Facts About Ukrainian Orphans

Our daughters are from two different orphanages in Ukraine.  While in Ukraine we were able to see what circumstances these children live in. It was (for lack of a better word) terrible. We even had an opportunity to visit the town that the girls were born in and it was even worse. From what we can tell they both were taken care of as well as can be expected in orphanages. However, nothing compares to having a family around you that loves you unconditionally. Having a home and a family,  people that will tuck you in at night and  hug you when you are sad, all the small things that we take for granted, can mean the difference between success and failure in a child's life.

If you have a few minutes watch this video of a man named Alex Krutov. He was raised in the Russian orphanage system (which from what I can tell is very similar to Ukraine) He can shed some light on the sad things that await a child as they leave the system.

http://vimeo.com/79938810

Here are some updated facts about life in Ukraine
(Taken from Beauty from the ashes) :
Clearing up old/wrong information...

I've heard quotes lately that there are 100,000 orphans living in orphanages and another X amount living on the streets because the orphanages are all full. This information is misleading and not correct.  The orphanages are far from over-crowded in Ukraine, if anything they are getting smaller as foster care is increasing and many have been closed as kids have been shifted.  Though there remain street children issues in Ukraine, the problem is much less severe than it was 10 years ago.  Kids on the street have either run away from orphanage situations or from negative home situations-- but it is not because orphanages are full.

Graduated orphans....

5-10 years ago it used to be that at the age of 16, orphans would be finished at the orphanage and turn to life on their own- who knows where,  with no money and no assistance in life. In the recent 3-5 years this situation has drastically changed.  Some orphanages have schooling till grade 9 whereas others have schooling to grade 11 (up to age 18 in some institutions).  Upon completion it is the director's responsibility to see that their graduates are placed in trade schools and technical colleges in the nearest region.  Though they are given almost no choice as to what education they'd like to receive, the cost of this education is covered by the government and they are given housing and a living stipend.  This stipend continues until they are 23 years old, as long as they continue to study.  The stipend varies and depends on the region and what is provided by the trade school.  So some trade schools provide clothing and food and a low stipend, and others provide a higher stipend and no food and clothing. Personally we know of kids getting 550 grivna--2,000grivna a month ($70-$250) depending on the region they live and the basic provisions of the trade school.

However, just because they are no longer "kicked out on the street" the situations surrounding their post orphanage life is not much brighter...

Consequences of being raised in an institution
Only 16% of orphanage graduates have families
Only 25% of orphanage graduates have stable employment
Only 1% of orphanage graduates obtain higher education (University)
Only 44% of orphanage graduates receive some kind of technical training (completion) 




What are children afraid of when they graduate from the orphanage?
76% of children are afraid to leave their institution
70 % believe that they will not be able to get a good education and obtain the profession of their dream
52 % are afraid that they will not have a place to live
54 %  are afraid that they will not have enough money for transport, food, and other necessities.
50% think that they will not be able to find a job
30%  are afraid that they will remain alone and have no support
27% are afraid they will succumb to bad influences
26%  are afraid of the negative attitudes towards themselves in comparison to “home” children 
10% are afraid to live with strangers (even if they are their relatives)
18%  have no clue what it is to live independently




This is Olena and her best friend Svetlana with Me, Miranda, Lucy and the Orphanage teacher Melana.



We understand that we can not help all of the orphans in the many Ukrainian orphanages. If only life was that easy! We have however taken the opportunity given to us by our loving Heavenly Father to change the lives of two of them. Join us for that journey!

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