Partnering with a home for orphans and using donated funds from 2 anonymous AmCham members, we distributed New Year gifts and prizes to the residents. This orphanage was chosen by the American volunteers who live in the community and have a personal relationship with the children and staff. Sadly, it is a far too frequent occurrence that orphanage staff waits for the donors to leave and then takes the gifts back from the children and sells them to the bazaar merchants. Other times, the toys and gifts are kept on a shelf out of the children's reach and only brought down when the donors drop by. Our use of American volunteers who live in the community and work at the orphanage ensures that this will never happen to the children you see in the below pictures.

  
There is only one rule for Kyrgyz New Year’s costumes:        Wear as much tinsel as you can find!

 
New Years “Santa” makes an appearance                      AmCham Director with “New Year Princess”