N&S DOMa

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Thursday the 24th

We spent the day out in Kiary at the institute for 500 men with mental challenges. Some of the young men, old men and everyone in between gathered around the four of us who came to visit that day. The four guys from this institution we hope to bring

into Stephen's home looked so healthy, I was very encouraged by this visit with them.

Valentine, the pastor of a church in Kherson joined us, a real blessing as he shared from the Bible with them.
Many present have studied the Bible with others who've led discussions.

A routine, now with expectations, are sharing of good cookies and

juice along with fresh bananas around good conversation.

a new friend, Valodya; both this man and the older below with Vica

struggle with the debilitating effects of Cerebral Palsy

Sergei a sweet young guy that I've know for years

Slava, sitting next to Maxim in the center is on of our special guys

Sergey in the yellow shirt and Jennia in the center both grew up in

Oleshky at the orphanage

Kyril and Sasha, both sweet young men

No comments:

Post a Comment

About

Loving on disable children in a small town, state run orphanage.

THEIR FUTURE

Most kids in Ukraine have to leave the orphanage at 18 years of age. A normal, healthy orphan has a rather bleak future if they don't have the encouragement of others. Most have few life skills and a poor education, and they are left to fend for themselves.

But for handicapped orphans, those labeled mentally disabled, their future is miserable. At 18 they are uprooted from the only home they have ever known, the orphanage, and sent to live in a psychological "internat" (government run institute) or an old-age home for the rest of their lives. They have no rights… no formal education and no understanding of life outside the orphanage. Desperate for freedom and longing to be loved, they are isolated from society.

Throughout their life in Ukraine, nothing for these disabled children comes easily. The world here is not handicap accessible. The stigma and cultural perspective remains in many people’s minds that these kids are not kids and need to be shut away. That is what has been done, having been placed in institutes they are not allowed to leave. The mentality of some who work in the homes is that the children don’t have feelings because they cannot respond or interact as a typical child. The children are not expected to live. That changes the whole outlook on care, feeding, nurturing, health, and every aspect of life.

But what about their hearts?

Necessities are covered by a small stipend from the local government for families who keep their disabled children in their homes. Many homes are single moms, and if she is at home with her disabled child, she cannot work to put food on the table or provide a roof over her family’s head. The government’s stipend does not begin to cover these needs. In many ways, out of a pure lack of resources, it is easier for the family to allow the government to provide, which means giving up their parental rights and letting someone else take care of their children.

The government will step in and remove a disabled child from the home if there is alcohol abuse, drug, and/or physical abuse. These addictions often result in the child having epilepsy. This is one of the biggest problems in the orphanage.

For all the children, no matter if their disability is physical, mental, or both, between 18 and 19 years of age, they will be moved to an asylum referred to as a psycho-neurological “internat” for adults or to a facility comparable in nature to an old folk’s homes.

This is the future for these young adults.

Pages

Sunday, May 20, 2018

No comments:

Post a Comment