful work they do to help the elderly of Kyrgyzstan.

Kristin Linke
Berlin, Germany

As a sponsor of three babushkas, I can tell you that I am very satisfied with the work Babushka Adoption Foundation is doing. In 2005 I visited my three babushkas in Kyrgyzstan and staff members of Babushka Adoption Foundation were very helpful in arranging everything related to my visit. They provided translation so that I could speak with my babushkas. The visit had been a very emotional and touching moment for me. My babushkas could not believe that there is such a generous person who comes from Europe to meet with them!

After my visit I did some sightseeing in Bishkek and travelled to the wonderful lake Issyk-Kul with the help of the staff members of Babushka Adoption Foundation. Kyrgyzstan has such beautiful nature.

Again, dear Babushka Adoption Team, thank you so much for this once-in a life experience. I can tell you firsthand that Babushka Adoption Foundation is making a real difference in the lives of these vulnerable elderly people. 

Alexander Grünfelder,
Islikon, Switzerland

In the beginning of 2006 we read an article published in a Danish magazine called “Aeldresagen" about vulnerable elderly people in Kyrgyzstan and Babushka Adoption Foundation that help interested sponsors to support those elderly people. We contacted Babushka Adoption Foundation immediately and asked for a babushka that would like to receive letters from us and who would be able to reply and tell us about her life in a country far away from Denmark.

Believe me we were so excited when we got her biography and photo. Staff members of Babushka Adoption Foundation offered us to translate our letters from English into Russian so that we can get in contact with her and obtain more information about her life and her country

In our country, Denmark, it would be possible for almost everyone to help these vulnerable needy people in Kyrgyzstan for EURO150 a year. One can not imagine how urgently this money is needed by those people and how much encouragement and hope you can give by sending a parcel to your babushka. It is also a very rewarding experience for you to support these old people. We are lucky that we live in a country where we get our pension regularly and can manage our daily life.

We can imagine that some people may worry that the money they transfer to Babushka Adoption Foundation is not used for the right purpose. Please don’t worry, Babushka Adoption Foundation is a very trustworthy and reliable organization and all money is spent for the right purpose. As all staff member do a great and valuable job, we do not mind paying EURO 30 a year for the running costs of the organization so that they can pay their salaries and cover programme expenses.

We are very happy that some of our friends also decided to become sponsors and find out that sponsorship is a good way to help. We hope that Babushka Adoption Foundation can continue helping elderly people in Kyrgyzstan in the future. Our deepest respect and full admiration for this valuable work to all staff members. We are very satisfied.

Kay Henriksen & Inger Larsen
Vejby, Denmark