Kyrgyzstan: Nadjeschda
Hope and medication for young people with disabilities in Bishkek
Some of the Nadjeschda children, who were often the "cutest" ones in kindergarten, develop very difficultly in puberty. Some of them are unfortunately no longer tolerable in their age groups. Through aggression and self-aggression, they endanger themselves and the other children around them. In order to help these young people, a so-called "special group" was opened in the Nadjeschda Children's Centre, in which young people with aggression problems are supported through very individual one-to-one care. In most cases, the young people can be re-integrated into the therapeutic workshops later, after their puberty. Until then, however, in addition to individual care, they need important medication, which Kyrgyzstan obtained mainly from Russia and Ukraine. Now, with the sanctions against Russia and the war in Ukraine, these medicines are no longer available in Kyrgyz pharmacies. Because of the unavailability, the centre's staff desperately tries to get appropriate medicines from Germany, where they are much more expensive.
As a result, the centre suddenly has big challenges with the "special group". Because not only the people in Kyrgyzstan, which is dependent on Russia, fear for their existence, but also in Germany, where e.g. the donations for many of the children come from, life is becoming more difficult for everyone. We have to ask ourselves in time the anxious question, "what happens if we can no longer finance the individual care for the young people in the special group?"
The answer is "that must not happen!" Because, since these children endanger themselves and others, they would have to be immediately institutionalised, where they would soon lose hope and no longer receive individual support. Therefore, the Children's Centre is looking for additional financial support for these very special "Nadjeschda children". The medication costs about 3,000 euros.
"Nadjeschda" means "hope" in Russian and we hope with all our hearts that you want to and can help the children."
About the project:
The Nadjeschda Children's Centre was founded in 1989 in Kyrgyzstan in the Soviet Union. For disabled children who had been classified as "educable", there was very good support in the Soviet Union. Disabled children who were considered "non-educable" were often taken away from their parents at birth and placed in terrible institutions where only a few of them survived. For these multiply and severely disabled children, the Nadjeschda Children's Centre is still today not only a place of survival, but also a place where they, like all children, laugh, sing, learn and are loved.
Today, 84 children with multiple disabilities are lovingly supported and cared for by 59 carers. In the small Gert-Michael Waldorf School 51 children are learning. In the pre-school group, 21 children are lovingly cared for from 9 am to 4 pm. 12 young adults work in therapeutic workshops. The children receive regular therapy where parents can also receive counselling and support. At night and on weekends, 28 children and young adults are cared for in two residential groups.
"Our vision, our dream is that through our work through the Nadjeschda model, the people of Kyrgyzstan will feel in their hearts and come to understand that severely disabled children are human children, (no grass! No animals!) who like all children want to be loved, learn and be happy. And that the parents of these children will never again send their child to terrible institutions (institutions where former Nadjeschda children died under terrible circumstances). But that the parents unite and enforce together, that children with severe disabilities receive support and promotion in Kyrgyz society like all children."
The Gert-Michael Waldorf School was opened in 1993 as an inclusive school for the children with disabilities, street children, neighbouring children, children of staff and siblings of the disabled children. The teachers received a three-year training to become Waldorf School teachers. In the meantime, there is an in-service course for the training of Waldorf teachers. The majority of the teachers at the Nadjeschda Children's Centre take part in this training and in the curative education seminar at the Nadjeschda Children's Centre.
Since 2000, more and more severely disabled children urgently needed a place in the Nadjeschda Children's Centre, the centre had to say goodbye with a heavy heart to the healthy children who transferred to normal schools. However, even after 2000, the centre created inclusion for the Nadjeschda children through various projects. One of these projects, which is carried out annually together with the non-disabled children of the SOS Children's Village, is the "inclusive theatre project". On the website of the centre, you can find beautiful video films of the theatre performances under "Mediathek".
