She is from Muynak. She is a hardworker. She has a great patience. Mother of four children. Now a small business owner has started a hostel in her home after participating in UNFPA's training.
It was supported in 2022 within the framework of the joint project funded under the joint programme of UNDP, UNFPA and FAO with the financial support of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region "Unleashing young people’s and vulnerable citizens’ creativity and innovation by strengthening their adaptive capacity to address the economic and food insecurities in the exposed communities of the Aral Sea region". Within the framework of this project, UNFPA, together with the Family and Women's Committee of Uzbekistan, trained women in these districts to be entrepreneurs. For information, in 2021, a total of 110 people from Kungrat (45), Bozatov (31) and Muynak (34) districts, and 255 (92, 81, 82, respectively) in 2022 participated in special training.
"I was born in Nukus, a small town where life was simple and quiet. My early years were filled with the innocence of childhood, but tragedy struck when I was in the 2nd grade. My mother, the anchor of our family, succumbed to a debilitating illness, leaving my father and me in a state of grief and uncertainty. In search of a fresh start, my father decided to move us to Moynak and into the welcoming arms of my aunt's home.
However, fate seemed to have a cruel streak, as my father married another woman shortly after our move. Unfortunately, her life was also cut short, leaving me an orphan once more when I was just in the 4th grade. It was my aunt who stepped in to raise me, becoming not only my guardian but also a source of unwavering support and love.
I managed to graduate from school and enter college, despite these challenges. When my aunt decided to move to Kazakhstan, I chose to stay in Moynak to be with friends. I got married at 18, but my husband and I faced numerous problems, including his alcoholism and gambling. After 15 years of marriage, we separated, and I found myself struggling to provide for my children as my husband refused to pay alimony. Jumabiyke, a neighborhood advocate, became my source of strength and helped me regain my confidence.
Despite the separation, my husband continued to harass us, but I learned to defend myself. Our home deteriorated, and I almost became homeless, but Jumabiyke stepped in and secured a new house for us. I took on various jobs to support my family, from cleaning houses and streets to helping with paperwork. Then, in April 2022, I joined a project aimed at empowering women like me."
Muhabbat Sekerbaeva took part in the trainings held in Nukus in April 2022 within the framework of the project and improved her comprehensive knowledge. The initiators of the project provided her with all the necessary equipment and techniques to create a hostel on the basis of a grant.
Mukhabbat is now 37 years old, she has been living separately from her husband since the age of 33, and she is raising three daughters and a son (ages 16, 15, 13 and 8) in the area near the "Ship Cemetery" in Moynaq.
"Through it all, I've learned to be strong and resilient. Today, I'm determined to create a brighter future for my children with the support of my family, Sister Jumabiyke, and the project trainers."
