Making plans for the future of Armavir
In 2006 Mission East and our local partner Nur carried out a 'Survey of Households with Disabled Children’ in 11 communities in the western region of Armavir. The results of the survey were clear and catastrophic: Largely speaking, disabled children have been ignored since the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the shame experienced by parents of disabled children has led to a situation where most of these children are living in almost complete isolation from the rest of society, and without access to the most basic services and rights, i.e. to medical care, social benefits and an education tuned to their abilities.
The 2006 survey continued as a basis for the work of Mission East and our local partner Nur in identifying children and describing their situation. Of course, even after we finished gathering the initial information for the survey, we have continued to find more children needing attention and follow up. In broad terms, among more than 800 disabled and/or socially vulnerable children, we found almost 200 children with a disability requiring long-term intervention, more than 450 children with a medical problem needing short-term intervention, and around 200 children in extremely difficult social circumstances.
Of course, with these results in our hands, we and our partners have worked hard to ensure follow up for all categories of children: The 450 children requiring short-term medical intervention were given treatment as needed; the 200 socially vulnerable children have received follow up attention by the local authorities and our local partner Nur, and finally, the almost 200 children needing long term treatment and follow up care for their disability, have been referred for such treatment and care at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center opened in Armavir last September. It should be noted though that the waiting lists are long, and therefore some of the children are still waiting their turn at the Center.
However, despite all of these efforts by Mission East, our local partner in Armavir, Nur, our advocacy partner on a national basis, Bridge of Hope, and our medical partner, Arabkir Medical Center - addressing the fundamental problems leading to the catastrophic situation uncovered by the Mission East survey remains a problem to be solved by the local authorities at all levels - Government, region and community.
Based on this rationale, at the end of January of this year, we called for a major meeting at the Governor's office, attended by the Deputy District Governor, some of her staff, community mayors, family doctors, as well as NGO representatives. At this meeting, the findings of the 2006 survey were presented, and several concrete recommendations were made to the Deputy District Governor for her to work out an action plan, which in turn would be evaluated at a follow up meeting in June, for which we would ensure the attendance of Mr Ara Babloyan, Head of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care and Environmental Protection in the National Assembly.
During the month leading up to this meeting, Mrs. Larisa Muradyan had worked with Mission East partner Nur and our own Organizational Development Advisor to work out such an Action Plan, and already several points had been followed up on.
The Action plan presented provides a number of concrete actions involving the local authorities, Mission East partner Nur and other relevant organizations, it names those responsible for carrying out these actions, and it provides a timeline for the plan. With this in hand, Mission East partner Nur will be able to continue to advocate that the authorities indeed carry out what they have signed up for, promised and now discussed at an open meeting involving all relevant parties.
On June 19th this important meeting took place in the City Hall of Armavir, with all key actors present, and with a lively debate among the circa 80 participants of the meeting. Here, some photos and excerpts from the debate, which carries the promise of finally seeing long term solutions for the disabled and socially vulnerable children of Armavir.
Read MoreThe 2006 survey continued as a basis for the work of Mission East and our local partner Nur in identifying children and describing their situation. Of course, even after we finished gathering the initial information for the survey, we have continued to find more children needing attention and follow up. In broad terms, among more than 800 disabled and/or socially vulnerable children, we found almost 200 children with a disability requiring long-term intervention, more than 450 children with a medical problem needing short-term intervention, and around 200 children in extremely difficult social circumstances.
Of course, with these results in our hands, we and our partners have worked hard to ensure follow up for all categories of children: The 450 children requiring short-term medical intervention were given treatment as needed; the 200 socially vulnerable children have received follow up attention by the local authorities and our local partner Nur, and finally, the almost 200 children needing long term treatment and follow up care for their disability, have been referred for such treatment and care at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center opened in Armavir last September. It should be noted though that the waiting lists are long, and therefore some of the children are still waiting their turn at the Center.
However, despite all of these efforts by Mission East, our local partner in Armavir, Nur, our advocacy partner on a national basis, Bridge of Hope, and our medical partner, Arabkir Medical Center - addressing the fundamental problems leading to the catastrophic situation uncovered by the Mission East survey remains a problem to be solved by the local authorities at all levels - Government, region and community.
Based on this rationale, at the end of January of this year, we called for a major meeting at the Governor's office, attended by the Deputy District Governor, some of her staff, community mayors, family doctors, as well as NGO representatives. At this meeting, the findings of the 2006 survey were presented, and several concrete recommendations were made to the Deputy District Governor for her to work out an action plan, which in turn would be evaluated at a follow up meeting in June, for which we would ensure the attendance of Mr Ara Babloyan, Head of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care and Environmental Protection in the National Assembly.
During the month leading up to this meeting, Mrs. Larisa Muradyan had worked with Mission East partner Nur and our own Organizational Development Advisor to work out such an Action Plan, and already several points had been followed up on.
The Action plan presented provides a number of concrete actions involving the local authorities, Mission East partner Nur and other relevant organizations, it names those responsible for carrying out these actions, and it provides a timeline for the plan. With this in hand, Mission East partner Nur will be able to continue to advocate that the authorities indeed carry out what they have signed up for, promised and now discussed at an open meeting involving all relevant parties.
On June 19th this important meeting took place in the City Hall of Armavir, with all key actors present, and with a lively debate among the circa 80 participants of the meeting. Here, some photos and excerpts from the debate, which carries the promise of finally seeing long term solutions for the disabled and socially vulnerable children of Armavir.
