Getting By

When it gained its independence, Turkmenistan also acquired numerous economic problems. Even though it is tenth in the world in terms of gas reserves, it currently has income levels lower than the world average.



In terms of poverty levels, suffice it to note almost half the population has an income lower than the official minimum wage, which currently stands at 1.5 million manats, or around 66 US dollars. Opportunities to earn extra income are limited, but people are trying to find alternative means of making a living.



When all these facts are mentioned, one remembers the promise made by President Turkmenbashi to turn the country into a second Kuwait. When he came to power, he generously promised that every resident of the country would be provided with housing and a car of their own.



Tired of waiting in vain, Turkmen citizens have begun looking for all possible means of making extra money. Besides their official jobs, people do whatever they can – some try industry, others commerce and still others handicrafts. In the time they have left over from jobs and housework, Turkmen women embroider dresses and traditional headgear and weave rugs.



Aina, a resident of the Buzmein district of Ashgabat, works as a saleswoman in a shop. She draws a salary of 1.6 million manats, about 62 dollars. Aina’s mother is on a pension and her daughter goes to school. Aina draws up a family budget in advance, writing down how much she will spend on what. Her mother receives a pension of 550,000 manats, or 22 dollars, half of which Aina immediately spends on the medicine her sick mother needs.



The rest she spends on food. She spends a portion of her own salary on her daughter, while the remainder is barely enough to buy food. So she had to look for another outlet. It’s a good thing her grandmother once taught her how to weave. After a hard day’s work, Aina spends her nights at the loom. Over three months she wove a small rug which she sold to a family she knew for 130 dollars. Aina is happy and says that at last she will be able to do a few renovations in her daughter’s room.



Ahmed Yusupov works as an engineer with a state company, where he receives a salary of about 80 dollars a month. In his spare time, he makes additional money as a taxi driver. This brings his total monthly income, salary included, to about 200 dollars. Ahmed’s wife stays home and looks after their two children. Ahmed sends about 50 dollars to his elderly parents, and also helps buy food for his parents-in-law. He spends another 50 dollars on preparatory courses and extra English lessons for his children with a private tutor. Ahmed says that if he didn’t have a car (to serve as a taxi), things would be very tight for the family.



Single mothers in Turkmenistan have a tough time. But Altyn - a widowed mother of four - does not sit around twiddling her thumbs. She gets a pension of 20 dollars a month, which she immediately spends on 15 kilogrammes of flour, two litres of cooking oil and some grain. Altyn complains that this food is hardly enough to feed her family over a month.



She has worked as a nurse for 15 years, and earns 75 dollars, which also goes on food. Overtime brings her another ten, and sewing work adds 20 dollars more to the monthly budget. Fortunately, her eldest son finished school this year and currently works for the water supply system, where he earns about 63 dollars a month. Some of this money goes to buy school materials and clothes for the younger children. Altyn saves the rest of her son’s salary plus the money she earns from sewing, saying that she dreams of buying a new fridge.