Burg returned to the United States abruptly in early June when the government of Uzbekistan didn't renew visas for the Peace Corps director and volunteers there. Burg had two hours to pack and leave Yangibozor, her host village in the western part of the country.
Kacy Burg would like to return to Uzbekistan some day, if only to finish what she started as a served as a Peace Corps Volunteer
Peace Corps worker wants to finish work
By Sandy Block
Wausau Daily Herald
sblock@wdhprint.com
Kacy Burg would like to return to Uzbekistan some day, if only to finish what she started as a Peace Corps volunteer, and to say a proper farewell to her host village.
Burg, a 23-year-old Merrill resident, returned to the United States abruptly in early June when the government of Uzbekistan didn't renew visas for the Peace Corps director and volunteers there. Burg had two hours to pack and leave Yangibozor, her host village in the western part of the country.
Burg had worked closely with an Uzbek teacher at a lyceum, equivalent to an American junior and senior high school, where Burg taught English and American studies.
Her typical day started with breakfast with her host family.
"Then I walked to school - it was about a mile - regardless of the weather," Burg said. Many villagers greeted her along the way.
After a day of teaching, she often had tea with the teachers, then walked the mile back home. She spent her evenings planning lessons and working on related projects, such as planning an arts camp with other Peace Corps volunteers.
Burg said the volunteers, before they left, also had started to write an English textbook for grades 10 and 11. The project was left unfinished, but they hope to continue their work while in the United States, because of the need to teach young adults in Uzbekistan how to write in English, as well as speaking and thinking skills and cultural information about many parts of the world.
Uzbeks weren't encouraged to think or learn about other parts of the world under their country's former Soviet government, Burg said. And she was surprised that in a country that valued education, few families owned books or read together.
Parents encouraged their children to attend college to get a good job, just as in America, she said, but the education seemed less important than merely receiving a diploma. One of Burg's goals as a teacher was to develop her students' analytical skills.
She also said the people's view of Americans was based primarily on a few American movies. "They see it as we make a lot of money, but they don't see the cost of our rent or groceries," she said.
In Yangibozor (pronounced YANG-ee-bah-ZAAR), most people kept their own cows and chickens and raised and canned their own vegetables, minimizing their grocery expenses. And since most village residents were related to each other, anyone in need usually could ask for help from a relative.
Most people had enough money to get by. She said the biggest problem was that employees didn't get paid on time or didn't get their full salary when they were paid.
"I didn't go a day without hearing someone complain about money," Burg said. "People knew they had economic problems and wanted to change, but they didn't know how."
Despite the financial uncertainty, the culture emphasized hospitality.
"If you knock on someone's door, they're obligated to invite you in and feed you," Burg said. "They're good at sharing things." The guest would be offered food before the rest of the family, and the hosts would wait until the guest was satisfied before finishing their own meal.
"Food is a big part of their culture, and sharing is important," she said.
As a guest in the country, and as an American, Burg said she received respect from almost everyone. Even though she was a young woman in a culture in which people typically deferred to men and elders, she was treated with courtesy.
She said she left with an appreciation for the importance of spending time with friends and family.
Unfortunately for the Peace Corps volunteers and the villagers, Burg's time in Yangibozor ended before her scheduled August departure date.
Areas of Uzbekistan have experienced political unrest recently, especially near the capital Tashkent in the east, but Burg said the area in which she lived was a peaceful place.
"In my region, whether under Communism or not, their lives are much the same," she said. "They go to school, work, farm. They're worried about money, family, how they'll eat."
