Children with hands in the air at SOS Village Samarkand,…
Else where in Uzbekistan, and the SOS village in Tashkent, other children were enjoying and taking part in an exhibition of their drawings. This is for a contest called "I paint the world". This event reflected the children's small biographies.
- Lisa
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Children with hands in the air at SOS Village Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Else where in Uzbekistan, and the SOS village in Tashkent, other children were enjoying and taking part in an exhibition of their drawings. This is for a contest called "I paint the world". Lots of guests came to see the colourful artwork, from embassies, international and local organizations.
To make the drawings psychologists and artists worked with the children. According to one of the artists Oksana Giltsova:
"Firstly, the children didn't know how to hold a brush and paint. However, after some time, when the children themselves saw the results, they understood that they have the ability and it can be very great."
Ms Inkilob Tursunova, head of Child Fund of Uzbekistan said that it is wonderful when children are engaged in art. "Art helps the children to express their feelings, thoughts and desires. The children involved in this campaign have had a difficult childhood. However, when looking at their pictures, we can see bright colours and pictures full of hope."
The exhibition is part of a campaign aimed at raising public awareness of children who have experienced living in difficult circumstances.
All involved children from the Village came to the exhibition. Shy, curious but very happy they looked through their drawings and were very proud of them. The children shared their impressions, told and showed what they drew. This event reflected their small biographies. All participants were awarded certificates.
- Mary
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Bee on flower at Children's Village Baku, Azerbaijan.
I have found out a little of what the situation is like in Azerbaijan.
The political and economic transformation that has been seen in the former Soviet Union has led to many positive changes, but it has left a vacuum in many areas, particularly in the social system. Families that are poor or have no money at all are now worse off than they were 20 years ago.
Poverty, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS represent the greatest problems. Many families that live below the poverty line know little or nothing about how they can access the social services to which they are entitled.
Firuza is one of the estimated 186,000 refugees who live in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. They are victims of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Firuza was lucky to escape safely with her husband and children, but then one day her husband threw Firuza and their children out of their home because of another woman. She ended up living in the middle of an area of high-rise flats in a hovel with walls that had originally been used by workers to store their tools whilst the housing was built. In February 2007, Firuza was accepted for SOS Children's Villages' family support. "We establish the commitments that both sides agree to make, we work together on a family development plan and then we work together to put this into action", explains Turan, a social worker. A year later, things are already looking considerably better for Firuza and her four children.
The names of the people featured in this article have been changed to protect the people's identity.
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