Group of mothers from Volgograd offers Putin to discuss the problem of kindergartens together with them

In Volgograd, an initiative group of young mothers, who are fighting for children's rights, has addressed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and invited him to meet with them and discuss the problem of acute shortage of places in kindergartens of the region.

"We've learned that on May 6 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plans to visit Volgograd. Our initiative group has sent a letter to him asking to give us some time and meet us," Olga Cheburakova, an activist of Volgograd mothers in defence of children's rights, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The appeal was compiled "on behalf of the majority of disturbed and desperate mothers," representatives of the initiative group, which protects children's rights.

In their letter, Volgograd activists described the current situation in Volgograd. Thus, according to their data, the number of children in need of preschool educational institutions is 35,000. The capacity for 2011 is 6000 children. Thus, in the opinion of the initiative group, 27,000 (82 percent) children "will remain on hands of their parents, who automatically become unemployed."

"Volgograd is on the verge of extinction," members of the initiative group write in their appeal. "In 2010, the city birth rate was about 10.5 kids per 1000 of population, while the death rate was 14.5 persons per 1000. In the 1990s Volgograd operated 372 kindergartens; later 122 of them were closed."

"In summer 2010 we sent a collective complaint to the Prime Minister detailing the enormous problems that exist in our city due to lack of places in kindergartens, absence of kindergartens and reluctance of bureaucrats to address the problem. In that appeal we asked Vladimir Putin to take urgent steps with the aim to eliminate obstacles to the children's right to preschool education," Natalia Gunchenko, one of the organizers of the initiative group of young mothers, told the correspondent.

According to her story, they received an answer to the appeal. Vladimir Putin referred to local bodies of power and recommended the members of the initiative group to address the problem at the regional level.

"Later we sent a number of appeals with reference to Article 33 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: the territorial Committees on Education, the City Committee on Education, deputies of the city and regional assemblies; activists of public organizations; Russian Ombudsman and Children's Ombudsperson in the Volgograd region," said Natalia Gunchenko.

Besides, the activists managed to meet a number of local officials, including the Mayor and the Governor. "However, in the course of an intense dialogue, we failed to find understanding of our problems; they remained unaddressed," Irina Kharkova, a member of the initiative group, complained. She cited "a typical answer," received from local authorities: "There is no money to build or reconstruct kindergartens. The problem should be addressed at the federal level by appealing to President and Prime Minister and asking for money from the federal budget."

"In their every speech, the leaders of the government address social issues and call young women and men to create new families without fear for their future, give birth to children, and strengthen Russia's future with healthy, open and well-educated citizens," said Natalia Gunchenko. "We follow the call, create families with joy and pride, and give life to the new Russia, trying to make it healthy, open and well-educated. But in reality it is excruciatingly difficult - already after the first visit to a preschool establishment."