For A Tajik Mountain Village, Isolation Is A Blessing And A Curse

Inhabitants of Tajikistan's Yaghnob Gorge, located some 3,000 meters above sea level, are used to being largely cut off from modern life. Most make a living from farming and tending livestock in the mountain pastures. But a pastoral life high in the mountains comes at a cost to some residents, who spoke of being unable to travel to the hospital or finish their basic education.