Funding Education Centre for Russian Orphans

Vlad and Irena already have a little girl, Sima, now six years old, a confident friendly child.  Last summer they took two little boys from a local orphanage into their family.  These twins are less than a year younger than the girl, children of alcoholic parents.  They looked small, frightened, aggressive, pale and unhappy.  Every day until the winter set in, they could be seen at some time or other walking around Kitezh hand in hand with Vlad and Irena.  

Sometimes Vanya would shout and scream and try to hit, but Vlad, like a big cuddly bear, just held him until the storm passed.  It's often exhausting taking care of such disturbed children living with the lasting effects of alcoholic parents, but in Kitezh no parent is ever alone.  There are other helpers ready and able to take a share in this demanding work.  It's the same people every day who care for the little ones, so they get to know them, to trust them, to look forward to the games they play, and then to return to their new Papa & Mama.

Now, its April, just eight months since they came to Kitezh.  A visitor described meeting them with Sima.  She held their hands proudly: "These are my brothers, Vanya and Petya."  It's not all sunshine, there are sometimes fights and tantrums, like most siblings, but when Vlad or Irena come to collect them from school, they run to them, almost climbing up Vlad, eager to tell everything about the day and their new discoveries.  When they arrived, this looked like an almost impossible task, but Kitezh is a place where our friends and supporters help us to make impossible things happen.  This is just the beginning, and with your continued help, we hope to have yet another great history to tell twelve years from now.
Thank you for helping Ecologia Youth Trust to continue to support a unique project that makes such a difference to the lives of children who have started off life at such a massive disadvantage.

Links:

• Ecologia website