Last year when I visited Baku, one of my most vivid observations was the beautiful walls. Today, I had the chance to venture behind the walls.
In the shadow (literally) of the Kempinski Hotel, Badambar, "Your 5 Star Luxury Hotel", there is a very poor IDP community. The families have been here for almost 20 years now, before the Hotel was built, and in that time they have received no government support for the development of their community. The roads up to and past the Hotel are sealed, but behind and beyond, it's 4 wheel drive territory.
I am here with a team of our project's Community Social Services workers; 3 women from among the national complement of 20-25 qualified social workers who are charged with case managing families and children that are referred by neighbours, doctors or schools - and primarily disabled children. We have come to meet two beautiful little kids, Emin and Asiman and their grandparents.
Asiman, now 9 years old, was born with epilepsy, but she had been attending school for two years before having her first fit at school. The school immediately "expelled" her - they did not know how, and were unwilling to deal with a child with epilepsy. At about the same time, Emin, now 7 years old, had his first fit.
Both children are now ineligible for school and because they are not officially diagnosed with epilepsy, they and their family do not receive medical or any other government support. But they knew no one to ask about the process, and they were frightened to go to the hospital. They knew of too many cases in their own community where people had presented for public (free) hospital or medical support only to leave empty handed when they were informed of "the cost". So they managed.
Today, thanks to the team's contacts and advocacy, Grandma was told that the children had an appointment next week with the hospital and that there would be no "costs". This means that the children will be officially listed on the Government system; they will be able to receive subsidised medications, their family will receive a government benefit and Emin and Asiman will be eligible to receive home schooling in 2013 onwards. (There is a way to go, with some other advocacy work happening, to enforce a policy for inclusive education.)
Emin and Asiman's case worker will follow them up once a week for the next three months and then if things are going alright, they will visit once a month for a further three months, and then once every three months, and after twelve months, if there is no more that we can do to assist, their case will be closed. (But once invested in the lives of kids, it is hard not to remain involved - and who can force that.)Thank you to the Aussies that are financially supporting this project - trust me, your donations are making a difference.
