The Dnipro Child Sponsorship programme has been running since 2005 and the Dnipro Appeal Committee will ensure anyone that commits to a monthly direct debit of £10 will be allocated one of the six orphanages we help care for.
The support we have received has enabled us to make a huge difference to the lives of the children we have managed to help.
Does my donation make a difference?
At the moment, we have a number of supporters who pay a monthly amount of £10 to the Dnipro Appeal. For example, some of the money was used to pay for the medical treatment of a young girl called Nastya who suffered from spinal problems. Medical treatment in the Ukraine costs money, and it is money that many of the orphans simply don’t have access to. Without this operation there is no doubt that Nastya’s condition would have worsened and she would have found life in Ukraine very difficult. There was a successful outcome to the operation, which greatly improved her condition and gave her a fighting chance in life. The whole thing costs less than an away game at Aberdeen for your average Hibernian FC fan, so yes, your donation, however small, can indeed make a huge difference to the lives of the kids.
What about the future?
After seeing the difference that a couple of monthly donations has made, we believe that if we can encourage sponsors to commit long term to a monthly direct debit then it will allow the Dnipro Appeal Committee to take care of the needs of the orphans as and when they arise in the much longer term. The initial aim is to get sponsorship for all six of the orphanages we support.
Due to Russian’s attack on Ukraine, as of 8th March 2022, we have begun helping to evacuate the children from Dnipro and, ultimately, out of the country. Over the years we have supported six orphanages, and a further two orphanages have asked us to assist them with evacuation. Our orphanages have also taken more children into their care since the war began. Altogether we are potentially looking at evacuating more than 100 orphans.
This is a massive challenge and we are working hard to sort out the logistics of this, but there is a lot of uncertainty. The exact costs that will be involved also remain unclear but we hope to be able to support the children in any way possible.
How do I know I’m helping?
The Dnipro Child Sponsorship programme has now been running since 2005 and the Dnipro Appeal Committee will ensure anyone that commits to a monthly direct debit of £10 will be allocated one of the orphans at one of our Orphanages.
You will receive regular updates via email and on this website on how the children are progressing in life and also how your donation is helping on a day to day basis. The updates will be managed by the Dnipro Team here in Scotland, supported by our Dnipro-based team, Natalie and Karina, who visit the kids regularly on our behalf, recording their progress using the new digital camera we purchased on our recent trip.
Your donation goes directly to help the kids
In its first year the charity raised around £16,000 in donations from supporters and this has been used to help the children of Dnipro in a number of ways. As well as purchasing basic items such as winter coats and boots it has also been used to purchase medical equipment, improve educational facilities and supplies, make repairs to the building’s where the kids live and generally improve the lot of the kids in our adopted city. The funds have also been used to rent a premises, purchase baby food, baby essentials and clothing for an independently run Dnipro Baby Centre in the hope that helping young expectant mothers and those whose partners have abandoned them and are struggling to cope, we can prevent the children from becoming orphans. Last year was the most successful when we raised over £25,000 with the credit crunch in full swing these funds helped massively.
How is this done?
Quite simply it is down to the individual generosity of the ordinary supporters and the general public. The Dnipro Appeal Committee organise events such as our Big Event (date to be finalised shortly) and some smaller events such as Race Nights or Dances. We we are constantly thinking of new ways of raising funds, but we are dependant mainly, on the support from the Hibernian Community. As long as the supporters continue to back the charity with donations, then the Dnipro Appeal Committee will continue to work towards helping as many of the children of Dnipropetrovsk as they can.
How to sponsor the children
To become a Dnipro Kids sponsor, please download and complete the Child Sponsorship standing order form below. This can can either be printed, completed and sent to your bank, or can be used to set up an online payment. The gift aid form should be completed if appropriate and then sent to Dnipro Kids chairman Stevie Carr at steven@dniprokids.com.
Once you have have set up your standing order, please contact Stevie Carr who will ensure you are added to our email list. The orphanage updates will follow by email.
All that is left to say is thanks for the support you have given us. Please give serious consideration to our Child Sponsorship plan. It will go a long way to helping the orphans and establishing their long term future.