The Team Inside the Work: Tolyq Adam — Strength in Every Day

By Aliya Nurakhmanova, Member of NURCE

Participation in the Tolyq Adam research project became my first experience of this kind and an important personal turning point. From the very beginning, I felt a strong sense of responsibility before each interview with the individuals whose stories would later form the book. Each meeting was not simply part of research, but an encounter with a person's life, their journey, and their choices.

The interviews explored entrepreneurial development: how it began, what challenges shaped the path, what decisions had to be made, and what allowed them to continue. Yet what mattered more was creating an atmosphere of trust — a space in which people could speak openly and share what often remains outside formal success narratives.

Many spoke about deeply personal experiences, sometimes for the first time. There were moments when emotions could not be contained — we spoke, reflected, and at times shared both laughter and tears. Every story was unique: complex, resilient, sometimes difficult, but always marked by dignity.

One moment remains particularly vivid. I asked one participant: "What does success mean to you beyond the financial dimension?"

The answer came immediately: "You know, Aliya, to open my eyes in the morning and realise that I am alive — for me, that is already success."

That response revealed how easily ordinary things are taken for granted, while for others, the simple fact of a new day carries deep meaning and gratitude.

A significant stage of the work involved sharing the final narratives with participants for review. Many were moved when reading their own stories — not expressions of pity, but of recognition. Some asked: "Is this really about me?" or "Am I really this strong?" For many, it was the first time they had seen their own journey from a distance and understood the extent of what they had lived through.

This is a book about people who begin each day with gratitude and continue forward despite difficulty. It is about individuals whose lives reflect a form of inner wholeness — where challenges do not diminish a person, but shape depth, maturity, and responsibility. In this sense, Tolyq Adam is not only a concept. It is a lived reality, expressed through human lives.