This update covers most of the Dnipro Kids funded events that have taken place over the past couple of months.
The main Dnipro Kids trip to Kherson and the Black Sea can be found here.
Two Out and Two In at Hasanskaya
Two of the older boys at Hasanskaya, Sergei and Dima, have left the orphanage last month. Dima is doing a two year course at the Polytechnic College in Chemical engineering, and Sergei has just completed a college course in joinery and dry-wall construction, and is hoping to secure an apprenticeship. Both were given the usual Dnipro Kids leaving gifts to hopefully help them settle in to their new homes.
That has opened up two spaces at the orphanage, and they were quickly filled by 13-year-old Zhenya and nine-year-old Zahar. Both of these children have had very difficult childhoods, with both having been brought up by parents heavily involved in drugs. They were taken into care and have spent some time in the system, but Yuri and Ludmilla feel that a stable home environment will help turn their lives around. Their schooling is way behind where it should be, and Ludmilla is already talking about after-school tutors to help try and get them back on track.
Dnipro Kids have helped out by funding a shopping trip to provide the children with some new clothes. Our Ukraine-based colleague, Natalie, says that the kids couldn’t believe that people from Scotland were paying for their new clothes!
Natalie was also able to take some photos of them settling in to their new home.
Let’s hope that this is the start of a new chapter in their lives.
Karina Ready For Second Year At Medical College
Natalie’s daughter, Karina, has finished her first year at Medical College and looking forward to starting the new year this month. Her first year covered many subjects, including Anatomy, Microbiology and Physiology, but they have to pick an area to specialise in for their second year. Karina has chosen Neurosurgery.
Karina also continues to assist her mum with Dnipro Kids duties, and on the September trip to the Kherson region she assisted with the organisation and taking photos. We wish her well for the coming academic year.
Children of War Event
Dnipro Kids continues to support the work of the Dnipro charity that assists families affected by the ongoing war with Russia in Eastern Ukraine. In September we funded a kayaking trip for a number of the children who have lost family members during the conflict.
On the day of the kayaking expedition, the children met down at the bank of the river Dnepr where they were given safety instructions and coaching on how to handle the inflatable boats.
After being separated into groups of three, they had to get to work on inflating their kayaks before setting off on the 5km trip to the Shevski Ostrov island, escorted by the Dnipro River Police (which some would later be extremely thankful for!)
On arrival at the island, the children were given various lessons in survival skills, including navigation, cooking and shelter building.
And, once they had prepared lunch for everyone, the kids were very happy to get the chance to relax and recharge their batteries after a tiring morning of activities – and another 5km kayak trip back to our starting point still to come.
On the journey back, the sun began to set fast and the police very kindly offered to tow some of the more weary children back to the river bank.
The kids agreed it had been a fantastic experience and will no doubt all have slept well that night! We’re looking forward to continuing to support volunteers in Ukraine with their work to help these children.
James completes half marathon for Dnipro Kids
Dnipro Kids supporter James Brash completed the Perth Half Marathon. He exceeded his fundraising target, and a total of £800 was raised for the charity.
Well done, James.
Sad News from Dnipro
It is with great sadness that I end this update with the news that orphanage father Sergei, from the Sobolyev orphanage, has lost a battle with cancer.
He had been feeling unwell in August, and had lost a bit of weight, but told us that he was hoping to be better in time for the Dnipro Kids trip to Kherson. His wife, Svetlana, was getting concerned, though, and took him to the hospital for tests and a diagnosis.
Unfortunately, he was unable to join us on the September trip as he was still unwell, and in the hospital for further tests. On the last day of the trip Svetlana received news that Sergei had been diagnosed with advanced stages of cancer. He passed away on the 6th of October.
Sergei was a big man, both in character and build, and he was well liked by the children they looked after. He was a popular person on the trips, and others would often look to him for help and advice.
Please Support Our Work
If you don’t make a monthly donation but would still like to contribute towards our fundraising efforts, visit our ‘donations’ page to find out how.
Many thanks.
Steven Carr.