Deteriorating living standards and the elimination of basic social privileges provided by the Kazakhstan government has turned the disabled into the most disadvantaged stratum of society. The inability of the local government to keep pace with the growing needs of the region’s more than 17,000 disabled people has forced the disable to form non-governmental organizations and take vital social issues into their own hands.

The regional association of disabled single mothers, Bibi-Ana, was founded in the Northern Kazakhstan regional capital of Petropavlosk in 1998 to obtain access to health care, public transportation and children’s education. The NGO members closely cooperate with local media to get their voices heard. But with the privatization of transportation, schools, and hospitals in the region, as well as dwindling government support for Kazakhstan’s disabled population, Bibi-Ana is facing considerable financial pressure.

In its initial stage of existence, Bibi-Ana turned to entrepreneurs and public institutions for financial support. However, to ensure a stable source of income and become independent from donations, the association’s members implemented a business plan that includes running a small shop and managing a parking lot. Members are trying to negotiate tax reductions with government officials but the members lack adequate expertise in business economics. Scarce funds that are provided by sponsoring organizations are poorly used. What is needed most by Bibi-Ana and similar NGOs is business management instruction to help them achieve long-term goals and cultivate new thinking.

Unfortunately, most of the objectives set by Bibi-Ana can not be realized under the present economic and social conditions. The greatest hurdle is the lack of solidarity among the disabled people of the region. Though at least four non-governmental organizations for disabled people have been registered with the Department of Justice in the Northern Kazakhstan Region to date, traditional rivalries prevent them from collaborating and building a partnership.

Marat Yermukanov is a correspondent for the Petropavlosk city funded newspaper "Tribuna" and is a regional correspondent for the independent weekly "Panorama" based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.