DUSHANBE, December 28, Asia-Plus -- On December 27, an awards ceremony was held in Dushanbe for the winners of the competition “The Best Social Worker.”  The competition was conducted by the Dushanbe NGO Odamiyat (Humanity) Association under the Aid at Home Project.  The best social workers and volunteers were determined by monitoring of the results of work carried out by them this year  

Mayram Zuhurova was recognized the best nurse in 2006 and a TV set was given to her.  Prizes were also awarded to other 25 employees of the social service, who are taking care of elderly people who cannot not move by themselves.

Roziya Ashurova, chairperson of the Odamiyat NGO, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that 100 social workers and volunteers aged 25 to 50 had been recruited to take care of disabled and elderly people under the Aid at Home Project. 

According to her, representatives from the Association jointly with the Dushanbe social services department and medical facilities have provided aid to more than 500 elderly people who do not have relatives to support.  “Next year, we plan to extend the target group, including to it people that participated in the cleanup operation at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, victims of antipersonnel landmines and other vulnerable people,” Ashurova said.      

The NGO, which primarily working in Dushanbe will also expand its operations into other regions of the country, according to her. 

“Many of women working with our association have medical education,” said Ashurova, “For those who do not have medical education, we will organize special training courses on providing first medical aid next year”

“In 2004, Odamiyat was awarded a special prize of the Swiss organization CARITAS for the best project,” the Odamiyat chairperson said.