BIBI-ANA: NGO FOR DISABLED SINGLE MOTHERS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Deteriorating living standards and the
elimination of basic social privileges provided by the Kazakhstan government has turned
the disabled into the most disadvantaged stratum of society. The inability of the local
government to keep pace with the growing needs of the region’s more than 17,000
disabled people has forced the disable to form non-governmental organizations and take
vital social issues into their own hands.

The regional association of disabled single mothers, Bibi-Ana, was founded in the
Northern Kazakhstan regional capital of Petropavlosk in 1998 to obtain access to health
care, public transportation and children’s education. The NGO members closely
cooperate with local media to get their voices heard. But with the privatization of
transportation, schools, and hospitals in the region, as well as dwindling government
support for Kazakhstan’s disabled population, Bibi-Ana is facing considerable
financial pressure.

In its initial stage of existence, Bibi-Ana turned to entrepreneurs and public
institutions for financial support. However, to ensure a stable source of income and
become independent from donations, the association’s members implemented a business
plan that includes running a small shop and managing a parking lot. Members are trying to
negotiate tax reductions with government officials but the members lack adequate expertise
in business economics. Scarce funds that are provided by sponsoring organizations are
poorly used. What is needed most by Bibi-Ana and similar NGOs is business management
instruction to help them achieve long-term goals and cultivate new thinking.

Unfortunately, most of the objectives set by Bibi-Ana can not be realized under the
present economic and social conditions. The greatest hurdle is the lack of solidarity
among the disabled people of the region. Though at least four non-governmental
organizations for disabled people have been registered with the Department of Justice in
the Northern Kazakhstan Region to date, traditional rivalries prevent them from
collaborating and building a partnership.

Marat Yermukanov is a correspondent for the Petropavlosk city funded
newspaper "Tribuna" and is a regional correspondent for the independent weekly
"Panorama" based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.