Husniya Khujamyorova
Born in the remote Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, Husniya Khujamyorova’s adventurous and courageous spirit brought her to New York City at only 21 years of age. Few from her part of the world have made this incredible journey and fewer still have excelled at life in the city with such grace.
A devout member of the community, Husniya practices kindness and generosity in all aspects of her life. In addition to excelling at her studies and completing her Master’s of Science and Education in Spring 2019, she remains an active member of her community where she helps recent migrants apply for schools, offers translation services for those in need, and cares for friends who live far away from their families and loved-ones overseas.
A specialist of early childhood education and a linguist of endangered languages, Husniya’s intellect is just as inspiring as her dedication to others. She often travels back home to Tajikistan, and to Badakhshan in particular, where she carefully documents endangered cultures and languages, shedding a much-needed light on histories and practices that are often neglected in the western world. But that’s not nearly all.
In the course of her many travels she has worked on a variety of studies ranging from work on infant health with UNICEF to assisting researchers with projects on women’s rights and domestic violence. While there’s no telling where Husniya’s adventures will lead her next, one thing is for certain: she will continue to exude passion and compassion everywhere she goes, inspiring those around her to do the same. Husniya is also working on documentation and promotion of Wakhi language, which is one of the languages spoken in Gilgit-baltistan and Chitral.
Husniya Khujamyorova participates at Sounds Like Home with her project 'Lullabies of New York' which is a collection of traditional lullabies in various languages spoken in New York documented with cell phones, cameras, ethnographic interviews, and still photography.