Tajikistan: Child Poverty Remains Widely Spread
Farzona is a lonely woman working on the market and feeding five children. She has two children and she lives in a dormitory. She also takes care of three children of her brother, who serves time in prison, because his wife is sick and cannot take care of them.
Farzona's youngest child is eighteen months old and he is sick. Her daily income is not enough to buy food and medicines. Although people help her family via social media with financial and food aid, it happens occasionally.
Farzona's youngest child is eighteen months old and he is sick. Her daily income is not enough to buy food and medicines. Although people help her family via social media with financial and food aid, it happens occasionally.
Own methods
According to the World Bank, a person living on less than 1.9 dollars a day is "extreme poor." However, Tajikistan does not recognise this method and determines the poor on the basis of their housing problem, family members and income level. The poverty level in the country is estimated by two indicators – the income of a household and expenditures.
"For example, if a household earns 100 somoni (8.83 dollars), and if you spend 75 per cent of them on food and cannot afford other non-foods, you are poor," Abduvali Kulov, chief of the department for demographic statistics, employment and social protection of the Statistics Agency of Tajikistan, said at the press conference.
He added that according to the World Health Organisation's recommendations, a person should consume 2,250 kcal per day, and if he consumes less, he is also considered poor.
"We hold surveys in all the regions and every person keeps a special log where they mention everything they eat. We pay for such accurate information," Kulov said.
Targeted social allowance is provided to citizens and low-income families for the term of one year. The amount is 400 somoni (35.32 dollars) per year and 100 somoni (8.83 dollars) per quarter.
During the coronavirus pandemic, according to the order of the government of Tajikistan dated July 11, 2020, "vulnerable groups of people must receive one-time payment equal to the minimum wage rate". According to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, one-time social allowances in Tajikistan were provided to 64,469 poor households.
The allowance is as low as 44 dollars and was provided to those households that had children under the age of 3. Currently, 32.2 million somoni or over 3 million dollars have been spent for this purpose. However, this money is not from the national budget, but from the World Bank.
"For example, if a household earns 100 somoni (8.83 dollars), and if you spend 75 per cent of them on food and cannot afford other non-foods, you are poor," Abduvali Kulov, chief of the department for demographic statistics, employment and social protection of the Statistics Agency of Tajikistan, said at the press conference.
He added that according to the World Health Organisation's recommendations, a person should consume 2,250 kcal per day, and if he consumes less, he is also considered poor.
"We hold surveys in all the regions and every person keeps a special log where they mention everything they eat. We pay for such accurate information," Kulov said.
Targeted social allowance is provided to citizens and low-income families for the term of one year. The amount is 400 somoni (35.32 dollars) per year and 100 somoni (8.83 dollars) per quarter.
During the coronavirus pandemic, according to the order of the government of Tajikistan dated July 11, 2020, "vulnerable groups of people must receive one-time payment equal to the minimum wage rate". According to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, one-time social allowances in Tajikistan were provided to 64,469 poor households.
The allowance is as low as 44 dollars and was provided to those households that had children under the age of 3. Currently, 32.2 million somoni or over 3 million dollars have been spent for this purpose. However, this money is not from the national budget, but from the World Bank.
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"At the second stage, the one-time social allowance in the amount of 44 dollars will be provided to low-income households with children under the age of 7 and children with disabilities under the age of 18, as well as to needy families with children at the age of 7 to 16, where women are heads of households," the ministry of health promised.
Every third child lives in poverty
According to the Statistics Agency, the recent data on child poverty covering the period of 2019-2020 have not been published yet.
According to the last document of 2018, despite the steady growth of income and living standard achieved in recent years, child poverty remains widely spread in Tajikistan. According to the official definition of poverty given by the Statistics Agency, "a share of children living in poor households reduced from 38 per cent in 2013 to 34 per cent in 2016."
The level of child poverty is defined as the share of children under the age of 18 living in households with gross consumption below the national poverty line per capita.
The level of extreme poverty among children is defined the same way, but based on the minimum sum of expenses needed to satisfy minimum needs of a person in food (2,250 calories in Tajikistan).
"Child poverty in Tajikistan remains high compared to adult poverty as families with many children are exposed to higher poverty risk. The increase in income from employment was recognised a relatively important factor in poverty reduction in recent years. Child poverty contributes to the intergenerational transmission of poverty," according to the document.
