THANK-YOU! This project was funded by WorldNomads.com.
Dr Craig James and Dr Simon Davis supplied this report of their visits to the Kyrgyzstan orphanages on behalf of Footprints Fundraising.
The three facilities visited were Tomkok, Kant and Christain Orphanages. In general the children were well nourished (vegetables are cheap) but their social histories are shocking. There is a lot of poverty, alcoholism and abuse. The facilities were old, over-crowded and not the cleanest, hence we used a portion of the funds to purchase non-medical supplies that were lacking. This is not a reflection on the staff though - they were dedicated to the children despite being paid less than US$1 a day.
TOKMOK
Houses 95 children (birth - 4 years), the majority of which are Special Needs with conditions ranging from Cerebal Palsy to Harelips. The government supplies it with basic antibiotics, paracetamol etc but doesn't provide any other of the medicines needed for such children. Feeding Special Needs children can be difficult if staffing is tight and some of the children were malnourished.
The following medical supplies were purchased:
- Iron syrup supplement
- Ear drops
- Anti-histamine
- Anti-convulsives
- Digestives
- Catheters (for gastro feeding)
Non-medical supplies purchased:
- A bolt of sheet material (Most of the sheets were old and some cots didn't have any)
- Baby soap
- Baby powder
- Baby lotion
- Domestos cleaner
They were particularly taken by the domestos! This is a facility for nearly one hundred children but they can't afford cleaning agents to clean the rooms.
KANT
Houses 30 children, 2-7 years. They were in real need of basic medicines for the children. For serious illnesses they could consult a government hospital. Unfortunately they were using the same sheets, pillow cases and blankets as when they opened 17 years ago, despite most being stained, worn or torn. We were really excited to get them 45 sheet packs - the manager almost cried when she saw these.
The following medicines were supplied-
- Iodine solution
- Cough syrup
- Amoxicillin
- Antihistamine
- Paracetamol
- Bandages 4inch
- Bandages 7inch
Non-medical supplies purchased:
- Sheet Packs
- Pencils
- Exercise books
- Small towels
CHRISTIAN
This was a small orphanage funded entirely by a local church housing 14 children (4-14yrs). They were well cared for at the orphanage and were lucky to have escaped some pretty terrible upbringings. The worst thing was that they all had black rotten teeth. Staff assured me that they brushed regulary and this was due to their life before coming to the orphanage. Just in case we bought them 48 toothbrushes!
The following medicines were supplied:
- Iodine solution
- Cough syrup
- Amoxicillin
- Antihistamine
- Paracetamol
- Bandages 4inch
- Bandages 7inch
Non-medical supplies purchased -
- Toothbrushes
- Pencils
- Exercise books
UNICEF Bishkek were a fantastic help and they are keen to be involved in future projects with Footprints. We worked closely with Saltanat Rasulova, one of their project officers, who arranged translators and transport between sites.”
DR SIMON DAVIS, PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR.
Kyrgyzstan, known as the Switzerland of Central Asia, is a country with enormous potential however unfortunately crippled by its widespread poverty and lack of infrastructure. Poverty is so prevalent that parents of disabled children can’t afford to care for them and often leave them in homes.
The objective of this project is to visit three children's homes in the city of Bishkek and deliver a supply of basic medicines and writing materials. With the nurse of each facility the Silk Route crew will visit all the children and
give first aid when needed. A supply of basic but very essential
medicines will be left with the nurse for future treatment, as well as
a some locally bought pens, pencils and crayons.
The conditions in these homes are appalling and basic commodities such as clothing, toys and medicines are almost non-existent. These funds, albeit small, will have an enormous impact on the lives of these children. To give you a gauge how under-funded these Homes are – the wage of a staff member is less than US$1 a day.
The facilities included in this project are:
1. The Tokmok Baby House.
Houses 95 children (birth- 4 years), the majority of which are Special Needs with conditions ranging from Cerebal Palsy to Harelips.
2. Kant
Houses 30 children (2-7 years).
3. Christian Orphanage
Small orphanage funded entirely by a local church housing 14 children (4-14yrs)
. Co-ordination of the project, transport and interpreters will be provided by UNICEF Kyrgyzstan.
Materials Supplied
The following will be supplied to each of the two homes –
• Panadol
• Anti-diarrhoeals
• Antiseptic liquid
• Band-aids
• Bandages
• Cotton Tips
• Latex gloves
• Toothbrushes
• Soap
• Anti-bacterial cleaning products
• Pens and Coloured Pencils