DUSHANBE, May 31, Asia-Plus — The British-based NGO HealthProm has provided more than $60,000 for establishment of the Kishti Rehabilitation and Learning Center for disabled children in Dushanbe.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus after an official opening of the Kishti Center, Mr. Jonathan Watkins of HealthProm said on May 30 that the funds had been provided mainly for renovation of premises and training of specialists and service personnel.
According to him, the Kishti Center seeks to provide a safe place for vulnerable children and their families in an environment, which supports children to develop to their full potential and assists parents to care for their children at home.
The ORA Tajikistan disability project coordinator, Rachel Cage, told Asia-Plus that five specialists had been invited from abroad to work with disabled children and their parents and train the center personnel. ORA Tajikistan has allocated some $40,000 for establishment of the Kishti Center, the coordinator said.
HealthProm works with local communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to improve health and social care for vulnerable women, the newborn and children in the region. Its projects promote healthcare and social reform to ensure availability and accessibility of information and services to healthcare providers, mothers and children in the FSU. This includes the development of safe childbirth and newborn care, infection control and the care and rehabilitation of children with disabilities.
The ORA Tajikistan disability project has pioneered work with children with disabilities and their families Tajikistan for the last 6 years. Press release issued by ORA International , in particular, said, “As a result of our work with older school age children we have become increasingly convinced of the need for early intervention for babies and their families at birth to support and educate parents and prevent placement into institutional care.”
The partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH), HealthProm, ORA Tajikistan and NGO Zdorovye (Health) was established in 2007. The aim was to create opportunities for children and parents so that children with additional needs in the community could be better supported and so that more parents would feel able to retain the care of their children at home.
As a result of this partnership, the ‘Kishti’ Center, a unique place in Tajikistan where children and families from the community can learn and play together with children from Baby Home 1 was established.
Kishti began work on February 20 2008 and now has 50 children who attend both from the community and the baby home.
