"I’ve been in these mountains for nearly a year! That was not something I had planned on. Perhaps what I appreciated most about the staff at the PECTA office is that they’ve encouraged me. The PECTA office is staffed by people who love their home and want to share the Pamirs with you. The Pamir Eco-Cultural Tourism Association encourages you to explore both the nature and culture of the Pamirs because they are inseparable here in these mountains."

After COVID-19 spread across Afghanistan, many, including Kimya’s eldest son, a rental driver, lost their jobs. However, a greenhouse the Aga Khan Foundation helped her to build has enabled their family to weather the pandemic. Of the 6,000 tomato seedlings produced through the greenhouse, Kimya sold half to support her family’s needs (in the spirit of community philanthropy, she gave the other half to neighbours who could not afford to buy the seedlings).