Written by, Kiri Kim, Production Coordinator
I joined Alya Production Coalition back in June of last year. I had just come back from Tunisia after volunteering a year and 6 months. I was still in college, trying to finish my undergrad. One day, Eugenia called me and shared her awesome stories of her two-year trip to Kyrgyzstan. As she shared the wild adventures she experienced, our conversation on the phone ended with a strong conviction that was on her heart. She shared about an issue that thousands of Kyrgyz women face. Little did I know that this conviction that Eugenia had would soon be my own conviction...
On the phone, Eugenia explained to me about bride kidnapping and how thousands of Kyrgyz women were being abducted and forced to marry a man they’ve never met in their life. Before our call, I had absolutely no idea of this practice. I didn’t even know it existed. I was so shocked to my core! I couldn’t believe that women, in my age (or even younger!), were bride kidnapped.
During our call, something was stirring deep within my heart. Her heart, her passion, her conviction, soon became my own. Knowing about bride kidnapping, I knew I had to do something. I may be a nobody, but all I knew was that this had to be done! And beyond the issue of bride kidnapping, I soon realized the hope she has for this country was soon planted in my own heart.
And as she shared about all of this, Eugenia began to share her heart for the Kyrgyz women. She wanted to be a voice of hope to them, even though it would be small. As she spoke I began to feel my heart race, screaming “YESSSS!” in my mind to everything she was talking about. I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities that this film could bring to so many lives! It was all too beautiful to miss out on.
Before I knew it, I’ve already became a part of this team! Soon after, I packed my bags and moved from Lacey, Washington to Los Angeles, the city of angels, to join the team. I’m a country pumpkin (as my friends would say), and for me to move to a big city like Los Angeles was such an adventure! After 5 months of preparing our departure, TODAY, our team finally purchased our tickets to Kyrgyzstan! We have approximately 9 more days until we leave! Woohooo!
My team and I are so overwhelmed by the support and love from everyone! Thank you everyone- words cannot express how we feel! Thank you for being part of this crazy journey with us! We’ve been waiting and waiting for this day to come, and finally!! We are able to go for two months to prep for pre-production. I can’t wait to see what adventure awaits for us in Kyrgyzstan! Join us, and stay tuned for our webisodes~~ :)