GRAND OPENING:
SUCCESS
STORY
Tusyan Sport Hall
M
aasad Oknonialolova fantasizes
about becoming a famous volley-
ball player, just like his father be-
fore him. He practices as often as possible, but
the conditions in Tusyan - a remote village in
eastern Tajikistan - make it difficult.
If you visit Tusyan, you’ll likely hear elders
reminisce about years prior when the winters
were shorter and warmer. Sitting together
sipping tea, they will pine for the days when
runoff from the heavy snowfall did not flow
quite so freely, and when the houses, made
mostly of plaster and wood, were not rotting
out from under them.
Like most buildings, the local sport hall
had not escaped the ravages of time. Built 27
years ago, the dirt floor warped and cracked;
the lack of windows left the interior exposed
to the elements; and the equipment was torn,
tangled, or broken from hard use. As a result,
the 310 children at the nearby school and
the athletically-minded villagers, were left
without a place to congregate or recreate for
much of the year. Maasad was always putting
CentralAsiaInstitute.org
his dream to train as a professional player on
hold, waiting for the weather to turn. Without
an outlet for his energy, it becomes increas-
ingly difficult to focus on school and stay out
of trouble.
This year, everything will be different.
Tusyan has a newly refurbished sport hall.
So many of our donors were touched by
the passion for sports and the children’s de-
termination to play that they came together to
support this project in 2016. CAI-Tajikistan
finished construction in December last year
and the building was officially handed over to
the school and people of the village in January
2017. The people of the village and everyone
in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
expressed their thanks. Without CAI donors,
they said, none of this would have been
possible. Most importantly, the children are
ecstatic. At last they have a safe, warm place
to play, and a positive way to use their energy.
Keep your eyes peeled for news of Maasad.
With all this extra practice time, you should be
hearing more about him soon. n
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