Charity on Camera: How Children Are “Helped” in Turkmenistan for the Sake of Reports
A new scandal is unfolding in Turkmenistan, vividly demonstrating the gap between the official rhetoric of the authorities and the real state of affairs. In the Balkan velayat, needy children were solemnly presented with gifts, but only for the duration of the filming. After the photoshoot, the food and goods were taken back. According to Radio Azattyk, the campaign was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov Foundation — a structure that formally deals with helping children left without care. Cameras, reports, speeches of gratitude: everything was organized according to the classic scenario of demonstrative “care.” But behind the scenes, there is a completely different reality.
Gifts “for Rent” Eyewitnesses report: officials, together with representatives of the foundation, distributed expensive items: wheelchairs, food, household goods. Everything was recorded on video for reporting purposes. After that, the gifts were taken back. One of the mothers said that she was forced to sign a document confirming the receipt of assistance and to thank the authorities on camera, despite the fact that she did not receive the wheelchair or the food in the end. Such cases, according to local residents, are not isolated. This is a systemic practice.
Sources claim that officials are acting “on orders from above.” At the same time, the actual resources of the foundation are limited, and funds are often collected forcibly from public sector workers. People are forced to sign documents for supposedly received aid, which exists only on paper. In some cases, the volume of aid in reports is significantly overstated. In fact, we are talking about the substitution of real social policy with staged actions.
Against the background of the authorities’ statements about the “priority of child protection,” child labor and begging are growing in the country. Human rights defenders note the deterioration of the social situation, especially in the regions. Meanwhile, state media continues to broadcast the image of a “caring state,” and the foundation associated with Serdar Berdymukhamedov’s family is showcased as a symbol of humanity and social responsibility.
The story of “gifts on camera” is not just a local scandal. It is a symptom of a deeper problem: in Turkmenistan, social assistance is increasingly turning into a tool of propaganda. In a country where there is no independent press or public control, such practices remain unpunished. And the real needs of the people go unanswered. While the authorities create a beautiful picture for reports, families with sick children continue to live without basic support. And most disturbingly — they are used as decorations in this production. The question remains open: how many more such “aid actions” are taking place across the country and how many of them exist only for the camera?
