On finally taking broader action on the condition of the orphanage-Marnie
Dear Colleagues,
My name is Marnie Gustavson, and I am the executive director of PARSA, a small international NGO headquartered in Kabul. I and my staff have been working intensively in Alluhoddin Orphanage for the last six months-conducting an afternoon program for children who need intensive care-from medical attention to psychosocial therapy. Over the course of the six months my staff have brought me disturbing reports about the management of the orphanage, abuse, neglect and practices that could indicate deeper problems. Last fall, my colleague, Mahbouba Seraj and I, began an effort to bring these reports to the attention of the Ministry and to government officials. In our attempt to bring about change we repeatedly met people who knew about the problems but felt helpless to do anything about it-including a donor who has put over $20K into repairs, and parliamentarians who have brought the problems to the minister. This winter the difficulties for the children were acute. Mahbouba managed to secure the attention of vice president, Dr. Khalily, and accompanied him on a surprise visit to the orphanage a month ago-where he discovered no staff present other than door guards at 9am in the morning. He, again promised change. We have not heard from him since that time-and although there are superficial changes, my staff is now being harrassed by the management at the orphanage-as we have been identified as the whistle blowers.
I approached the US Embassy this week, and the Human Rights Office, has heard of other complaints about orphanages that are government run-and they have agreed to work with me to bring pressure on the government to bring about change. I would like to invite other interested parties to meet with us this week and to join with us to do so.
I want to establish my intent as far as this action goes.
Social Welfare programs for children are problematic in all parts of the world. I have worked with them for 15 year in the US and encountered gross abuses there as well. This is not a problem specific to Afghanistan. Raising public cry about child abuse can initiate short term changes- and create a degree of hysteria and knee jerk responses but I have not seen that it provides long term change very often. Our children around the world are still terribly vulnerable for all the outcry about it. I am very clear that Afghan's do not want their orphans in this environment-but reconstruction being where it is-there is a certain resignation about being able to change it.
In this initiative I would like the international community to to promote a program of capacity building-teaching the government systems of intervention that are democratic and that honor the rights of the government workers-as well as the children. Removing certain individuals from their posts, however much I would like to, will not create any long term change. Having the government take on a program of democratic intervention will. Supporting them in creating this protocol will start to by pass the current political considerations clearly in place. I am interested in this effort addressing all government run institutions that care for children in this country. I would deeply appreciate assistance from experts in this type of policy setting and intervention.
As an international community we need to have no tolerance for institutionalized abuse and neglect of children. I am not sure how this will play out but I am dedicated to seeing this through until the Afghan authorities involved join us in this commitment. We need to establish a baseline for the children's care and be very loud and insistent about the accomplishment of that.
Our first strategic meeting for this inititative will be in PARSA offices-10am on Tuesday. Please let me know if you would like to join us and I will send a map. My best to all.
My name is Marnie Gustavson, and I am the executive director of PARSA, a small international NGO headquartered in Kabul. I and my staff have been working intensively in Alluhoddin Orphanage for the last six months-conducting an afternoon program for children who need intensive care-from medical attention to psychosocial therapy. Over the course of the six months my staff have brought me disturbing reports about the management of the orphanage, abuse, neglect and practices that could indicate deeper problems. Last fall, my colleague, Mahbouba Seraj and I, began an effort to bring these reports to the attention of the Ministry and to government officials. In our attempt to bring about change we repeatedly met people who knew about the problems but felt helpless to do anything about it-including a donor who has put over $20K into repairs, and parliamentarians who have brought the problems to the minister. This winter the difficulties for the children were acute. Mahbouba managed to secure the attention of vice president, Dr. Khalily, and accompanied him on a surprise visit to the orphanage a month ago-where he discovered no staff present other than door guards at 9am in the morning. He, again promised change. We have not heard from him since that time-and although there are superficial changes, my staff is now being harrassed by the management at the orphanage-as we have been identified as the whistle blowers.
I approached the US Embassy this week, and the Human Rights Office, has heard of other complaints about orphanages that are government run-and they have agreed to work with me to bring pressure on the government to bring about change. I would like to invite other interested parties to meet with us this week and to join with us to do so.
I want to establish my intent as far as this action goes.
Social Welfare programs for children are problematic in all parts of the world. I have worked with them for 15 year in the US and encountered gross abuses there as well. This is not a problem specific to Afghanistan. Raising public cry about child abuse can initiate short term changes- and create a degree of hysteria and knee jerk responses but I have not seen that it provides long term change very often. Our children around the world are still terribly vulnerable for all the outcry about it. I am very clear that Afghan's do not want their orphans in this environment-but reconstruction being where it is-there is a certain resignation about being able to change it.
In this initiative I would like the international community to to promote a program of capacity building-teaching the government systems of intervention that are democratic and that honor the rights of the government workers-as well as the children. Removing certain individuals from their posts, however much I would like to, will not create any long term change. Having the government take on a program of democratic intervention will. Supporting them in creating this protocol will start to by pass the current political considerations clearly in place. I am interested in this effort addressing all government run institutions that care for children in this country. I would deeply appreciate assistance from experts in this type of policy setting and intervention.
As an international community we need to have no tolerance for institutionalized abuse and neglect of children. I am not sure how this will play out but I am dedicated to seeing this through until the Afghan authorities involved join us in this commitment. We need to establish a baseline for the children's care and be very loud and insistent about the accomplishment of that.
Our first strategic meeting for this inititative will be in PARSA offices-10am on Tuesday. Please let me know if you would like to join us and I will send a map. My best to all.
posted by Marnie Gustavson at
7:05 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home