A New Year's tree in Ashgabat attracts both well-to-do citizens and street children begging for scraps.
For the past few years, the Christmas symbol has been installed in the central part of the capital of Turkmenistan on New Year's Eve, drawing more and more street kids, a sign of the contradictions of a country that fails to take care of some of its children. Large crowds surround the New Year tree in downtown Ashgabat , walking around, soaking in the festive atmosphere. Many are well dressed, a bit self-important in their bearing, and they are not alone.
A legion of very poor children are also in the square, begging. Sweets, drinks and ice cream are sold near the 44-metre-high fir tree, while children from destitute families spend the whole day hoping to get at least some chocolate. Most of the children, ranging in age from six to 12, are boys, but there are also some girls, and the older ones hold the hand of their younger brothers and sisters. Some of the city’s most distinguished residents tend to look at them with a certain contempt; others have some compassion, and cannot help but pay some attention to these poor kids, dressed in rags in the bitter cold, giving them a few coins and something to eat. There are also those who turn the children away, shouting: “Hey! Don't you have parents?” For some years, a New Year tree has been installed in front of the Alem cultural and entertainment complex in a central sector of the Turkmen capital, while the decorations'spread a very festive mood and hope in the coming year,” according to state media. The authorities who organise such public people-friendly events are, however, oblivious to the child beggars, pretending they do not exist; after all, access to the capital from the provinces is restricted, public transport limited, and non-residents forced to return home. Only police take care of street kids, chasing away those who get too close to the fir tree, ignoring those who extend their hand at a distance of 15 to 20 metres from the centre of the celebration
CHILD POVERTY TURKMENISTAN ASHGABAT SOCIAL CONTRASTS NEW YEAR's TRADITIONS
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