KARDELEN
Orthopaedic
equipment for handicapped children, Turkey
Regional Background
On the road
leading to the airport, some 30 minutes outside the city
limits of Turkey's capital, Ankara, Saray Children's home
and rehabilitation centre stands - a large and sprawling
government-run institution. Originally built as a 'model'
for visiting dignitaries in the aftermath of the military
take-over, it was designed to be seen as government's
example of forward thinking
'social-responsibility'. Initially, 800 physically and
mentally normal children from poor backgrounds or from the
streets (there are an estimated 60,000 children living rough
in Istanbul alone) were given basic care and
accommodation. After five years, half of these children were
transferred elsewhere, and in their place 450 disabled
orphans were installed in "C" block. With this, the
standards at Saray significantly lowered and rooms became
filled to overflowing with groups of children ranging from
mentally handicapped to multiply disabled and bed-ridden. As
with the able-bodied children, only one social worker and
two caretakers were assigned to up to 40 children. The
majority of the staff are untrained and/or themselves
products of the state orphanage system. Demoralised by the
tremendous workload, the care level is appallingly
inadequate.
The "Throw aways"
The day to day
reality is of severely physically and mentally disabled
children ("throw-aways") dragging themselves around if they
can move at all, or lying on urine soaked, worn carpet for the
hours that they are not confined to metal cots - many tied to
the bars by pieces of filthy cloth. Many show the
well-established signs of severe depressive stress by
continuous rocking for hours on end and by self-inflicted
wounds, mainly to their heads; a straightjacket will be used
in the most severe cases. Most are beyond the ability to
produce tears anymore, and their days and nights pass by with
little or no stimulation and a minimal amount of physical
contact of any kind, let alone of a loving nature. Many
could and should be capable of walking, talking and swallowing
solid food, but all of these actions take time, patience and
skill in order to be taught. Consequently, most can do none of
these.
PROJECT AIMS
Kardelen, a Turkish
NGO was founded as a direct result of witnessing the plight of
the disabled "C" block residents at Saray Orphanage. Working
patiently alongside the Director and staff at Saray, Kardelen
have gained their trust enough to be allowed to renovate and
equip three rooms at the orphanage to provide a haven of love,
training, therapy and encouragement for some of the most
damaged children and young people, between 4 and 24 yrs old.
With practical support from teams of volunteers from overseas
and Turkey, many children's lives have been totally
transformed by their presence and the hope that they have
introduced.
HOW YOU HAVE HELPED
The money you have
given through The Besom has gone towards the purchase of 4
wheel chairs, with safety belts and 10 no-flat rear tyres.
These will enable more children to get out and about –
something which they will never have done. You have also
helped fund 7 exercise cushions to help improve movement, a
toilet chair, 3 activity mats, 2 plastic ball pools for
playing around in and 2 Rifton Chairs. These chairs will
help the child to lean slightly
forward from the hips. This frees shoulders, arms and hands
for eating, writing and toileting or just simply
communicating.
You have made a huge
difference to the independence of these children at the
Saray orphanage.
|
|
