Postcard from Bishkek

Last week the latest newsletter from Healthprom arrived in the email.

I have written about Healthprom before, (for example: here), about their work, (particularly in Kyrgyzstan), how I came across them and why I like their particular approach.

Every now and again we swap emails – mainly with snippets of news particularly about the disabled in Kyrgyzstan because that’s what their projects here concentrate on.

According to a news item a week ago, the  ombudsman announced that there are over 130,000 people with disabilities living in Kyrgyzstan – 90% of the adults are without work and 80% of the children don’t go to school.  In another report from the Ministry of Social Development, the disabled comprise over three quarters of those receiving benefits … the remainder of benefits being paid for the support of children as a result of the loss of the family’s breadwinner and  to pensioners.  On the other hand, it was pointed out that 50% of people with disabilities are actually pensioners with problems relating to eyesight and hearing.

In fact, however, their interest is pretty widespread as they work throughout the region, not just in Kyrgyzstan, and have projects working on various aspects of the provision of health services – such as maternity and childcare services and mental health services as well as services and care for the disabled.

This particular newsletter included articles about their work in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia as well as Kyrgyzstan.  There were also reports on a fund raising efforts such as a quiz night in London and a run up a mountain in France, and news about their presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The main Kyrgyz story concerned the provision specialist medical examinations for children with special needs in Ton district in Issyk Kul.   Many of the children are from low income families which cannot afford the trip to Bishkek for medical consultations.

What struck me was that as a result of the consultations, which took place over the course of three days more than 350 children were seen by four specialists and a hundred and one were identified as being in need of further treatment: Sixteen of them were sent straight away for emergency care at the National Centre for Maternal and Child Health in Bishkek.

 

The Association of Parents of Children with Disabilities, (ARDI, one of Healthprom’s partners here in Kyrgyzstan- see their Facebook page), has organized a summer camp on the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul, for children and their parents, staffed by thirteen local volunteers and four from Europe, (German, Italy and Poland).

ARDI has also established a website especially designed for children with disabilities and their families, www.kelechek.kg; (kelechek is Kyrgyz for “future”).   It’s in Russian, but has a lot of interesting information tucked away on pages including a “guide” to Disability in Russian, Kyrgyz and English which are well worth downloading and reading.

 

Tags: Charity, Expat, For_the_Record, Healthprom, Organizations