Family of a Sick Girl Gifted an Apartment in Kokshetau

Even this shelter had to be rented by the family, whose income is more than modest.

Finally, the family of three-year-old Umit, who was born with a severe pathology of the reproductive system, has found a roof of their own over their heads. The family celebrated their housewarming thanks to the help of the Republican Muslim Charity Fund "Hareket," reports a BNews.kz correspondent. These days, the family is moving into a dormitory that holds residential house status. Each section is designed for three families, sharing a common kitchen and bathroom. Yet, even this single room brings immense joy to Umit’s mother, Gulnara Zeinullina.

"The most important thing is that we now have our own corner, and we don't have to spend money on rent. After all, that money is desperately needed for medicine. I am deeply grateful to the fund's staff and to all the caring people who helped us in such a short time," the woman says.

The room’s ownership has been officially registered in the name of little Umit.

Gulnara reached out to the "Hareket" fund in February, following the advice of acquaintances. She shared her plight and gathered the necessary documents proving she did not own any property.

"I was told that the funds were available, and my only task was to help them find a room priced within 1.6 million tenge. We never expected everything to happen so quickly, and, of course, we are incredibly happy," Umit's mother admitted.

The "Hareket" Charity Fund is currently implementing a project called "A Home for 1,000 Tenge!".

"Our goal is to provide housing or a plot of land to those in need—orphans and widows. Anyone who wishes to contribute can top up the fund's account with a donation of one thousand tenge," explained the fund's director, Algaday Abilgazyuly.

Medical Background

As a reminder, Umit was born in May 2015. Doctors diagnosed her with a complex set of conditions: cloacal exstrophy, anal atresia, absence of the anterior bladder wall, a right kidney located in the lesser pelvis, a duplicated uterus (split into two parts, each with one fallopian tube), the absence of an anus and vagina, and a tumor-like protrusion in the lumbosacral region.

In simpler terms, the little girl lacks reproductive organs, as well as a large intestine and rectum. The child defecates through a catheter in her abdominal cavity; for this purpose, she underwent an ileostomy surgery at the Akmola Regional Children's Hospital.

Hope for Treatment

The mother of the severely ill toddler has also reached out to the Ministry of Health.

"I recently received a response stating that foreign doctors will arrive in the third quarter of this year. They will examine my daughter and, if possible, perform surgery. It will be free of charge. We are looking forward to their arrival with great anticipation," Gulnara shared.

While relying on the state, the woman is simultaneously searching for a clinic abroad that would agree to treat her daughter. Italy and Turkey have successful experience in helping children with such rare developmental malformations. The cost is roughly the same—within 55,000 euros.

Local Initiatives

It is worth noting that a similar project, "The Whole World for an Apartment!", is being implemented in Kokshetau by the local corporate fund "Zeket" and the Nauan Hazret Mosque.

"If 4,000 people allocate 2,000 tenge each, the collected 8 million can buy housing for low-income families. To facilitate this, we opened Qiwi and Kaspi wallets. Every Friday during the Juma prayers, the collected amount is announced in the city and district mosques of the region," said Bakhyt Smagul, the press secretary of the Nauan Hazret Mosque.

The project was launched three months ago, and during this time, residents of the Akmola region, regardless of their faith, have raised about 4 million tenge.

"With this money, we decided to buy a two-room apartment in a newly built building in the village of Krasny Yar (a suburb of Kokshetau). It is currently in shell condition (rough finish), and renovation work is underway there right now. We are currently deciding who to allocate this housing to. We plan to hand over the keys to the apartment around May 1st," Smagul added.