Narmin’s Story – Rejoining Society through Center’s Support
Imagine being a 12-year-old girl with special needs, no siblings, and two parents with problems of their own – one with mental health issues and the other with serious back problems. You are an internally displaced person (IDP), unable to go to school because of your disability and thus, socially isolated. This is Narmin’s story.
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Through Child and Family Support Centers activities, USAID creates opportunity for children with special needs. Twelve–year–old Narmin never before had access to basic education and now happily learns with the help of Center Staff.
Photo Credit: Save the Children |
Narmin is the only child of an IDP family currently living in a sanatorium in Shuvelan, Azerbaijan. Although Narmin’s parents noticed early on that their daughter was developing more slowly than other children, they never knew who to approach for help. Her mother, Ziver Khanim, had mental health problems herself and had no knowledge of development, education, and discipline approaches for children with special learning needs. Without the assistance she needed, at age 12, Narmin did not know how to count, the names of colors, and could not dress herself. She could not do things as simple as brushing her teeth and lacked appropriate social skills. Narmin’s aggressiveness hindered her from communication with both her peers and adults around her. Her disability made her ineligible to attend school, giving her little opportunity to learn to study or interact with other children her age
In April 2007, the USAID-supported Children and Family Support Center entered Narmin in its active therapy classes. Through constant encouragement of her skills and achievements, Narmin began to take great strides with enthusiasm. After three months of learning basic life skills, she began taking art therapy classes with other children. Simultaneously, Narmin’s parents received support through regular psychological consultations and special sessions for her mother, who learned how to positively discipline and contribute to her daughter’s development.
As a result of her work at the Center, Narmin was able to attend a special school to begin her education. With continued, concerted effort Narmin began receiving regular, free treatment at the Children’s Neurological Hospital, much-needed assistance that her family would otherwise be unable to afford. Narmin’s parents are extremely pleased by the positive changes in their daughter and in knowing that she now has the opportunity to participate more fully in the world.
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