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Uglegorsk Boarding School Donation Trip
May 2003
The Boarding school in Uglegorsk consists of three huge
buildings that are in very poor condition. The walls are falling apart.
Everything is neglected and dirty. It is home to about 316 students ages 7-16
and has a staff of 200. The building is 40 years old and used to be the
specialized orphanage for deaf and blind children. For the last four years, it’s
been functioning as the boarding school.
The orphanage director, Nelya Olexandrivna Gorobets, told us
that they needed tools for repairs as well as for their shop classes. She said
that they needed new windows and doors for the orphanage and some sewing
machines for classes and for making clothes. She also asked us for cloth to make
dresses for the graduate party.
Over $2000 was contributed to buy tools (including hammers,
saws, axes, screwdrivers, and drills) and 3 sewing machines. For the graduates,
Joan also donated school bags which included diaries, pens, pencils, soap,
toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, socks and more for the graduates. She
donated the same items for the younger students but without schoolbags.
The shop classes for boys are in such poor condition and there
is really nothing except an old plane. Boys who study in this class try to fix
the old orphanage furniture and make chairs without having enough tools and
nails.
But what we saw in the sewing workshop was quite different.
Despite the old sewing machines they have, the children make gorgeous stuffed
toys. We also visited a shop class where we saw beautifully made
cross-stitching. We met a wonderful 16-year old boy, Valery, whose
cross-stitching was perfect. Joan was pleasantly surprised because Valery
reminds her of her son.
One of the classrooms is decorated like an apartment, where
children can learn how to cook, clean, and do laundry. They also have a winter
garden and a nature room where they have pets including: African frogs, fish,
turtles, guinea pigs, canaries, sparrows, etc. The children participate in
various extracurricular programs and competitions: ping-pong, football, dancing.
Some of the children attend musical school. After graduating from the boarding
school, the children enter technical college where they study construction and
building.
The director showed us the dentistry equipment we donated last
time. They are still trying to get funds for the repairs needed to meet sanitary
regulations.
Although the children have enough food (the daily ration of a
child is estimated 5.5 UAH, about 1.02 USD), it is very hard for children to
survive in the boarding school and some of them are stealing from each other.
They don’t have enough soap, toothpaste and other hygienic supplies. So they
steal and take the stolen items to the flea market. Their clothes and shoes are
so worn out that you can see skin through the holes.
But there are a lot of gifted and bright children who are
hoping to find parents. They have dancing classes so they performed for us and
it was so touching and beautiful. When we watched them, we realized that these
children deserve a better life.
Since there have been so few adoptions, there is a lack of
sponsors and lack of funds. The director said that there have only been two
adoptions in their orphanage; the third was in process when we arrived. The
McNeills were adopting two girls and one boy while we were there. They were also
dismayed by the condition of the orphanage and donated a refrigerator and $2,000
for medicines before they left.
The local officials appropriate funds of 5,000 UAH (926 USD)
per year which don't come close to meeting the needs of the orphanage. The
furniture is old and nobody repairs it. There aren't enough clothes or medical
supplies. And, they can't afford building materials to repair three
buildings.
The staff is devoted to their jobs not only because they love
the kids but also because the boarding school is the only place in Uglgorsk
where the teachers are well paid. The average salary of the operating personnel
is about 168 UAH (31.11 USD) and the educators’ salary is 270 UAH (50 USD). The
economy is very bad and the local citizens steal coal and other materials from
the orphanage in order to support their families.
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Over
6 years experience & 300 completed intl. adoptions
