Every child needs touch
Transcription
Every child needs touch
Love and care for the orphans of Kyrgyzstan We are the NGO Uplift-Aufwind. Our mission is to initiate, implement, and monitor projects that alleviate and prevent poverty and establish proactive measures that impact on health. We have been serving socially disadvantaged and orphaned children and single mothers since 2007. Amidst all the difficulties arising from the transformation and globalization of Central Asia’s post-Soviet societies, our work has impacted the lives of over 500 children and each day our results demonstrate the value of our programs. The “Loving Hands” program The far-reaching benefits of massage Every child needs touch The green kite breaks the vicious cycle A shortage of care throughout the world has devastating consequences, further entrenching poverty in regions such as Kyrgyzstan. Poverty leads to increased numbers of abandoned and institutionalized children. While international aid organizations and the national government seek to provide basic shelter, food, and medical care for these children, the need does not end there. A child’s ability to develop normally is crucially tied to having physical and emotional contact in the early months of its life. Our experience shows that institutionalized children lack affection, communication, and physical touch. These deficiencies cause severe physical and psychological damage. However, when these children receive regular physical and emotional attention over several months, they begin to catch up and develop normally. That is why massage therapy for babies continues as one of the key projects of Uplift-Aufwind. Abandoned babies in maternity hospitals and orphans are the primary recipients of this effort. This program provides crucial physical and emotional contact to babies in the early months of their lives. In 2005, the pilot project “Loving Hands – Early Intervention for Orphans” began for children aged 0-4 years in a Bishkek orphanage. “Loving hands” was the result of years of experience by Alexandra Walz, a certified infant massage instructor from Germany. "Women/Caregivers are trained to become certified "Massage Mothers" during the program." These “Massage Mothers” regularly massage the infants and children and take time to bathe them, play with them, talk to, and feed them. These regular treatments, the ongoing touching, personal contact, and loving attention together yield positive effects! These neglected children blossom physically and spiritually; the massage process shows visible benefits that give children a good start in life. Again, this massage therapy has given the children a real chance to develop in a relatively normal fashion despite their living in orphanages. It is a fact: our children are consistently among those most rapidly adopted! Nowadays Uplift-Aufwind provides regular love and massage to 164 orphans from orphanages in Bishkek, Tokmok, and Belovodskoje. Prevention of child abandonment Through maternity homes, Uplift-Aufwind works with new mothers who are at risk of giving up their children. These women usually have no husband, home or family support or money. Sometimes they choose to leave the child because it has a disability. The goal of the “Prevention of Child Abandonment” program is to encourage the mother to keep her child. Sometimes all a mother needs is some understanding, support and modest financial assistance at the beginning and she will choose to keep her child with her. Uplift-Aufwind e.V. team in Kyrgyzstan: Coordinator in Bishkek Suleimanova Nazgul tel.: 0555 91 64 73 [email protected] Coordinator in Tokmok Shamyrkanova Burul tel.: 0777 21 20 65 [email protected] Coordinator in Belovodskoje Yatsenko Natalia tel.: 0555 91 79 46 [email protected] Support for parents of children with special needs In our fight against child abandonment, Uplift-Aufwind has also created a program called the Tokmok “Play Group”. Three times a week, parents of children with special needs come to the social station for massage lessons, child care instructions, and guidance in obtaining social services. This is also an opportunity for these parents to meet other parents who are facing the same difficulties. This UpliftAufwind prevention program gives them the emotional support they need to keep their child. Emergency help Individual help is offered for children needing emergency care in particularly difficult circumstances, such as life-saving operations. For example, we help to arrange operations for orphans with cleft palate. We partner with a team of doctors from the German-Swiss foundation “AWD-Kinderhilfe”, which provides professional medical treatment. Uplift-Aufwind organizes the appointments for operations and accompanies the children before, during, and after hospitalization. Sponsor a child Help to break the vicious cycle! By sponsoring a child for $30 per month, you can make it possible for a child to receive care and love through the Loving Hands program. The money will cover all expenses (training and medical checkup of the Massage Mothers, massage materials, etc.). Every donation, large or small, helps to strengthen our work to give orphaned children a better chance in life and to promote the civil and social development of Kyrgyzstan. Infant massage instructor, physical therapist Cornelia Hewitt-Geiser [email protected] Uplift-Aufwind e.V. team in Europe: Maren Ernst, founder & board member [email protected] Nandani Lynton, board member Ute List, bursar & board member [email protected] www.uplift-aufwind.org Uplift-Aufwind e.V. is a charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible. By bank transfer: GLS Bank - Account No.: 4021514500 BANK CODE NUMBER: 43060967 By PayPal: [email protected] The Green Kite symbolizes our innovative programs – embodying movement, strength and progress!