Also, it emphasises that investing in the child, even small amounts, in childhood, can do good not only to particular people, but also to the society and economy. Even if the country has high birth rate and 40 per cent of population are under the age of 18.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the brochure "Community empowerment: manual for NGOs", which says that "the shortage of proper education remains the key risk factor in poverty and marginalisation of all children with and without disabilities."
According to the last document of 2018, despite the steady growth of income and living standard achieved in recent years, child poverty remains widely spread in Tajikistan. According to the official definition of poverty given by the Statistics Agency, "a share of children living in poor households reduced from 38 per cent in 2013 to 34 per cent in 2016."
The level of child poverty is defined as the share of children under the age of 18 living in households with gross consumption below the national poverty line per capita.
The level of extreme poverty among children is defined the same way, but based on the minimum sum of expenses needed to satisfy minimum needs of a person in food (2,250 calories in Tajikistan).
"Child poverty in Tajikistan remains high compared to adult poverty as families with many children are exposed to higher poverty risk. The increase in income from employment was recognised a relatively important factor in poverty reduction in recent years. Child poverty contributes to the intergenerational transmission of poverty," according to the document.
Also, it emphasises that investing in the child, even small amounts, in childhood, can do good not only to particular people, but also to the society and economy. Even if the country has high birth rate and 40 per cent of population are under the age of 18.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the brochure "Community empowerment: manual for NGOs", which says that "the shortage of proper education remains the key risk factor in poverty and marginalisation of all children with and without disabilities."
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Meanwhile, Nazarkhudo Dastambuyev, director for educational programmes, arts and community activities, Open Society Institute, said that 86 of 100 children cannot currently attend kindergartens or pre-school facilities.
"These figures raise our concern. Now imagine that these 86 children stay at home. What activities can you do with them?" he said.
"These figures raise our concern. Now imagine that these 86 children stay at home. What activities can you do with them?" he said.
One of the paediatricians of the sanitary and epidemiological centre at Dushanbe, who did not want to be named, said to CABAR.asia that nutritional standards for children are not met both at home and at pre-school facilities.
"The recommended standards, which are copied from the Russian ones, remain on paper in Tajikistan because the economic situation of both the country and the people makes it impossible to maintain them. Moreover, malnutrition has a negative impact on the intellectual and physical development of children," the paediatrician said.
According to the National Programme of Communications of Tajikistan for 2020-2024, the country has the highest indicators of stunting among children in Europe and Central Asia. According to the demographic and medical survey of 2017, 18 per cent of children at the age of 0 to 5 in Tajikistan suffered from stunting. Most of them live in rural areas, especially Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Khatlon region and cities and districts of republican subordination.
"Stunting can have a negative impact on brain functions in a child, overall health, development of organs, immune system, educational ability and learning outcomes, which, in turn, can lead to the decline in productivity and impairment in abilities in children," according to the document.
The programme emphasises that investing in nutrition is one of the most efficient and thrifty measures in the first one thousand days of child growth. According to the World Bank, every dollar spent on reduction of stunting can earn 18 dollars of profit in the long run. But if this window of opportunities is not used on time, consequences may be irreversible.
"The recommended standards, which are copied from the Russian ones, remain on paper in Tajikistan because the economic situation of both the country and the people makes it impossible to maintain them. Moreover, malnutrition has a negative impact on the intellectual and physical development of children," the paediatrician said.
According to the National Programme of Communications of Tajikistan for 2020-2024, the country has the highest indicators of stunting among children in Europe and Central Asia. According to the demographic and medical survey of 2017, 18 per cent of children at the age of 0 to 5 in Tajikistan suffered from stunting. Most of them live in rural areas, especially Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Khatlon region and cities and districts of republican subordination.
"Stunting can have a negative impact on brain functions in a child, overall health, development of organs, immune system, educational ability and learning outcomes, which, in turn, can lead to the decline in productivity and impairment in abilities in children," according to the document.
The programme emphasises that investing in nutrition is one of the most efficient and thrifty measures in the first one thousand days of child growth. According to the World Bank, every dollar spent on reduction of stunting can earn 18 dollars of profit in the long run. But if this window of opportunities is not used on time, consequences may be irreversible.
Author
CABAR.asia
Editor
Natalia Lee
Gulafshon Sokieva
Gulafshon Sokieva
Layout by
Tolgonai Akimova
This article was prepared as part of the Amplify, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratisation and Good Governance in Eurasia project implemented by IWPR and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and mentoring program of the Development of New Media and Digital Journalism in Central Asia project implemented by IWPR with the financial support of the UK Government. The content of the article does not reflect the official position of the IWPR, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the Government of the United Kingdom.
