Moldova

Real lives

Moldova's disabled children: A personal portrait

© UNICEF Moldova/2001

Ilies newly learned smile

This year brought eleven-year-old Ilies Stefirta the biggest change in his life. His face, paled by time only spent inside sitting in his wheelchair, got a little suntanned. And a newly formed smile appears on his face from time to time.

He now has something to look forward to as he waits for the weekly visits from his new friends: university students from the pedagogical and social-work departments who volunteer at the Information and Documentation Center on Children's Rights. Ilies impatiently waits to join his new friend George in the nearest park, another child with disabilities he met at camp last summer. But right now, he is looking forward to the opening of the Day Center for the Rehabilitation and Social Integration of Disabled Young People in the Botanica neighbourhood of Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova and his own city. This will be the first center with wheelchair accessible ramps that will be able accommodate children and young people in his own situation.

Until now, he was used to the same routine. He sat away entire days in a wheelchair. His first wheelchair was an exceedingly large and awkward one built by his father. Then one day he received a wheelchair from a charity organization – a manufactured one that is comfortable and much easier to wheel around.

Ilies has had several surgeries and spends a lot of time in hospitals, always cared for by his untiring mother. But when he is at home, Ilie waits for his younger sister, eight year old Tanea, to get home from school. She is one of a few people that will play with him. Also, in the evenings, after work, his father spends time playing chess with him. He has no friends of his own age. It seems healthy boys have other interests.

© UNICEF Moldova/2001

In the summer camp, Ilies plays tennis for the first time in his life

Once a week, a teacher comes to his house. He is taught mathematics, his favourite subject, and the native language. Even though Ilies would like to learn much more, such as geography, history or a foreign language, no one cam oblige the extremely poorly paid teachers to take on additional work. And his parents cannot afford the burdening costs of a private education, in addition to their son's rehabilitation therapies and life-giving treatments.

His mother, Ala, is employed as a weaver at the local carpet factory. But as a result of Ilies' health status, she mostly spends time helping him, not working. His father, Anatol, is a driver for a local dairy. Each of them receives a monthly salary of approximately 400 lei (30 US dollars), enough to cover just the basic needs of the family.

"The main problems are schooling and socialization", says Ala. "We tried to integrate him into general school and I was ready to go with him to school every day, but the school administration didn't allow us."

To the school administration, a disabled child meant more problems so they "strongly encouraged" the family to keep Ilies at home.

An end to isolation

In Moldova, wheelchair-bound individuals are isolated and lack opportunities to participate in society. While parents care for the majority of children with the highest level of disabilities, integration is difficult as neither apartment buildings nor public places are accessible for handicapped people. Most families cannot afford to purchase a wheelchair. This situation is worsened by a widespread attitude, fostered during communist times, that disabled children are better cared for in institutions. Research shows that inadequate social benefits and community support are exposing children with disabilities to a high risk of abandonment.

When Ilies met first Liliana Osipov, his "social-assistant friend" from the Information and Documentation Center on Children's Rights, he burst into tears at every question: What would you like to learn? Do you want to meet other children in wheelchairs of your age at a summer camp?

Now, whenever Liliana comes, they often laugh together, recalling all the adventures at the summer camp away from the city, surrounded by forests. Ilies loved the fresh air and he was taught how to dance in a wheelchair, how to go up ramps and stairs and other obstacles. Oxana, another volunteer in a wheelchair, taught him how to maneuver his chair onto two wheels and how to use only one hand.

There where 15 children of his age in wheelchairs at the training, all accompanied by a parent and one "social-assistant friend". It seems that the social assistants were the most fun: they knew a lot of games, funny competitions and even organized a masquerade, with Ilies as the Magician. It was also the first time Ilies spent a lot of time with his father, who accompanied him to the summer camp and participated in the special training for parents.

© UNICEF Moldova/2001

The Stefirta family faces the new challenges and prospects together

It was a life-change experience for Ilies' father. He is now full of ideas and hopes about Ilies' future and for possibilities for developing his potential. George, his new friend, is a very joyful person. After meeting at the summer camp, they talk a lot over the phone and ccasionally meet in the nearest park. George and Ilie have similar interests: they repeat multiplication tables and challenge each other to mathematical equations. They both want to learn much more than what they are currently offered and they both dream of one day being able to use computers. In fact, they dream of becoming information technology specialists in order to really become independent.

Last Sunday, with volunteers and parents they went to a showing of the The Wizard of Oz at the theatre. Yes, life has changed dramatically for Ilies. He is looking forward to the opening of the Day Center for the Rehabilitation and Social Integration of Disabled Young People. He understands that the Day Center will provide him with opportunities to exercise, to have rehabilitation therapy at no cost to his parents, and much to his delight - access to computer classes. The opening of the Day Center is planned for late October 2001. The UNICEF supported project is developed by the Municipal Child Protection Department, in cooperation with non-governmental Information and Documentation Center on Children's Rights. The beneficiaries of the Center will be children and young people between 7-21 years wheelchair-bound, as well as other young people from the neighbourhood. The Day Center will offer rehabilitation, counseling, in addition to facilitating the social integration of disabled young people. Services will also include vocational training, computer classes and a workshop for assembling wheelchairs. The personnel will include rehabilitation therapists, psychologists, teachers, and social workers.

A group of child rights volunteers from the Information and Documentation Center on Children's Rights, trained by UNICEF, have already started to work with the future beneficiaries of the center. Two summer camps for disabled children and young people were organized this summer. It was the first attempt to train them for independent life skills and socialization. The project includes training for approximately a thousand children and young people, both with and without disabilities, 500 adults (teachers, public servants, social workers, doctors, and parents), as well as specific training in peer education for 35 volunteers and 22 young people with disabilities.

If one makes his/her way to the future Day Center, one can already notice children in wheelchairs coming to the building site trying the wheelchair ramps and giving advice to the workers.