In
Tajikistan, the social welfare system has not been fully developed, and the
pension provided by the government for persons with disabilities is only 80 somoni
(roughly 1,600 yen) per month. Simply buying a slice of bread (their staple
food) uses up all of their income. AAR Japan has been providing vocational
training program to those with disabilities and their families in an effort to help
them regain their independence and ability to support their families.
Below is a
report from Yoshio NAKAGAWA, who has been engaged in operation in Tajikistan
for three years.
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Zarina (27, on the left) has difficulty walking. She took part in
the cooking course through a vocational training program organized by AAR japan
and worked hard to find employment at a high-class hotel as a cook. (at Dushanbe
Serena Hotel on June 13th, 2013 with Yoshio NAKAGAWA (on the right))
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How Difficult is it for Persons with Disabilities and Their
Families to Get a Job?
Reportedly, Tajikistan
is economically in the most critical condition among the countries of the
former Soviet Union and the unemployment rate has been pretty high. Aside from
the small number of boarding schools for children with special needs, we have
found that the quality of education for children with disabilities leaves much
to be desired. With poor access to education, it becomes difficult for those
with disabilities to find a job regardless of the severity of their disability.
Since there are not enough welfare facilities, women in the family with persons
with disabilities have to be solely responsible for providing care to the
family member with disability and housework at the same time. Furthermore, they
have to pay more on medical expense and transportation fees to hospitals than
other households in general. Mothers of children with disabilities are anxious
to acquire skills with which they can do in-home work and earn income, and we,
in an attempt to answer their request, launched a vocational training program
for persons with disabilities and their families in 2011.
Sewing and Cooking Skills Enable Them to Earn a Living Immediately
In 2011, we
provided sewing and cooking courses, and so far 81 persons with disabilities
and their families have participated. It is customary for women in Tajikistan
to have their day-to-day traditional garments made-to-order. If they have the
skill of sewing and tailoring dresses,
they will get orders from their relatives and neighbors and will be able to earn
a income. Also, in Tajikistan, people are allowed to sell their homemade dishes
and sweets at supermarkets and coffee shops, which enables them to earn cash
income by preparing a variety of dishes and sweets. In the cooking course,
besides the regular classes, the participants were able to have on-site
training at a hotel kitchen with the cooperation of a high-class hotel in
Tajikistan. Consequently, a lot of participants have been getting orders for
clothes, dishes and sweets individually, and have gained jobs at various
restaurants and other establishments. Through these gains, they have been able
to create a source of income, support their families, and improve their quality
of life. We also have been providing a follow-up program for those who already finished
the course but have not been able to earn their livings yet.
I Didn’t Want to End My Life Living the Way I was.
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| Zarina (on the right) cooks with her colleagues in the kitchen of Dushanbe Serena Hotel where she has been employed. |
Zarina (27,
pictured on the right) studied in the cooking course as part of the vocational
training program provided by AAR and got a job as a hotel cook. At the age of
one and a half, she fell down and injured in her right leg. Not having been
able to receive proper treatment, she still has a difficulty in walking. She
used to work as a cleaner, but she wondered, “Why do I keep trudging along,
living life like this? Why not give something else a try?” and took part in the
cooking course. She said to us, “Thanks to the Japanese people, I was able to
change my life. I am really happy now. I appreciate your having given me the
opportunity to join the vocational training which triggered a change in my
life.” “If we persevere in our efforts, we will be sure to realize our dreams.
I would like to take another step forward to keep changing my life for the
better.
To Support Oneself by Offering Beauty Treatment and Medical
Massage
Since 2012,
we have been providing beauty treatment and medical massage courses, too.
In the beauty
treatment course, 25 participants are currently learning makeup, hairdo and
manicure techniques. In Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, more women are
able to enjoy dressing up through dyeing hair and having their nails manicured.
Since the services of makeup and nail manicures can be provided while remaining
seated and the kit of beauty tools are not too expensive, persons with
disabilities on their legs are able to engage in that kind of job. In
Tajikistan where public interest in beauty treatment has been just starting to
rise, competitions among beauticians and nailists are not very intense.
Therefore, when women have the basic knowledge and skills, they can enhance the
possibility of starting a business at home or working at a beauty salon.
I Have Realized that There is Something that I Can Do, Even if I am Disabled
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Dilorom was delighted that her husband admired her when she got
home after having had an eyebrow treatment (with Yoshio NAKAGAWA, on the right.)
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Dilorom (37, pictured
on the left), who has auditory difficulties by nature, has been enrolled in the
beauty treatment course by observing the movements of instructors’ lips and
imitating their practices. “I have long wanted to acquire skills to support
myself instead of doing nothing but depending on my family. There was no
program available for me, because it is hard for a person with auditory
difficulties like me to study and communicate if instructors don’t use sign
language. However, the beauty and makeup course works for me. I have been
enjoying my daily study very much. In the future, I would like to pass the
skills that I have been learning on to children with the same difficulties as
mine. I want them to realize that there are a lot of things we can do and that
we can have a job, even if we have difficulty in hearing and speaking.
Distributing CDs of Pre-recorded Lessons.
In the medical
massage course, 12 participants with visual disabilties (ranging from weak eye
sight to complete blindness) and their families learn basic human anatomy and practice
medical massage techniques in an effort to become a masseuse. Since some
participants have not learned Braille, we distributed CDs with pre-recorded
lessons to make it easier for them to study.
I Would Like to Become a Medical Masseuse and Earn My Own
Living As Soon As Possible
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Mavzuna who aspires to become a medical masseuse(on the right). She has been a hardworking student in the practical sessions of medical
massage.
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Norboeva
Mavzuna (23) was born with visual disability and took part in the medical massage
course so that she could someday support herself by working on her own. At
first the instructors worried that such a tiny woman might not have enough
power to give a medical massage to patients. However, her sheer determination
to become a medical masseuse moved them to accept her. “I never had proper
school education so without any skills, I wouldn’t be able to work. So far I
have been working as an assistant at a kindergarten where my mother works. But
parents of kindergarten children have been harsh and prejudiced saying things
like ‘Why do we have to let our children attend a preschool where a person with
disability is working?’ The new director also didn’t like the fact that a person
with visual disability was working in her preschool and consequently, I came to
feel uncomfortable working there. Luckily, I happened to know about this
massage course and really wanted to participate in it,” said Mavzuna. Now she
has been diligently learning the skills in the course.
We have found
persons with disabilities whom we met in Tajikistan making strenuous efforts so
as to create a better life. In future, we would like to continue our assistance
in an attempt to create a society in which every person can make a living by
fulfilling his or her own potential no matter what disability stands in their
way.
*In addition
to your generous donations, we have been carrying out these activities with the
aid of The Japan International Cooperation Foundation, Felissimo Fund and JTUC-RENGO.
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Yoshio
NAKAGAWA, AAR Japan Tajikistan Office
He has been working for Tajikistan Office since March 2011. After
graduating university, he worked for a humanitarian aid organization in Japan
for four years. He joined AAR Japan to further commit to aid activities abroad.
He says, “the tight bonds and warmth of the families here in Tajikistan have
really made this place home for me.” Nakagawa is from Kanagawa Prefecture.
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