Uzbekistan: Children without childhood
According to UNICEF, children and young people make 55 per cent of population of Uzbekistan. It gives the opportunity to the country to draw demographic dividends in case of human capital investments. But it requires clear understanding of the child poverty situation and making it a priority in the national development programme.
Covid-19 has significantly impaired the financial situation of many families all over the world and children are recognised one of the most vulnerable groups. According to the UN Children's Fund estimates, 1.2 million children in Uzbekistan are at risk of poverty in the worst case scenario.
Until recently, the country did not have the official indicator of child poverty, which means that the situation was not monitored. It's only in August 2021 that the government issued a decree on establishing the national indicator of child poverty based on minimum expenditures. It will allow to understand the situation and to act appropriately.
So far, according to UNICEF estimates based on national household surveys, 24 per cent of children in Uzbekistan live in poverty.
Covid-19 has significantly impaired the financial situation of many families all over the world and children are recognised one of the most vulnerable groups. According to the UN Children's Fund estimates, 1.2 million children in Uzbekistan are at risk of poverty in the worst case scenario.
Until recently, the country did not have the official indicator of child poverty, which means that the situation was not monitored. It's only in August 2021 that the government issued a decree on establishing the national indicator of child poverty based on minimum expenditures. It will allow to understand the situation and to act appropriately.
So far, according to UNICEF estimates based on national household surveys, 24 per cent of children in Uzbekistan live in poverty.
"I want to help and go to work"
Shokhjakhon Babonazarov is 11 years old. During vacations, his father and he pushed wheelbarrows of other residents in the market and earned 50 to 100 thousand sum every day (5-9 dollars).
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- We live with dad, mom and sisters. Our family consists of five members. Only father works in our family. He also pushes wheelbarrows in the market and looks after people's luggage.
I worked during vacations to help my family. We buy food with the money we earn with my father. I saved the remaining money and bought the school uniform.
Now I attend school. After school, I work and help around the house. Even if my father says, "Don't work", I always tell my parents that I want to help and go to work.
On average, I carry goods weighing 15 to 25 kilogrammes and earn 50 thousand sum for my work. I've never counted how many people I serve a day.
I worked during vacations to help my family. We buy food with the money we earn with my father. I saved the remaining money and bought the school uniform.
Now I attend school. After school, I work and help around the house. Even if my father says, "Don't work", I always tell my parents that I want to help and go to work.
On average, I carry goods weighing 15 to 25 kilogrammes and earn 50 thousand sum for my work. I've never counted how many people I serve a day.
"I was selling ice cream to buy a school uniform"
Jakhangir Alimov is 16 years old and he is the 11th grade student. During vacations, he worked part-time and was selling ice cream. He sold up to 12 kilogrammes per day, and earned 100-200 thousand sum (10-20 dollars).
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- Our family consists of four members – father, mother, brother and I. My father is a taxi driver. My brother is 20 years old and he is a salesperson in a shopping mall in Tashkent.
I help my mother around the house and I worked part-time to save money and buy the school uniform. Selling ice cream is a seasonal work. It is getting cold now and no one buys ice cream. Therefore, I only attend school now.
I help my mother around the house and I worked part-time to save money and buy the school uniform. Selling ice cream is a seasonal work. It is getting cold now and no one buys ice cream. Therefore, I only attend school now.
The stories of Shokhjakhon and Jakhangir are common for whole Uzbekistan. In many regions of the country, we can witness how children work at markets after school or during vacations.
Fazilbek Farkhadov is the deputy director of the Centre for Spirituality and Education of the Ministry of Higher and Vocational Secondary Education:
Fazilbek Farkhadov is the deputy director of the Centre for Spirituality and Education of the Ministry of Higher and Vocational Secondary Education:
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- Involvement of minors into hard work is the theft of their childhood. Forced labour driven by difficult living condition, unfavourable circumstances is not always efficient. A working child can be proud of helping their parents, but what will happen the next day? They do not study, do not pay attention to themselves, they almost have no childhood.
Speaking with children who grow up in such conditions, you can hardly witness how children find their way in life. The literacy rate among such children is low; they tend to have health issues. They are not satisfied with their life. You can see their desire to leave for other countries.
Speaking with children who grow up in such conditions, you can hardly witness how children find their way in life. The literacy rate among such children is low; they tend to have health issues. They are not satisfied with their life. You can see their desire to leave for other countries.
"If I could provide for them, they would not work"
Mokhigul Jumagulova is 42 years old and she has three minor children. Her spouse developed alcohol addiction, then started to beat them until she left home with her children. She has 3rd disability group and she cannot work because of heart disease. Her disability benefit is 400 thousand sum (40 dollars) per month. Her family lives on this money.
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- We had rented rooms in various hostels for a long time. Now we live in Termez in a hostel with nearly 20 similar households.
Daughter and I worked in the kitchen for the first three months – we washed dishes from 9 am till 1 am. We both earned 15 to 50 thousand sum a day (2-5 dollars). The money we earned we spent on food and medicines for me.
Afterwards, my daughter worked as a cashier in a shopping mall, but she was fired after they learned that she was a school student. Now she is the 11th grade student. We applied to many organisations looking for a job, but my daughter could not find a job because she was a high school student.
My 14-year-old son worked at the car wash during vacations. He earned ten thousand sum (1 dollar) per day. There were many boys like him there. They wait in a queue to wash a car. But because of school, my son skipped the turn and stopped working.
My younger son is 11 years old and he also tried to work – he went to the market to carry loads. But he was told that he did not have his own wheelbarrow and he could not work.
If I could provide for them, I would never use them to earn money. But they see that we have problems and work as adults.
