"THE FEELING OF INFERIORITY HAS BROKEN ME," DISABLED GOHAR SAYS
Shushan Stepanyan
HETQ
2009/04/06 | 19:02
Society
Twenty years ago, Gohar moved from Yeghegnadzor’s Malishka village to
Yerevan. She graduated the Accounting Department of the Commercial-Law
College of Yerevan. She settled down in the Avan hostel. Today,
she still lives in the same hostel completely alone.
"I am a second grade disabled from early childhood. I have a bilateral
retraction of femoral tendon. It’s extremely hard to live in a village
for a disabled person with such a problem, as one has to admit one’s
limited capabilities and loco oneself at home. My mother died and my
father married another woman from the village. I had to take care
of my brother for 10 years. He is also married now and he lives in
Chelyabinsk," Gohar told Hetq.
Gohar used to earn for living and to take care for her brother by
cleaning the houses of rich people, as well as by rendering care
for old people. The doctors soon prohibited her to do hard work,
as the condition of her legs grew worse. The tendon began to rotten
because of had physical labour. Gohar needs to wear bipolar femoral
endoprosthesis, but she doesn’t even dream of that as she can hardly
earn her daily bread.
"My brother can’t help me, as he does seasonal job that hardly provides
with enough money for his own family’s existence. My father is a
pensioner, besides, his son from the second marriage is a wheel-chair
disabled, too," Gohar said.
Gohar’s monthly income is 21 thousand drams, including 10 thousand
drams of benefits and 11 thousand drams of disability pension.
"This money doesn’t cover even the elementary needs I have. It’s hard
especially in winter, when it’s cold and I fear to heat my house,"
Gohar explained.
Gohar is perhaps among those one million people about MP
Victor Dallakian expressed concern about during the National
Assembly-Government conference. "What kind of measures is the
government going to take to sooth the possible social crisis that may
arise in case of increased gas, water and electricity prices. There
are one million socially vulnerable people living in Armenia at
present. The abovementioned increase in prices may lead to the
rise in prices of other products and services, as it is envisaged
to increase the custom’s taxes for some imported products," Victor
Dallakian asked the government.
In response to Dallakian’s question Arsen Hambardzoumian, RA Labour
and Social Issues Minister, said the following: "Taking into account
the possible increase in prices, RA Government had taken relevant
measures already last year. These steps are included in RA State
Budget 2009. In particular, I mean the rise of pensions, benefits,
financial assistance and payments on January 1st, 2009." The minister
added that he doesn’t think that additional 100-150 drams of expenses
is a big sum.
100-150 drams mean daily bread for Gohar who is ready to do any kind of
job in a seated position to earn that. "I don’t want to be a burden for
anyone. I just ask for a job that I can do sitting from the employers,
as I can work. I don’t know why today all of the doors are closed in
front of a disabled," Gohar said.
Friends and neighbours help Gohar, today, but she feels even worse
after that.
"I want to feel I am a really strong and full-blown person, I don’t
want to become a beggar. I am young, I want to establish myself,
I want to feel I am a human being, because my feeling of inferiority
has broken me, while the financial problems are an additional blow to
my inner world. I turn to our employers, to our friends from Diaspora,
who can render me a helping hand, they will sure see my gratitude,"
Gohar can’t help her feelings.
Gohar wrote a letter to Committee for Social Issues at RA National
Assembly. They sent her letter to Avan’s administration office, while
Gohar received no response till now. "When I called the Committee
for Social issues, they told me to wait for reforms, because I have
to endure this, as the disabled people are strong," Gohar said.
Many people may encourage Gohar, but she already thinks of leaving
Armenia. Her days are spent on looking for a job. They all keep
refusing to give her a job, moreover their words offend Gohar and
throw her into despair.
"When I call somewhere to apply for the elementary job of a dishwasher
or a cleaner, they refuse to hire me and keep telling me they serve
the elite who wouldn’t like to see a disabled at work. But if it’s
the elite, they should assist people like me, as it isn’t our fault
that we were born disabled and are in Armenia. The disabled people are
people of honour, they don’t want to beg, but give us a place, we also
have souls, we are also created by God," Gohar added with excitement.
Gohar expects assistance from the NGOs and benevolence
organizations. "I had some 40-50 telephone numbers, if at least one
of them gave me a response I would think that it’s worth surviving
a bit longer in Armenia," Gohar said in despair.
Gohar was told at the General Union of Disabled that’s it’s hard to
provide the disabled with jobs in Armenia.
RA State Employement Agency carries out "Partial Salary Compensation
to Employer" program. The program is aimed to find jobs for employment
market’s uncompetitive persons by providing partial salary compensation
to the potential employer. The compensation amounts to 30 thousand
drams. The program listed 167 uncompetitive persons, 63 of which
found jobs in 2008.
Avan Community Areal Employment signs a contract on 30 thousand drams
of monthly compensation with the employer who may employ a person
with limited abilities, but such cases are very rare.
Before telling good buy, Gohar said that she still hopes to find a job.
"I hope there will be someone who will let me enter his property and
will feel no shame for my being disabled," Gohar said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress