Disability Rights International Report

Following a 3 year investigation from 2012 to February 2015 “DisabilityRights International” (DRI) found: - new economic hardships are increasing pressures on families in Ukraine to give up their children to orphanages - abusive conditions, exploitation and trafficking taking place throughout Ukraine’s orphanages This echoes much of what ChildAid has identified and written about for several years, and sadly there is no easing of the pain.

As the report identifies, being sent to an orphanage can lead to “irreversible psychological damage in all children”. A child needs a family to build emotional attachments and social development skills. Without this strong foundation they will grow up with life long difficulties.

“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:18).

Appallingly no one really knows how many children (with or without a disability) are in State care. UNICEF estimate 82,000, some NGOs suggest 200,000. The government say 29,000 but this is unrealistic as their method of data collection is suspect to say the least.


The disturbing DRI report indicates that children in care are seriously threatened, with many known to be suffering basic human rights abuses. For children living with a disability these abuses are even greater.

Physically restrained in beds or cribs their limbs simply cease to operate. Children are raped, beaten and subjected to force labour. Such abuse seems to start from age 13: “Sex at 13 or 14 between kids is normal. We all did it … some ended up pregnant and had to have an abortion since a pregnant teenager would cause a lot of problems for the director” (Oleg, an orphan graduate).

Orphanages can be recruitment venues to find vulnerable children for sexual exploitation, organ harvesting or child pornography


ChildAid's Eureka Campaign aims to easy the suffering of children and vulnerable families in the conflict-stricken regions of Ukraine.

You can support our appeal here - http://bitly.com/17gjS9C

Alexander's Story - How House of Light Changed His Life

Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine.

Alexander's story mirrors so many other young people in Ukraine. He was born into a family of two alcoholic parents, neither of which we employed. Any small bits of income were spent on alcohol. Alexander's and his two brothers and one sister grew up suffering at the hands of their parents. 

Each parent slipped in and out of the childrens' lives, with a step-father eventually appearing. The step-father was violent, physically abusing the children on a daily basis leaving Alexander with a facial scar from an iron. He had tried to protect his mother and suffered the consequences, leaving a further scar on his forehead from being struck with a belt. His body was so badly beaten that on arrival to hospital the nurses contact social services and luckily he was taken into care.

Since 2013 Alexander studied at a vocational school in Dneprodzerzhinsk. His speciality is as a painter-decorator. He wanted to become a soldier or an athlete.

When his life was in a crisis a friend invited to come to the House of Light funded by ChildAid's supporters. Alexander’s life has dramatically changed since then. He began to engage in sports such as weight-lifting. He became a part of the Cossacks group, even the squad leader. He is being praised for his behaviour as the best student in the dormitory. He also got involved in the football team and athletics. 

Alexander's life has changed for the better thanks to House of Light. ChildAid's local volunteers who run the centre provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for young people like Alexander to develop and grow. This life changing centre would not be possible without the donations from our supporters for which we are eternally grateful.

Thank you for changing lives.

To support ChildAid's work visit - http://bit.ly/18bCwjE

New Beginning - Building Futures

Meet Oskana. Now 25, Oskana has faced many trial and tribulations in here life. When she was 3 years old when she lost her mother, who died of tuberculosis. A few years later her father also died. She was placed in orphanage in Vinogradovo. Then she moved to an internat in Perechyn. She left the internat when she graduated from Year 9.

In 2006 she joined a program in the Technical School in Mukachevo, because she had nowhere to live and the School had a dormitory.

In 2007 Oksana discovered that she has hepatitis B. The difficult fight for her health began. Now Oksana feels good. In 2007 Oksana left the School and went to live with one of our foster families.

In 2009 she enrolled into Mukachevo State Pedagogical University and successfully graduated from it in 2014. Her occupation is a kindergarten teacher. She now works in our program at New Beginning as a teacher in a community project for families who are in difficult life circumstances. 

ChildAid is in the process of building an extension to one of our Ukrainian properties to house more young people like Oskana. She has shown how much someone can achieve in the face of adversity as long as there is someone there to support you. Everyone needs support and ChildAid can only provide the support to the young and vulnerable people of Eastern Ukraine because of the support we receive from our amazing supporters. 

Housing is a major issue for many graduates. This year Oksana will be leaving the foster home. She is looking forward to when we finish a new home for girls like her. 

