Greetings, my future host family. My name is Zura, I am 18 years old and I am from Kazakhstan, Kostanay city. I would like to tell you why I am the right person for you. There have always been children and caring for the children in my life. My first experience was with my little sister Azaliya, with whom I started sitting at the age of 10. It was thanks to her that I realized how wonderful it is, but at the same time it is difficult and responsible to have children and take care of them. A little later, I started working as a child nurse at my parents’ friends Nadezhda and Nikolay. I worked there for 6 months looking after their newborn daughter Varya and nine-year-old son Alexey. Throughout my work with them, my responsibilities included feeding the children, playing games, frequent walks outdoors, helping with homework, bathing, sleeping hours, sometimes helping to develop their certain skills. But I had to stop working with them because of their movement. After a while, on the recommendation of Nadezhda, her friend Aliya turned to me with a request to look after her child. At the beginning of working with Aliya, her son Bogdan was one month old and primarily my duties were not much different from my previous job.
Sure, I can continue to tell you about my skills and child-care experience, but this is not what stands me out of other participants. One of my peculiarities is that I treat the children whom I sit with as my younger brothers and sisters, and they treat me as an older sister. For me, it is not just a job for which I receive money, it is very hard work and, most of all, a great responsibility. It is very important for me to raise children not only clean and well-fed, but also nice and self-sufficient personalities, it is important that they are physically and mentally healthy. Once Alexey told me the following phrase: “I have two words associated with you. This is “advice” and “support” because you always give me advice that helps me and supports me”. Just at that precise moment I saw and felt the importance of my actions and words with the children. I realized how valuable for me their trust and love. I am excited with their success, and I worry about their safety. I was so proud and excited of Bogdan’s first steps. Now when I’m not working with Alexey, he still calls me and tells about his achievements, victories and failures. He calls when he is sad and needs my support, and at these moments I am also proud of myself for being able to build such a relationship with the children, I was able to become not just a child nurse, but an older sister whom they fully trust.
Also, despite of my engagement with children, I have my own hobby and interests. I have been editing videos for several years, I have my own Tick Tok account for American TV serials.