In 2011 in the village of Kalinovka, the Chernigiv Child’s Home opened the first in the Zaporizhzhia region a family-type home for orphaned children with special needs. This event marked the start of a unique project – unique not only for Ukraine, but for the entire Eastern Europe – the project for social adaptation of orphaned and disabled children.
In May 2010 several staff members of the “Happy Child” foundation came up with the idea of creating a new home for several kids in Kalinovka, where they could live in almost family-like conditions.
Albert Pavlov, Director of the “Happy Child” Charity Foundation:
“We have inherited from the USSR a system which houses thousands of special needs children in psychiatric boarding facilities in large groups, in the conditions resembling those of military barracks.
In this environment the needs of an individual child are ignored for the sake of maintaining the daily routine. Some children are able to develop better, but they are being treated the same as the rest, do not get any special attention and have no access to developmental programs.
As a result, the kids that could successfully integrate into the society, lose interest in life, and become wholly dependent on the state system which is responsible for their apathy to begin with”.
While easier said than done, the project was completed. “Happy Child” foundation is known for its fantastic ability to implement the most difficult and far reaching projects in extremely difficult conditions in modern Ukraine.
Thus, the first “Happy Home” – is the home to several kids with disabilities, who are able to learn. These kids needed a family that can offer love and support for their development.
“Happy Child” charity foundation became the initiator of the project. Nine boys, ages seven to seventeen became the first group for social adaptation.
Now they have their own home – “Happy Home” – with two bedrooms, a classroom, a playroom, kitchen and bathroom.
Chernigovskij Child’s Home in the village of Kalinovka overall has 125 patients ages 4 to 35 with severe developmental disabilities. They need constant care and medical help.
Maria Semashkina, volunteer, coordinator of aid to psychiatric facilities:
“These kids have little chance of finding an adoptive family, but they do have a chance to live in family-like conditions – if we have an opportunity to build more “Happy Homes” like this one”.
Are you willing to help these kids to find their new home?
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+380 990 235 609
You can help the fundraising by following this link.
