To combat this problem, a resource center called "Эне уйу" ("House of Mom") was opened in Bishkek with the support of the construction company "Нурзаман". Its main goal is to help keep children in families and support mothers.
At the opening ceremony, the Vice-Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh, Zhyldyz Taalaibek kyzy, emphasized that the parliament is ready to provide comprehensive support to mothers and children, noting the importance of such a project for Kyrgyzstan. The Deputy Minister of Labor, Ainura Orozbaeva, also expressed hope that the center would become a place where women could gain knowledge and confidence in their abilities.
The center provides temporary free housing, psychological support, and training in professions such as cooking, tailoring, or salon work. Women can stay here for three to twelve months, depending on their individual circumstances. Rooms accommodate two to three women, ensuring comfortable living conditions.
One story is about a woman who had already given her newborn to an orphanage out of fear that she would not be able to feed him. She had another child, and the funds were catastrophically insufficient. However, after the intervention of the center's staff, mother and child were reunited. In seven months, she restored her health, acquired two professions, and is ready for independent living.
Co-founder of the company Kuduret Kaaryev stated that the decision to support the project was made after analyzing its results.
“We were looking for an area where help would truly be effective. We confirmed that the project has real indicators. In Kazakhstan, over the past 12 years, the number of children in orphanages has decreased from 10,000 to 4,700, and the number of children in baby homes has reduced from 1,500 to 372. Helping a child stay with their mother is a chance for a full life. It is an investment to ensure that the child does not become an orphan,” he noted.
Why This Is Necessary
Despite the existence of a system of orphanages and boarding schools, preventing orphanhood remains the most appropriate approach to solving this problem. Children often end up in institutions not because they have no parents, but because their mothers do not receive the necessary support.
"Эне уйу".
"In Kyrgyzstan, more than 10,000 children are in orphanages and boarding schools. Of these, only 5% have no parents; the rest do," reported Nazgul Turdubekova, director of the branch of the international project "House of Mom" in Kyrgyzstan.
Creating such centers allows addressing the root causes of the problem—poverty, isolation, psychological trauma, and lack of support.
If at least one child stays with their mother, it will already change their fate. This means that such projects are significant.
