In April we began the process to establish the Ukrainian nonprofit charitable organization called PROMISE. From the 17th of April through mid August I was working with Sasha, our lawyer and a couple of wonderful ladies who are dear friends who helped me translate the whole legal document into English so I could understand it. We spent many hours with the lawyer, who is a brother in Christ, going through every page to make sure it stated what we wanted for PROMISE and for the future of these homes. My pastor and Sasha, the founders of the organization, submitted the document for the official registration process at the end of the summer. It is Ukrainian in its format and set up so that the homes will be under the care of this charity will be blessed by the care of PROMISE. Our board of directors, board of advisers, and auditors are a mix of Ukrainians and Americans; Sasha is the charity director, project manager for the building of the homes and pastor. He's great! So is God!

Over the past few months we have been working hard to prepare for the building of the two homes that will become the future homes for many of the teens who have been moved from the Tsyurupinsk orphanage. They now reside in institutions in the Kherson region but long to be together again. A major reason for establishing Naomi and Stephen's home. 

The property for Stephen's home has been donate by the church in Darivka, so we will begin by building this home first. The division of the property has taken place. This document shows the division line behind the church property for the two parcels of land. The registration of the land for Stephen's home is now officially under PROMISE, the Ukrainian, non-profit charitable organization just established to provide for the long term care and provision of these homes and those living in them.

Intro

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.