23 years old Ali Umarov goes inside his home in Sary-Mogol. Ali began working in tourism in the 7th grade. His father Umar Tashbekov was the director of “CBT Sary-Mogol” where Ali is a senior mountain guide. He remembers quite well when there was no time for rest because he had to take care of the tourists. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has to work at a coal mine as an electric welder. Ali is not satisfied with the work at the quarry where his health is in danger and hopes that in the next year he can work with tourists again and leave the mine. Living with his parents, he married two years ago, and has a child with his wife Aizirek and expects another one next year. His father Umar says that tourism was very good help to CBT and to guides, but the pandemic got in the way. His mother Neberehan is suffering from parkinson’s disease since 15 years. Ali has to earn money for his whole family.

These pictures are part of the UNDP Eurasia project “Surviving a pandemic: Visual impacts of Covid-19” realised in 2020.

Credit: Danil Usmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

To learn more about Danil Usmanov and his work, check out our French or German website, we presented his work on our series “Central Asia through the lens of …”.

Find all of our photos of the day here.