Orphanages (Иптернаты)

We went to two different orphanages these last two days. It was incredibly interesting to visit them and understand the situation a bit better. We were also able to gather very useful information for our Life Skills Curriculum. We were unsure what facitilities we would be able to use, when we would be able to run the program, how often, who would be able to help, what kind of materials would be available, how many kids, etc. Many of these details were sorted out and, I think, we have a much better idea of where to go from here with the curriculum!

The two orphanages were very different though, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Sergei, the WHU Executive Director, explained to me that the Director of the orphanage makes all the difference. Luckily, both of these orphanages had Directors who were very keen to work with us and seemed to have the best interests of the kids in mind. 

The orphanage we visited on Monday was about 2 hours outside of Odessa, located just outside a very, very small village. The pro of this orphanage was that is out in the forest, with lots of space for the 114 kids who live there. The Director has worked hard to develop the facility and tapped into as many resources as possible. The kids had up-to-date beds, a nice recreational facility, both indoors and outdoors, and a decent educational facility. The director was full of dreams of what could be done, including developing family-style living on the orphanage complex! The Director also did everything within his power to reduce the dependence on inconsistent resources. They use coal for heating so that they can control the heat. The government will turn off the gas in March or April, when it is still cold and only turn it on in late October, when it is already quite cold. The gas may be turned off any time in between as well. The kitchen is run on electricity, but there is a wood stove in case the electricity is cut. They have their own water tower in case the main water line shuts or has a problem. This is due to inconsistent provision of resources, but also to a crumbling infrastructure. I thought this Director wise to account for the shortages and closures! The con of this orphanage is that because it is located near such a tiny village, with no real economy (I think there was only 2 small stores for groceries and a post office), there is not much for the kids to do once they leave the orphanage. This makes finding a job, starting to live independently and earning an income very difficult! A major problem here is finding jobs. The economy is such that, job are scarce even for those with higher education! Nonetheless, helping prepare the kids to live independently and teaching them how to find jobs through the Life Skills Curriculum will be a step in the right direction!

 A classroom. Everything was neat and tidy. The walls were full of information relating to the subject taught in that classroom. The room seemed to be a good environment for learning with relatively up-to-date desks and chalk boards.

There was even a computer room, which these boys were accessing. This was surprising considering Ukrainians have a relatively low level of computer literacy! 

This orphanage keeps bees, which provides something sweet for the kids, but also, in a good year, is something that can be sold in the local markets for a small profit. 

The Math classroom.  

Classroom for Ukrainian literature and culture. 

Two girls from in the upper years of school. They go to school at the orphanage until grade 9, then go to the local school from grade 9-11. Often the education they receive in the orphanages is sub-par to the local schools (but is still a middle-level education), but here, we were told that the kids from the orphanage are on par with the kids from the community when the join together in grade 10. 

The orphanage is out in the forest, which provide lots of space for the kids. It was a beautiful autumn day when we visited.

The playground. 

And, of course, kids playing in the playground.

The bedrooms here were clean with nice, up-to-date beds. There also seemed to be 4-5 kids per room. 

The bathroom, a nice clean facility.

The kids watching a movie in their play room. It is a holiday for kids in school in Ukraine this week, so the schedule was much more relaxed than usual!

 There was even a health/mini clinic facility here, much to my surprise. Kids were even able to receive some dental care here. 

And a theatre space where kids learn to dance, put on performances, and also watch movies on Saturday evenings.

The floor hallway in the dorms. There was lots of colour and flowers (fake) everywhere for a nice atmosphere.

The second orphanage was also about 2 hours outside of Odessa, though located in a town, much larger than the village of the previous days orphanage. The pro of this orphanage is that the kids interact much more with the local community. Also, because that community is larger, there are more opportunities for the kids once they leave the orphanage. The con of this orphanage is that it has limited space and the facility is quite old (the first orphanage is only 13 years old). There is little room for much more than the dorm-style building and many resources go into simply maintaining the crumbling infrastructure. Moreover, this orphanage, with less space, houses 173 (soon 177) kids. This orphanage seemed to struggle much more with resources. The facility was old and crumbling, the beds were very old, there were often 7 girls jammed into one room with one small wardrobe, no side tables, no desk, and one tiny mirror. Nonetheless, the Director of this orphanage worked hard to get the appropriate status and documents for as many kids as possible. She was also very keen on our program and any measure that might help these kids!

Typical village housing: thatched roofs indicate more extreme poverty. Most people do basic farming, mostly self subsistence in the surrounding area. 

Nadya, one of the Hope House girls, playing on the recreational facilities. She and a few other of the Hope House girls came from this orphanage earlier this summer and Nadya's sister is still here. They came with us to visit and acted as our guides. 

The exterior of the building. It gives a good idea how run down this facility is. 

The kitchen. It was pretty tasty food produced. However, the kids participating will not be able to use this facility. It is registered as an industrial kitchen and only licensed individuals may use it. We were assured that there is a separate facility that we could use to teach the kids cooking. We did not see this facility, however. 

The dining facility. It was clean, but sparce. The kids sit at tables according to their age/class. 

The kids have a recreational room on each floor. Most were just hanging out, watching TV on this drizzly day. We will also be able to use these rooms for the curriculum: perhaps some group work or games.

A room in the dorms where kids could do their homework. A class-room set up with rickety chairs and books dating back to the Soviet Union. We will be using these rooms to teach the curriculum: scare resources, but a willing environment! 

 These are the bed. They are very old and quite rickety. The pillows too, aren't the most comfortable looking. Most rooms did not have side tables and had only one wardrobe for all 7 kids. Resources are scarce, even for some basics!

They add colour wherever they can. Storybook characters decorate the bedroom walls. Each of these flowers has the name of one of the girls who lives in this room. They are doing what they can to spruce up this facility! 

The bathroom: a fairly unpleasant experience, but the facility is old and there is little that can be done to improve this. We will focus part of the curriculum on personal hygiene. 

7 girls in one room and one small desk for all

The kids loved the fancy camera I was toting to snap some shots. They all wanted their photos taken and then  to see the picture. It was an entertaining moment :)

This girl followed up around while we toured the facility. She was very shy, but seemed to want to be in the mix of things

So, it was a very educational day, but also quite difficult. Today I learned about the problem of parental neglect. Ukrainian law does not account for parental neglect. A parent must be proved to be physically or mentally unable to care for their child for parental rights to be revoked. However, if they don't sent their child to school, the government may remove the child and place them in an orphanage to receive education. These kids will not be able to receive government support, though, as they still have living and able parents... on paper, anyway. Parental neglect, in my mind, is a law that needs to be included in Ukrainian child care laws. Today, we brought a little girl and a little boy to the orphanage for this reason. That was difficult, to put it lightly. I can take comfort, though, in that these kids will very likely have a better life in the orphanage, than with their parents. 

Here is the mom sitting with her girl in the orphanage. The girl seemed to adapt quickly and made fast friends. The mom seemed entirely unphased by what was happening.

So, there is a huge difference between orphanages, but the needs of the kids are the same. Very simply, these kids need some love and care in their childhood, and more preparation for life after the orphanage. Though these two orphanages work hard to provide as best they can for the kids, it is still an institution and creates an institutional environment. These kids, despite a good education, have a hard time integrating into the broader society after the orphanage. The goal of our Life Skills Curriculum will better prepare them for life after the orphanage, so that they can find good jobs, maintain themselves and a dwelling, have healthy relationships, and have a strong sense of self. I believe this is achievable and many of the kids seem willing to participate and improve the options and opportunities for their future!