This is a translation of the post that originally appeared in the Russian language version of Neweurasia. The article was posted by Inga.

So, who can enjoy life in Kyrgyzstan? Most certainly disabled people fall out if the category that can afford more or least decent leaving on the ground. The state doesn’t have any consistent policy when dealing with its disabled citizens. There is no culture of charity being cherished at the end of the day. It’s only in the end of May the document about measures of the state support of the disabled for the years 2006-2010 was passed. The law on “Social support of citizens with limited capacities” is still pending in the parliament.

According to statistical data at the moment there some 100 000 of Kyrgyz citizens carry a status of disabled. Their lives are tough. With no real support from the state they can literally only breathe for free. The relief in such case is the work of different non government organizations that tend raising money for particular projects aimed at helping those with limited capacities.

“The former government used to take care of us at least on the minimal level, No they probably have a feeling that we are all gone and need neither support nor understanding.,”- Asipa Musaeva- the head of the Independent Association of impaired women- says.” For 10 years I’ve been raising money and organizing seminars for disabled people that at the end the day was helping them to survive. Now I’m realtionly concerned by the idea to take all internationally sponsored NGO’s on leash because of the concerns that they politically interfere into the internal affaires of Kyrgyzstan. If these speculations go on international organizations and donors will simply withdraw and than we’ll be left on our own with no support at all”

Indeed, recently it seems to be the case. Kyrgyzstan on many accounts replicates Russian patterns of “thinking internationally”. The recent case with NGO’s is very telling in this light. President Putin already expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of those NGOs in Russia that tend to raise “western” money. In the case of Russia, though, Vladimir Putin came up with some alternatives and offered to create special funds to support disabled citizens. Can Kyrgyzstan do the same? I have certain reservations about that. Currently state subsidies to people with limited capacities go as high as 10$ per month. Let’s be fair- surviving on that is quite unrealistic.

As a matter of fact, the civic sector in Kyrgyzstan nowadays is rather strong. The fact that some special organizations of this kind started to deal with the needs of disabled people was considered as a good sighn.

“I’m happy that as least someone can take care of us. We stopped counting on the state,”- says one of the members of the Association of physically impaired people. “I come here all the time to get some humanitarian aid from abroad and some moral support as well. NGOs like this one are willing to deal with us and invest their every effort into making our lives a bit easier. Without them will hardly be able to make it through.”

We can assume that the fear in this case is not that unfounded. Considering the lack of state support it’s safe to state that the prospects of the disabled citizens of Kyrgyzstan are not that bright. Authorities keep failing to handle the situation and, surprisingly enough, don’t let other stakeholders (such as NGOs and international donors) deal with the situation. In the Kyrgyz case, looking back at Russia will hardly make any good to ordinary people longing for support, no matter which side can offer it.