This April we have opened our season of entertainment for children and adults from Kalinovka orphanage. On April 19th young orphans with special needs went to Zaporizhzhia to see an exotic animals’ exhibition and later they headed for Khortitsa Island. On April 26th children and adults from Kalinovka went to the circus. During my latest trip to Kalinovka, some older residents of Kalinovka orphanage asked me where we were planning to go the following Saturday. Two previous days out made them all believe that such exciting trips would be regular. As a matter of fact, this wish is not so impossible. The only real obstacle is the price of the petrol which has deliberately increased recently. One single trip with children requires approximately 1,600 hryvnyas (approximately 133 US dollars).
It was the third time for the last two years when I accompanied the children from Kalinovka orphanage to the exotic animals’ exhibition. However, I never witnessed such an avalanche of emotions. Well, I again couldn’t help asking Yura if the monkey there resembled him – and he agreed as usual.
Yura
Oleg, as the greatest tearaway ever, tried to reach another monkey until he saw how she grabbed people by the hair and hands. He still kept on making faces in the monkey’s direction but this time from a safe distance. Oleg was not even frightened by vicious parrots who were playing the fool with each other and at the moment when someone (including me) tried to take a picture of them – impudently clung their claws into someone’s hair. Oleg liked this colourful company and asked me whether these birds were a mother and child. The boy didn’t miss a chance to copy their speech manner while showing his great actor’s skills.
The group of adults with special needs from Kalinovka walked around the animals’ cages for several times in a row and never complained of feeling bored. It touched me to see how Yura, who is usually engaged with pasturing cows, was eagerly taking photos of each and every animal just like any other “standard like” child or grown up would do. A forty-year old Igor turned out to see a turtle for the first time in his life. It doesn’t seem a big deal, but it might also mean he didn’t even see turtles in cartoons on TV during his childhood, which, in fact, never really ended for him.
On behalf of young and adult residents of Kalinovka we would like to thank the exhibition administration for a special entrance fee. We are also grateful to museum staff of the Khoritsa historic museum for their hospitality and detailed excursion around the Cossack town where children immediately noticed the church and started to make the sign of a cross over themselves. One of the adults from Kalinovka even managed to get a cross on a chain for himself for free at the church store. Then came the time of my being impressed when our young tourists told me what the cannon was and why people needed it. Our big day out did not last forever, so we had to come back to the orphanage.
The construction works on our second “Happy Home” as well as all necessary official documents are successfully completed and on June 3rd we are allowed to welcome a group of girls with special needs in their new sweet home. We’re grateful to everyone of you for supporting our Happy Home project! We still need your financial assistance with purchasing of household appliances, rugs and curtains. Once again – thank you all so very much!
Due to rise of petrol price we did not run our annual Saturday cleaning and gardening day in Kalinovka. However, we did buy for it as well as two other psychoneurological institutions – 35 young vines which the orphanage staff planted around a new Happy Home too.
Last month we again received a parcel with clothes and toys from our English friends – Grant and Emmy.
The tutors’ accomplishments
Sophia Sh. teaches Artem N. reading and story retelling. The tutor also assisted Artem N., Oleg S., and Sasha Z., with making a picture of blooming sunflowers, a bouquet of lilac and a vase of sea shells. She also plays draughts with Artem N. Together with Ruslan F. the tutor was dyeing Easter eggs.
Raisa G. showed Varvara how to sit at the table. Olga M. was trying to paint with Vlada Ch. and Olga R. using finger paints. The tutor teaches Sasha K. to eat with a spoon. Nastia M. has already learnt to eat holding her spoon with the help of the tutor. Olga M. keeps on assisting Anzhela G., Roma M., and Vlada Ch. with walking.
The Current Needs of Kalinovka Orphanage (16.05 2014):
1. Curtains
2. Venetian blinds
3. twenty chairs
4. DVD disks
5. Computer
6. Micro wave
7. Electrical teakettle
8. Refrigerator
9. Electric oven
10. Smoothing iron
11. Vacuum cleaner
12. Washing machine
13. Threads for knitting
14. Developing toys
15. Batteries of ordinary and big sizes
16. Musical instruments
17. Writing spelling and maths copy books
18. Colourful wool
19. Big air ball
20. Acrylic varnish
21. Strong cardboard of big sizes (40x30 or 50x50)
22. Acrylic paints
23. Dragon glue
24. Colourful napkins
25. Plaster
26. Photo frames of A4 and 13, 18 voluminous frames.
27. Photo wallpapers
28. Maths textbooks for students of first grade students
29. Threads for crochet knitting and crochet
30. Training simulators
31. Football balls
32. Corrugated paper
33. Satin ribbons
34. Socks for children and adults
35. Beads
36. White paint
37. Flower pots
38. Tires
39. Assembly foam
40. Big empty bottles from water
Thanks a lot for your constant financial assistance and moral support! Remember that we are these people who can change these special children’s lives for better! Every dollar you donate and the precious time you spend for these little and big orphans with special needs is priceless. Do good!
