I joined IWPR in September 2011 as editor for Kyrgyzstan, after some years as a trainee and contributing author. I am also continuing my studies at the Bishkek Humanities University.

I was born on December 25, 1992, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My mother is a head cook and my father formerly taught Kyrgyz language and Kyrgyz literature at the Kyrgyz State University.

My first involvement with journalism came by accident during the summer holidays in 2007 when I saw a television advertisement by the Kloop Media Foundation offering journalism training courses. I was accepted and that was where I learned about the profession - how to write articles; and how to follow international standards of journalism.

I have always been interested in current affairs in Kyrgyzstan. I follow the news and knew a lot more about politics than most people of my age.

I first heard about IWPR in October, 2007 when I was invited to take part in a training course on the standards employed in the Reporting Central Asia project. This taught me a lot of techniques that I was able to employ in my writing. Participants in the course were invited to write stories for IWPR but I did not take this up because I thought editors would not want to work with a 14-year-old.

Later, in March, 2009, IWPR Kyrgyz editor Aida Kasymalieva invited me to write for IWPR after reading my http://kloop.kg/ stories. It was just as the country announced presidential elections and I suggested my first report about the package of changes to voting procedures made before the elections.

This and other work I did for IWPR about last year’s July presidential election in Kyrgyzstan gave me a better idea of how to tackle an analytical report and how much effort goes into analysing events as opposed to writing a news story.

I enjoy the writing process itself. Although IWPR follows international standards of journalism, it also has its own style and requirements. At first I wrote the way I was used to before, but in time I understood this style better and I was glad to adopt that.

It gives me pleasure that my stories have contributed to IWPR output. I am happy if those who read my articles find the information useful.

To me, being a journalist has become more than just work and a way to earn a living. To be an independent, objective journalist in Kyrgyzstan, writing the truth about life in the country, is a very important and responsible profession and one to be proud of.