You can support the build of this extension and other further projects via - http://bit.ly/18bCwjE

Follow our blog and social media accounts to keep up with the news on our extension build!

Giving Orphans a Home

Project aim

To provide orphans in eastern Ukraine a temporary home and deliver living skills before they can become independent

About the project

ChildAid has operated in eastern Europe since 1973. We work with local, trusted partners to transform the lives of abandoned babies, children living with disability, orphans and those leaving institutional care or children at risk in vulnerable families.

Dneprodzerzhynsk is in eastern Ukraine with a population of about 250,000. As with much of Ukraine today it has huge social and community needs. The economic, social and political situation in the country is critical and the focus has shifted away from supporting people such as orphans and the disabled, to the urgent needs of the wider population. Orphans are being forgotten and are living their own deeper crisis within the national crisis.

Orphans

Orphans in Ukraine are regarded with mis-trust and are largely second-class citizens. Upon "graduating" over 50% enter either organised crime or prostitution, 10% commit suicide within a year. ChildAid has a track record of getting alongside orphans, supporting them whilst under state care, and creating opportunities for them to lead a full and rewarding life with employment and/or stable families.

Orphans find it hard to find work unless they have a known home address. They find it hard to get accomodation unless they have a job. The current crisis in Ukraine has displaced 100 of 1,000s who are more attractive to employers than orphans, so it's even harder to find work. The huge numbers of refugees also means rental prices have soared.

There is an urgent need to buy an apartment which we can offer to a small number of orphans at any time, until they can secure a job and get their own accomodation. In the meantime we will also continue our effective programme of providing independent living skills.

Help house the orphans of #EasternUkraine. Pledge today and help us reach our target. http://t.co/UckC6vDtDn pic.twitter.com/Pz27DRr3tT

— ChildAid (@childaidrr) May 6, 2015

Get on board with our Crowdfunder page! Your support will house the orphans displaced by the conflict of Eastern Ukraine.

Posted by ChildAid on Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Flag Day in Moldova

Our newest partner in Moldova is Esther House, operated by the German Christian charity, Ora. The day centre is in a village called Valcinet and last summer celebrated 5 years of being open. Over these years Esther House has become a second home to many children from the desperately poor village and surrounding areas.

On April 27th, Esther House celebrate the Republic of Moldova's Flag Day. 

The Flag Day in the Republic of Moldova

Different types of activity are organized at the Day Care Center “Esther House”. One of them is the Flag Day of the Republic of Moldova.

On April 27th Esther House celebrated the National Flag Day. The educators told the children the meaning behind their Tricolour. The children from Esther House drew the flag, inflated balloons and sang the Moldovan Anthem. They picked flowers that had our national colours:

• Red - Represents the blood of those who fought for their country.
• Yellow - Represents our fields and grains.

• Blue - Represents the blue sky and the freedom.

ChildAid runs projects across Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Another of our Moldovan projects is the Tony Hawks Centre.

WATCH: Elena discusses how the @thefridgeman Tony Hawks Centre has improved her son's health. https://t.co/BG1MS0sz6a

— ChildAid (@childaidrr) April 14, 2015

EU Focusing on Sustainable Biomass Heat in Moldova

Via European Union External Action

"80 modern biomass heating plants coupled with 21 solar collectors installed in schools, kindergartens, and community centres; 300 biomass-fired boilers provided at subsidised prices to households and microenterprises; seven public-private partnerships set to supply bioenergy” – these are just some of the expected results of the Energy and Biomass Project II launched today at a public event conducted in the school in Varnita village, Anenii Noi District, which is one of the 144 beneficiary institutions of the Project first phase (2011-2014). 

ChildAid welcomes this news with great happiness. ChildAid has worked in Moldova since 2000 and seeks to create opportunities for children living with disabilities, either though free therapies for the poorest families, social welfare support or educational and social inclusion.

Our principle two partners are in the capital, Chisinau - Children's Health Centre and Speranta.

We are even more delighted this news coincides with #WorldBookDay. To celebrate this occasion we are reminding people of Tony Hawks whose book Playing The Moldovans At Tennis was written after he visited the country. 

As a proud supporter of ChildAid, proceeds from the book will be donated directly towards the Tony Hawks Children's Health Centre

Buy a copy today:

     

READ: Playing The Moldovans At Tennis by @TheFridgeMan with proceeds from the book going to @childaidrr #WorldBookDay http://t.co/SZJZYSvC34

— ChildAid (@childaidrr) March 5, 2015