Woman lives on Br30K a month while her nine children are raised by state

Lyubou Pilipchuk, a resident of the village of Zaluzzha in the Drahichyn district, gives away 70 percent of her salary to state-run orphanages which take care of her nine children. However, the money that the state gets from reckless parents is not enough to compensate all the expenditures. Nevertheless, the percentage of refunded money from indebted parents has grown from 12 to 40 percent last year.

Lyubou Pilipchuk has 13 children, including 9 in two different orphanages. Several years ago, the woman was provided with a state-owned house. She was even given a cow so that she was able to raise her children. Yet, she failed to take care of both the kids and the cow. The woman gave birth to the last born in 2002 and was receiving aid up to 2005. However, she would spend the money recklessly.

“It was somewhere in 2005. She was granted with the state assistance. The local council kept calling us and asking not to give this cash to her. They would ask the LC chairman to come so that the woman would receive this assistance in his presence in order to make sure that the money is spent on the children. She would spend the money on the wrong purpose. She would say: “Why are they bugging me? I ride a taxi. Don’t I have the right?” Of course, she has the right”, says Rehina Hedrouna, an accountant with the district agricultural service company (Raiagroservice) in Drahichyn.

In February 2007, Lyubou Pilipchuk was forcefully directed to work at the Raiagroservice in order to raise her salary. But she hardly has enough money left to survive (Br30,000 or $15). Accountant Taisia Dzyadzeshka says:

“In January she earned Br 100,730. I withheld Br 70,000. Last year, she would work the required number if days only for one month. In the rest of the months, she worked several days less”.

Larysa Milhuy from the Ministry of Justice told the European Radio for Belarus that if the salary is not sufficient, this person will be offered another job with a higher pay:

But what could she do if Lyubou Pilipchuk was supposed to give away Br 1.5 million in order to refund for raising her children? Her current debt now amounts to Br 36 million. Taisia Dzyadzeshka says:

“One can take a loan from a grocery. So, she borrowed the foodstuffs worth Br 1.5 million. The vendor now has to cover this debt from her own money, because there is nothing one can get from this woman”.

The Minsk City Employment Center assured the European Radio for Belarus that every debtor could find a decent job:

“In January, we had 53 people from this category applying for jobs through our center. We helped 51 get employed. 2 persons found jobs independently. As of February 1, we had 44 people registered. The list of enterprises has not been approved yet. Previously, it contained over 300 enterprises. Now, there would possibly be up to 500 enterprises”.

The Minsk Auto Works (MAZ) used to be on that list as well. It employed 46 indebted parents. Now, MAZ has been crossed out of the list. However, they will not have the right to sack the reckless parents.

Presently, an average monthly salary at MAZ is around Br 1 million. In principle, reckless parents can realistically earn money in order to take care of their children…on condition that you have less than a dozen of kids.

Photo: bymedia.net