It's terrible to become institutionalized orphan in Russia. We can not change their past, but through education we can try and change their future. Wherever they are, we reach out and teach.
There are about 200,000 institutionalized orphans in Russia. Being an institutionalized orphan is tough. Living always as a group and being treated as a group member, one doesn't develop basic human and social skills needed for living on their own. By the age of 13, children fall behind their peers in development by two years, and this gap widens as they grow further. And the further is an orphanage away from a big city, the more severe is the problem.
Reaching out through the internet we talk to these children, we educate them, we show them new opportunities. They develop and acquire knowledge, and, which is more important, develop need and interest in learning. They start thinking and make plans for future. They change their minds and go on to high school and then to college. Education is that very fishing rod in from the famous proverb. And it works miracles. Internet gives us with an opportunity to reach out and touch children far away
Through education provided by experienced and caring teachers online, children acquire communication skills, develop their social skills, knowledge and a passion and motivation to learn, which will make them more competitive and give them a better chance to integrate into society, become a responsible citizen, find a decent job and live decent lives. We started with 20 and expanded to over 70 in six months, and plan to grow to 100 by next school year.
