Medical Centres in Azerbaijan

SOS Social Centre FSP in Baku

By the end of 2008, 212 children had been integrated into Family Support Project Baku. 2008 became a cornerstone in history of the FSP Baku as we began to prioritise a package of services versus traditional food package.

Therefore, eight beneficiaries from the project took part in training on basic computer skills which was organised by World Hope International/Azerbaijan.

This was the first time when not only children but also 2 mother-beneficiaries took part in the courses. According to the agreement with the Republic Clinical Hospital, our beneficiaries could use medical services on free of charge basis. Four children have already been checked up, one child underwent an operation in late December.

A generous donation made by the friends of our programme helped in making surgery to one of our mother-beneficiary who suffered from a life threatening goiter. It is also planned to organise medical treatment for adult and child beneficiaries in 2009.

More than 200 children took part in the activities devoted to the International Day of Health on the 7th of April. The dentist from SOS Dental Cabinet informed children about hygiene of mouth cavity in

an interactive way. On the occasion of International Children’s Day 20 beneficiaries of 10 – 13 years old took part in the training on Children’s Rights held in May.

In terms of partnership opportunities and fundraising activities the year was also beneficial. In late August and early September our school age beneficiaries were provided with school stationary. Thanks to sponsors twenty three students at primary school were provided with school supplies (copybooks, albums, pens, pencils and etc.). They had previously been unable to attend school due to a lack of money so this result was great.

Turan Jafarova, Project Co-ordinator

SOS Social Centre FSP in Ganja

The project started in April 2008 and up to now it was able to reach 106 disadvantaged families with 220 children beneficiaries. Beneficiaries of our target families, who had limited school attendance were able to develop their education through vocational courses provided by our partners. 17 children benefit from free capacity building services such as computer, English, needlework and carpentry while 14 mothers benefited from vocational trainings (sewing, cosmetics, cooking, weaving, etc.).

Before this partnership with target beneficiaries, some of them didn’t have accurate legal documents such as ID, marriage certificate, birth certificate and so on.  Due to legal and social consultations given by project social workers and partners, part of our target families got welfare payments from government. This meant their living standards rose and, consequently 4 of our families reached self-reliance status.

Children who previously could not attend were able to and currently, those children go to schools and nursery schools. Three of them go to Ganja International School and freely benefit from studing there together with the children from the families from the community.

Medical treatment was given to three children suffering from neurosis, eye problems, paralisys and to one single mother suffering from asthma and diabetes. Through our efforts one child from the maternity hospital has been reunited to her biological family. She was abandoned, because of physical defect on her lips and larynx. We helped her family in looking for free surgery.

Another remarkable achievement in activity of FSP Ganja in 2008 is the organisation and operation of a functioning of Mothers’ Club which joined together our beneficiaries. The aim of the club is to provide experience exchange between the mothers and so they support each other.

SOS Child Development Centre in Baku

The centre operates under the roof the SOS Nursery School Baku with a team consisting of two social educators. In general, in 2008 sixty children were involved in the activities of the centre at Baky. Forty eight of them were the girls and twelve were boys. 3 different courses operate at the centre: Ecology and Know the world, Musical theatre and English.

During the year six children left the centre, while we welcomed twelve newcomers. Throughout the year different activities were held within the centre: work of the children attendanting of the centre on International Children’s Day; holiday events on occasion of New Year; Novruz Bairam in spring and different competitions between the groups

SOS Playbus Project of Azerbaijan

This year the SOS Play Bus project organised 197 activities which covered about 10,480 children and 2,360 adults.

We began the year from the 6-day training on “The role of games in child’s development” which was conducted in February for teachers and educators from Azerbaijani Teachers’ Institute of refreshment and qualification.

In August, the regular summer tour to Azerbaijani regions took place. As a result twenty two activities which covered about 2,140 children were held. Within the tour two-day training for the Nursery School teachers, SOS Children's Village Ganja and the FSP Project Ganja staff on “How to teach by game?” was conducted.

On the 14th of September colorful Kick off Day took part at the SOS Children's Village Baku. The beneficiaries from the FSP Baku, Child Development Centre and SOS Children's Village Baku took part in the opening ceremony.

On September 21st, the wide activity at Baku Boulevard was conducted on occasion of International Peace Day. The celebration lasted 2 hours and was covered by many local TV channels; more than 200 children and about 150 adults participated in the event.

Among the participants there were children from the state orphanages No 1, 2, 3 and SOS children as well as the passers-by. Drawings on asphalt were exhibited, different lively games were arranged for the children. The celebration finished by the symbolic release of the “peace balls” into the sky.

Viktoriya Mustafayeva, Team Leader