The classmates of my children often mock them. When they come home in tears, I try to cheer them up saying they will be fine. They will study well and will find a good job in future.
Daughter and I worked in the kitchen for the first three months – we washed dishes from 9 am till 1 am. We both earned 15 to 50 thousand sum a day (2-5 dollars). The money we earned we spent on food and medicines for me.
Afterwards, my daughter worked as a cashier in a shopping mall, but she was fired after they learned that she was a school student. Now she is the 11th grade student. We applied to many organisations looking for a job, but my daughter could not find a job because she was a high school student.
My 14-year-old son worked at the car wash during vacations. He earned ten thousand sum (1 dollar) per day. There were many boys like him there. They wait in a queue to wash a car. But because of school, my son skipped the turn and stopped working.
My younger son is 11 years old and he also tried to work – he went to the market to carry loads. But he was told that he did not have his own wheelbarrow and he could not work.
If I could provide for them, I would never use them to earn money. But they see that we have problems and work as adults.
The classmates of my children often mock them. When they come home in tears, I try to cheer them up saying they will be fine. They will study well and will find a good job in future.
Uzbekistan has a range of state programmes providing social assistance to children from low-income households – social benefits to low-income families with children, material assistance to children with disabilities, free winter wear, school textbooks, priority places in preschool facilities for children from low-income families.
* A low-income family is a family with the average per capita income is below 40 dollars a month.
From September 2020, social benefits to large low-income families are granted via the electronic system "Single register of social protection". Now it covers nearly 1.2 million households, which is twice as many as last year.
From September 1, 2021, the uniform benefit for children from low-income households supersedes benefits for children under 14 from low-income households and childcare allowance for children under 2. Among amendments are:
The amounts of benefits are determined as follows:
However, despite a range of children's social support programmes in Uzbekistan, their efficiency remains low, according to UNICEF.
* A low-income family is a family with the average per capita income is below 40 dollars a month.
From September 2020, social benefits to large low-income families are granted via the electronic system "Single register of social protection". Now it covers nearly 1.2 million households, which is twice as many as last year.
From September 1, 2021, the uniform benefit for children from low-income households supersedes benefits for children under 14 from low-income households and childcare allowance for children under 2. Among amendments are:
- The age of children that qualify for benefit increases from 14 to 18;
- The term of payment increases from 6 to 12 months, and then applicants need to reapply again;
- The size of the benefit depends on the number of children in a household.
The amounts of benefits are determined as follows:
- For one child aged 3 to 18 — 250,000 sum (23 dollars);
- For one child under 3 – 325,000 sum (30 dollars);
- Extra pay for second child —150,000 sum (14.03 dollars);
- For every third and subsequent children – from 100,000 sum (9.36 dollars).
However, despite a range of children's social support programmes in Uzbekistan, their efficiency remains low, according to UNICEF.
"The main reason is insufficient coverage. Although there are no clear criteria to determine or measure vulnerability, all existing programmes are meant for the so-called "vulnerable households". For example, social benefits are granted to households with average per capita monthly income per one family member under 440 thousand sum (40 dollars). However, living conditions of households with per capita income about 450 thousand sum (42 dollars) are similar to the ones who fit into this definition. […]
Another example is the benefit for children with disabilities that is granted to children who are officially recognised as disabled children. However, since it is difficult to get this status, many children with disabilities are left without support," UNICEF said to CABAR.asia.
Another example is the benefit for children with disabilities that is granted to children who are officially recognised as disabled children. However, since it is difficult to get this status, many children with disabilities are left without support," UNICEF said to CABAR.asia.
Another problem highlighted by experts is that social protection in Uzbekistan is the responsibility of various organisations and agencies, whose operations are poorly coordinated. As a result of fragmentation of social support programmes, the assistance is provided without adequate assessment of family needs and causes of vulnerability, which reduces its effectiveness.
"They often feel sick because of malnutrition"
Fatima Ashurova and her spouse Saifullo Safaros based in Termez raise two children at the age of four and five. None of them works. He has a 2nd disability group, and she takes care of children. Their monthly budget is 620 thousand sum (60 dollars) of disability benefit and 288 thousand sum (27 dollars) of children's allowances. This money is barely enough for them.
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- We pay 300 thousand sum (28 dollars) a month for utilities. Nearly 200 thousand sum (20 dollars) we spend for our children, and in winter we have to pay even more because they get sick often and need to go to hospital for treatment. It means we have to pay 200 thousand per day for treatment.
We are running out of money. We cannot even afford buying fresh fruit to our children. We buy meat products in small quantities because they are expensive. If we could, we would buy useful products to our children, it would be good for their health. They may often get sick because of malnutrition.
We are running out of money. We cannot even afford buying fresh fruit to our children. We buy meat products in small quantities because they are expensive. If we could, we would buy useful products to our children, it would be good for their health. They may often get sick because of malnutrition.
The UNICEF study showed that only 30.3 per cent of young children eat diverse food, i.e. their daily ration has at least four various groups of products. Only one of four children (22.6 per cent) have good nutrition every day. And 94 per cent of children aged 6 to 23 months do not have sufficient nutrition for their optimal growth and development.
In Uzbekistan, 15 per cent of children have anaemia, according to UNICEF. Every fourth child under two was diagnosed with anaemia, and half of children under five lack iron, which can lead to delay in cognitive development.
In Uzbekistan, 15 per cent of children have anaemia, according to UNICEF. Every fourth child under two was diagnosed with anaemia, and half of children under five lack iron, which can lead to delay in cognitive development.
Author
Abror Kurbonmuratov
Editor
Natalia Lee
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.
