Central Asia Youth Leadership Academy Alum Launches First Montessori Center in Turkmenistan

Yekaterina Geldimuradova, a former primary school teacher in Turkmenistan, was eager to improve the existing education system’s approach to child development. “The conventional system fosters conformist behavior, where children are expected to simply do as they are told without enough opportunities for self-expression and creativity,” says Yekaterina. “This can result in a lack of self-awareness and boundary-setting skills and can even make them feel unimportant.” In response to this problem, Yekaterina launched the first Montessori-based preschool in Turkmenistan, Perzent Bilim Merkezi (“Children’s Education Center”).

Yekaterina had been nurturing the idea of launching a Montessori center for a long time, but the costs prevented her from moving forward. It was only upon finding a partner who shared her interest in Montessori that her hope came closer to reality. Even then, she hesitated. “I felt I lacked the social entrepreneurship skills necessary to further develop the project,” Yekaterina says. Fortunately, while scrolling through Instagram one day, Yekaterina came across the Central Asia Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA), a program funded by Eurasia Foundation’s Social Innovation in Central Asia (SICA) program. She knew that this was her chance to realize her dream.

Through CAYLA, Yekaterina received training in project management, mobile videography, Agile thinking, effective communications, web design, and public speaking. All the courses later proved, in Yekaterina’s own words, “essential” as she began designing her business plan. Through CAYLA, Yekaterina also gained experience in running social projects as an intern at the public foundation Yenme. Yekaterina says the practical and theoretical knowledge she acquired through CAYLA were invaluable in effectively launching Perzent.

When asked why she chose to champion the Montessori method, Yekaterina emphasizes the democratic and holistic approach that it prioritizes. “The Montessori educational method fosters independence and love for learning by allowing children to work at their own pace and choose their activities,” she explains. “Even more importantly, the approach promotes all-around development, not just academic progress. It teaches parents and caregivers to listen to the child and acknowledge their needs.”

Yekaterina reports that her initiative was “slow to gain followers” at the start. The idea that a three-year-old can have their own opinion—and that parents should take that opinion seriously—bewildered and even “outraged” some of the parents. “Like any other new approach, it breaks the mold and inadvertently generates backlash, especially from [parents] who believe children should obey their elders. But I was ready [for that] because I knew the method was new for many parents in Turkmenistan,” she explains.

Currently, Perzent can accommodate 250 children aged three to six. In the future, the team plans to establish inclusive groups for children with disabilities. As “an especially vulnerable group” due to social stigma and exclusion, these children “really need Montessori groups,” Yekaterina says. In three years, the team plans to establish inclusive groups with children with disabilities comprising at least 20% of enrollment.

Maya is the mother of a child who has attended Perzent since its launch. “I feel grateful for stumbling upon [the center], as it has given me an absolutely different perspective on my child’s development process,” she says. “Previously, I would feel irritated seeing my three-year-old drumming loudly or climbing everywhere he wanted. Now I consider this his inherent need to explore the world and express curiosity, and I want to support him channeling his energy in a positive way.”

“CAYLA was instrumental in realizing my dream to bring a child-oriented approach into pre-school education, and I am grateful to CAYLA for helping me foster my vision of the business,” Yekaterina says. “The children of today are our future tomorrow, and I believe we should waste no time sowing the best seeds for our kids’ future.”

Find more of Yekaterina’s story, told in her own words, in this video: