Charitable weddings held in Karakalpakstan

May 6, 2012

Seventy weddings and seventy-four sunnat-tuy (traditional male circumcision events) were held on May3-5 in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Timed to coincide with Asrlar Sadosi (Echo of Centuries) Festival of Traditional Culture, the event was organized by Fund Forum, Mehr Nuri Public Foundation, the Women’s Council and the Social Initiatives Support Fund and seeks to support low-income families.

The charitable weddings were organized for young couples from low-income families as part of the project “1,000 Weddings and 1,000 Sunnat-Tuy”. Among the beneficiaries are boys and girls who grew up in orphanages or those without parents.

This time the major project was conducted in 10 districts in the Republic of Karakalpakstan: Chimbai, Kergeli, Kungirat, Amudarya, Turtkul, Konlikul, Hujaili, Ellikqaka, Beruni and Nukus city.

This year’s first charitable weddings and male circumcision events were held in Navoi Region on March 25-26 and Kashkadarya Region on March 27-28 for 123 couples and 200 boys from families in need of social support and from orphanages. The brides wore white and cream weddings dresses custom-designed by Guli label for the project. In addition, the newly-weds were given clocks, Guli-designed stylish amulets and other items as gifts. The boys who underwent the traditional circumcisions received bicycles, toys and gifts. The weddings and circumcisions will be held throughout the year in all Uzbek regions.

The “1,000 Weddings and 1,000 Sunnat-tuy” project in Karakalpakstan was sponsored by: Mahalla Fund, Nukus Winery, Propan-avto LLC, KKRASI beton, Titan DSZ LLC, Beruniavtotransservis LLC, Keng imkon plus LLC, Qoraqalpok electrotexnika LLC, as well as several private and state-owned enterprises and establishments, namely regional, municipal and district mayors' offices, regional branches of the Central Bank and Xalq Bank (People's Bank) and media organizations.

The first such campaign was held in 2005 at the initiative of the Women’s Council and Mehr Nuri Public Foundation. The events were held in the cities of Samarkand, Namangan, Quvasoy, Marghilan and Bukhara. In Gulistan, circumcision events were held for 7 boys – five from large families and two from orphanages.

Similar charitable events took place in late 2011. In Andijan, festive circumcision events were held for children from orphanages while another five boys from low-income benefitted from the project in Jizzakh. All the boys were given bicycles while the families in need of social support received microwave ovens. Also, a wedding was organized for a young couple – Abdumannon and Dilbar Usmanovs – in Jizzakh. Over 500 people were invited to the wedding and treated to festive meals, with Uzbek pop singers Oybek and Nigora performing for the guests.

Held in the Year of a Strong Family, the project will give a thousand young couples a unique opportunity to start a family life with a colorful festive event, which is certain to become one of the most important events in their life.