Turkmenistan’s government portrays state-run orphanages as safe havens offering children a happy and secure upbringing. However, accounts from former residents tell a very different story—one marked by abuse, exploitation, hunger, and violence.

A Happy Childhood or a Grim Reality?

State media in Turkmenistan often show impeccably dressed orphans smiling in the company of high-ranking officials, including the president. Yet 27-year-old Mahym (name changed for her safety) from the southeastern city of Mary describes a starkly different reality.

“We were often hungry and suffered abuse from staff. There was no one to protect us, no one to complain to,” she recalls.

Mahym recounts how orphans endured regular physical and psychological abuse from their caretakers. She also claims that children were forced to work in cotton fields during the harvest season, in violation of their basic rights.

Education: A Broken Promise

According to Mahym, children in orphanages receive little to no education. Teachers visit only sporadically, leaving most children functionally illiterate.

“We saw teachers maybe once or twice a month. One teacher handled multiple subjects, and we were often told we didn’t need education,” Mahym says.

Abuse and Exploitation

The accounts of Mahym and other former orphans reveal grave violations of children’s rights, including sexual exploitation. Mahym claims that a staff member at her orphanage coerced teenage girls into sexual relations with a police officer. Additionally, children were routinely exploited for labor, both in the fields and in the homes of orphanage staff.

Life After the Orphanage

Leaving the orphanage at age 18 presents a new set of challenges for orphans. With no skills, resources, or support system, many struggle to integrate into society. Although Turkmenistan’s laws guarantee social housing for orphanage graduates, many wait for years without receiving it.

“Some girls are sent to nursing homes, while boys are forcibly conscripted into the military,” says a former orphan from Lebap province.

Conclusion

Independent human rights observers have expressed deep concern over the systemic abuse detailed in Mahym’s account. “The allegations of child abuse, forced labor, and sexual exploitation within Turkmenistan’s orphanages represent not just a failure of governance but a blatant violation of fundamental human rights,” says a representative from an international human rights organization.

Advocates for women’s rights emphasize that the reported sexual exploitation of young girls in these institutions is emblematic of a broader issue in Turkmenistan. “The lack of legal protections for women and girls leaves them particularly vulnerable to violence and coercion, even in spaces that are supposed to provide safety and care,” a women’s rights activist commented.

Calls for accountability are growing, with experts urging the international community to press Turkmenistan’s government to implement urgent reforms and provide transparency about the conditions in state-run facilities. “This is a humanitarian issue that transcends borders—children and women deserve dignity, education, and protection, no matter where they are,” the activist concluded.

Ayna Matiyeva

25/12/2024