Our team

Testimony of samusocialMoskva medical consultant Jasur Faiziev

Why have you decided to work in samusocialMoskva? What is your motivation?

Very often I have been asked this question. Firstly, it is my duty as a doctor. Secondly, it is the will of my heart. I have an opportunity to help those in trouble and I do that to prove that there should be no abandoned children. These children have nobody to rely on. We have to try to restore their belief in human goodness and to contribute to the elimination of the term “no one’s child”.

What are your initial education and your previous professional experience? How does it help you in work in samusocialMoskva?

I graduated from Tashkent pediatric medical institute with specialty degree in pediatric surgery. Before joining samusocialMoskva I have already had experience in charitable activities. From 2002 till 2004 I worked in the International Association “Doctors Without Borders” (Belgium) in the project “Street Children”. During my work in this project I have acquired experience in work with homeless children and have learnt the principles of charitable work in this sphere. In 2007 I started to work in samusocialMoskva.

Could you, please, tell us about the outreach work of samusocialMoskva mobile teams?

samusocialMoskva Mobile Aid Teams are composed of professional physiologists, medical consultants and drivers. Every night at 6 pm all the team gathers together for the briefing – a short meeting for the discussion and information sharing. Our coordinator prepares recommendations for the Mobile Team on the route for the coming outreach. Work in the streets requires special knowledge and, particularly, professional experience which could be acquired in the course of everyday work with homeless children. Thus, for example, the team should know well the location of the beneficiaries and the latter should get used to the Team’s arrival at particular time at night. Being a doctor, apart from delivering first medical assistance and preventive inspection I speak with the beneficiaries about health education. Psychologists organize individual or group counseling. We are also trying to provide children with hot meals, coffee and tea. Social worker is helping our beneficiaries to restore contacts with family, relatives or childcare institutions, to get access to medical treatment and to restore documents.

What are the most frequent obstacles that you come across in your everyday work?

The hardest in our work is to get into contact with homeless child and to earn his/her trust, to get a sincere answer. Moreover, homeless children and youngsters very often suffer from diseases that are rare in the practice of a pediatrician: injuries, gastrointestinal tract and toxic diseases including food infections, diseases caused by drug use (abscess, infected wounds, phlebitis, lymphadenitis). As a rule, conditions of street life weaken child immune system which increases disease risks. Lack of knowledge in medical and safety precautions including contraception leads to the growing number of venereal diseases such as syphilis, HIV hepatitis B among homeless youngsters.

What is your impression about the situation concerning homeless children and youngsters in the streets of Moscow (their number, life conditions, the role of other institutions…)?

Well, I can speak about some positive changes that have happened for the recent years that I have been working in this sphere in Moscow. Firstly, the number of specialists from public and non-state organizations working in this domain has increased. Secondly, today homeless children more often trust social workers, doctors and psychologists, they are less frightened to make contact. In addition, some positive outcomes of preventive work could be noticed. Children tend to restore ties with families, relatives, to return to shelters and to leave the street. However, there are still few organizations that are ready to deliver direct assistance to homeless children in Moscow. There is also a lack of accessible information concerning homelessness. A better coordination between state social protection institutions, police and non-governmental organizations is also desirable to address the problem of social exclusiveness in megapolis especially among children and youngsters efficiently.