Chapter 4. Analysis

The fact itself that there are orphans in Kazakhstan is a problem for the country. But also there is a problematic issue concerning orphans after they leave orphanages. The problem of parents who abandon their children exists in Kazakhstan. The government takes care of orphans and provides them with conditions they need for life until they are eighteen years old. When young people leave the orphanage their need for care and help does not disappear. When starting life on their own orphans face many challenges and for this period of time they need preparation and help. The aim of this research paper was to find out how the government can prepare orphans for independent life and help them after leaving orphanage. The research has shown that the government could prepare orphans for independent life by implementing a new course in their studies, introducing family type homes for orphans, giving them an opportunity to have part-time job starting from the age of sixteen; also the government can help orphans after leaving orphanage by paying them a monthly welfare during the period of their studies, helping them to get quality education and find job, providing them with place to live, and giving them privileges in payment for utilities, for medical care and transportation.

Although the literature about the issue is quite limited, R.Azimova in her article “Mi deti tvoi, Kazakhstan!” shows the destructive consequences of lack of preparation of orphans for independent life (2009). Young women who have grown up in orphanage continue abandoning their babies from generation to generation. Aidana, HR director of Youth Assembly in Almaty, adds to this fact that the sense of responsibility is not familiar to orphans and they easily leave a job they had just started. These facts confirm that the problem is there and it needs to be solved. (See Chapter 2)

The solution which Y. Mamyrbayeva offers in her article “Schastie bit rebenkom” might solve this problem to some extent. This solution is an alternative to orphanages – family type homes for orphans. In these homes orphans live as a family with a “mother” and a “father”. In such conditions girls would see a model of mother; they would learn how to take care of children and family. Then in future they would be able to build successful family. Both girls and boys would see in such “families” what responsibility is when each member of the “family” is responsible for something and has their own duties. This experience would be very helpful and useful for orphans and in future they would be able to avoid some mistakes.

Another way to prepare orphans for independent life which was offered by KIMEP students is to implement a new course in studies of orphans. Tamara, a volunteer in orphanage, said the same: “There should be a strong education for orphans about their rights and how to fight for them”. This course would be devoted to teaching orphans about their rights, responsibility, challenges they are going to face after leaving orphanage and give them tips, for example, about what documents they need to get a job, how to find a job, how to use money and not waste it. This course would prepare them for some difficult situations which will occur when they start independent life. For instance, Philip mentioned that usually employers do not want to hire orphans and Tamara said exactly the same. Aidana confirmed this information by explanation that orphans are not responsible. The course which would be implemented would teach orphans what qualities they should have in order to get good job. Also Philip, Aidana and Tamara said that orphans do not know their rights and that is why their rights are violated so often (See Chapter 3). The new course would give orphans solid knowledge about their rights and how to fight for them. In addition the experience of having part-time job from the age of sixteen would be very useful for orphans’ future practice of working.

According to Philip and Aidana there is a monthly welfare payments for orphans in Kazakhstan, but from Philip’s example it is seen that not always orphans are aware of this. But Philip’s experience of not getting welfare payments when he was entitled to them, took place in 2003. As a consequence it could be considered that this kind of problem does not exist anymore, but A. Kornilova shows the situation in a Youth house of North Kazakhstan. The same case occurred there: a boy did not receive welfare payment though he was entitled to (2010). Such cases might be not as frequent as they used to be in 2003, but they still exist. Again here the course about orphans’ rights might be useful.

The issue about education was raised by Philip, Aidana and Tamara. All of them agreed that today education is significantly important for young people and in order orphans could find well-paid jobs and have successful future the government should organize more scholarships and grants for orphans. Philip said that very often orphans want to study, but high quality education is not available for them. Again this information might be old because Aidana mentioned that there is “Evraziya” fund, which provides orphans with free education. But still one fund is not enough for all the orphans of the city. The majority of orphans do not even know about its existence. It is surprising how organizations are created for orphans and they do not know about them.

The issue concerning finding a job was not ignored by interviewees. To find a job would be easier for orphans if they had a chance to get quality education. Aidana offered an idea that employers who hire orphans should get bonuses, discounts on taxes, promotion from the government. Such an action would raise the number of employed orphans immediately. Tamara mentioned that although orphans are first in the list in employment agencies, the problem to find job still remains for them. Evidently this method is not effective. Though orphans are first in the queue, employers do not want them. On the other hand implementing Aidana’s idea would help to solve the problem.

Definitely orphans need a place to live after leaving orphanages. Here the interviewees gave contradictory information. Philip said that the number of orphans who leave orphanage and the number of places in Youth houses do not coincide. Only teenagers who have no relatives at all can live in the Youth houses. Aidana said that there are places for each orphan. And Tamara said that only the ones with good behavior are taken to Youth houses. The reason of such contradictions in their answers might be that they have dealt with different orphanages and different Youth houses. As Maria said, how much a Youth house can afford depends on a level of financial support of the Youth house. Both Aidana and Tamara reported that there is a law, according to which orphans are entitled to get flats to live in, however for the last fourteen years none of orphans in Almaty has got a flat. (See Chapter 3) This illustrates that the government provided a sign of care of orphans – introduced a law, but did not check this law to be executed. This drawback needs to be improved.

The other essential things are utilities, medical care and transportation. Orphans need privileges in payments for these. It is very unfair that teenagers, who do not have parents to sponsor them, who do not have income first time, have to pay fully the same as other people who have monthly income do. Aidana mentioned that medicine is free for orphans according to law. But it can be guessed that this right is violated as well as others. In hospitals there are no declarations that orphans are served freely.

After they leave orphanages orphans face many challenges and problems. The government introduced laws which promise help to orphans. But in reality these laws are not executed. The results of this research show that more attention should be paid by the government to keeping orphan’s rights, execution of already existing laws and implementing some new measures: a course to teach orphans about their rights, challenges of independent life and giving bonuses to the employers, who hire orphans. The results of this research paper are limited as there was no possibility to conduct interviews with orphans who have recently left orphanages, who live in Youth houses and with the ones who are going to leave orphanage soon, with workers of orphanages and Youth houses. Interviews with this people would add great value to this report. Thus this issue needs further investigation.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 667