Issue 213 Spring 2016 - Esther House Update

ChildAid’s other new Moldovan project partner is Esther House in the village of Valcinet. A day centre for children aged 5-15 who are at risk. They are from poor families, often left with relatives or neighbours as parents work abroad, or are in single parent families, or from families where there is alcohol abuse and violence. Some parents do turn up at the Centre demanding that the child should be home looking after younger siblings, or working around the house or in the fields.

The Centre is open five days a week and children arrive after school from 1pm onwards. It is also opens during school holidays. It supports 70 children - with 20-25 attending each day.

The activities are varied and effective:

Homework:

The children
have tutoring
classes in
groups. The
tutor offers
expertise and encouragement and it is notable that school results are better than those children not attending the Centre.

Practical:

The children love being at the Centre and are proud of it, so take it in turns to clean and maintain it.

Cooking:

A whole range of skills are taught together with an understanding of food and where it comes from. It’s fun, therapeutic and a great bonding activity. 

Personal Hygiene: 
Receiving little parental guidance, the children are taught the importance of everyday hygiene. Attention is given to hair, skin, teeth, hands, nails, feet and menstrual hygiene. 

Well-Being:
The staff seek to ensure that the child’s well-being is paramount. A positive
environment helps support the physical, social, intellectual and emotional development of every child. There is mutual trust and respect and strong links are built with the school and community.

All of these courses aim to make the children more responsible and prepare them for a life ahead in a more positive and developed way. 

You can support our work with Esther House via the link below:

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 213 Spring 2016 - The Phoenix Centre Update

ChildAid’s most recent project partner is the Phoenix Centre. The centre opened in September 2015, and is the first centre for children with disabilities in north Moldova. The staff provide treatment, social and educational inclusion for children with disabilities, and much-needed respite for their parents and carers. 


The local community are fully behind the project. It is open 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday from 8 am till 5 pm. At present the day centre has 31 beneficiaries, 15 children attend every day for 5 days a week, others are at the centre 2-4 days weekly.


Every fortnight there is a 10-day Assessment Programme for 20 children. The aim of the programme is to assess children’s needs early in their lives and to support parents to care for them safely and in a way appropriate to their individual level of disability.

ChildAid were pleased to arrange training for the physiotherapists with the Tony Hawks Centre. Therapy started straight away as so eagerly awaited by children and their parents. 


You can support the work of the Phoenix Centre by clicking the link below.

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 213 Spring 2016 - Vadim's Story

Vadim is 16 years old, with Downs syndrome. When he first came to the Phoenix Centre he could not dress or wash himself. He soon learnt.

Now Vadim has become the older brother to other children in wheel- chairs, as he can help them. He does not leave the Centre until everyone is wheeled outside. When visitors arrive Vadim will run to take their coats and try to get them to play tennis.

Vadim never had any education, but as he liked to draw, the Centre staff asked him to start drawing some letters. In just 5 months he has already learnt the letters up to “o”.

His passion is drawing, tennis and dancing. At the recent Spring Festival he was given the important place of playing the guitar. He would love to stay at the Centre and not go home at all. 

You can support the work we do at the Phoenix Centre by clicking the link below. 

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 213 Spring 2016 - Natasha's Story, Phoenix Centre

Natasha, 17, came to the Phoenix Centre with her hands permanently affixed together and her head hung low. She did not interact with others and if she did it was through strained and halting speech. She struggled to sit up by herself and participate with teachers, assistants, and other children. Only six months have passed, and the difference seen in Natasha today is incredible.

Through daily physical activity with the Phoenix Centre team, Natasha can now sit by herself. She claps along to songs, motions to people and objects, and can even grasp small items and move them with limited difficulty.

Natasha will immediately light up a room when she enters with her big smile. Whilst her speech can be slightly difficult to understand, she can make her needs known as well as convey her thoughts and opinions. She loves to chat with anyone who is close to her.

The most amazing change is in the development of a clever and playful personality. She will tell jokes and tease, and has quickly become an avid draughts player! When a visitor comes to the Centre, she will gladly challenge them to a quick match and will probably beat them within a few moves.

It would be hard to imagine her as such a wonderful and joy-filled person without the interactions with staff and visitors, and the one-on-one physical care she receives at the Centre. 

You can support our work with the Phoenix Centre and our other projects by clicking below. 

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 213 Spring 2016 - Transforming Lives and Communities

Vova and his family are typical of the many families helped by LoveWithout Borders. He is 5 years old and lives with his mum, dad and two older brothers. They live in the no-man's-land between the fighting factions in the Luhansk area of Ukraine.

His dad was a mechanic and his mum a nurse - they were a very contended family. In 2013 Vova was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Whilst the chemo worked, it caused the bones in his legs to bend and so he needed specialist help. But, then the war started. His dad lost his job and there was, and still is, no stable authority in place to arrange the treatment that Vova needs.

To receive the specialist help meant going through 15 check-points and this would take all day, if they could get through them all. But, the family continued to be brave and positive.

Love Without Borders arranged for Vova to be taken to Kiev where he has now had the operation he needed.

As refugees begin to return to their homes they are confronted with destruction and squalor. Trying to rebuild their houses, their families, their lives ... with nothing but their hands, their drive, their faith.

But, the volunteers from LoveWithout Borders are responding and rebuilding lives, families and communities.

Re-equipping, even rebuilding homes. The needs are endless, but so are the prayers and the desire to make a difference. 

You can support the incredible work Love Without Borders do by clicking the link below. 

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 213 Spring 2016 - Love Without Borders

Since ChildAid supporters began their faithful giving for the children and families of Eastern Ukraine affected by the war, nearly £46,000 has been provided for emergency and restorative aid.

Both our EUREKA (Eastern Ukraine Relief & Emergency Kids Aid) appeal, and our partner, Love Without Borders, have already achieved much, including:

• 150 children have, on a regular basis for a year, received life-saving insulin and medical supplies until a local supply was established

• 100 families regularly receive emergency food packages (in fact with aid from all its international support Love Without Borders has distributed over 3 tons of aid per month during the last 12 months alone).

There is now a great need for the provision of psychological care. Children are crying all night long. Many people are taking sleeping and anti-psychotic drugs - there is already concern over addiction.

A large number of churches have disappeared. Many church leaders who were forced to leave in the early days of the conflict cannot return as they are on an “embargoed” list at the so-called border.

Where the non-Moscow Patriarch churches do meet, there are often unknown people just sitting and watching ... certainly not worshipping!

In response, Love Without Borders have built a spiritual base to fully transform lives, and at the border near Luhansk they have set up a temporary tent where:

•   Food and 2,000 Bibles have been handed to refugees and local people

•   1,000 children and 4,000 adults have received Christian literature to encourage and support them. 

The current urgency is to operate a “seeds & chicks programme”.

Last spring and summer huge areas of agricultural land, gardens and allotments were abandoned due to fighting. Although continuing, the fighting is not as fierce as September, but most people could not return to their homes during the winter due to the cold and damaged housing. Consequently, there are no seed stocks for this years crop.

Love Without Borders aim to supply 4,000 vulnerable families with seeds and chicks, as well as carry out house repairs following shelling and extensive looting.

Your help is vital to ensure families will be able to tend their land. Support us by clicking the link below.

Make a donation on BT MyDonate

Issue 212 Lent 2016 - A Time for Encouragement

Ruslana has been alone since 18 - her mother imprisoned for killing her step-father, her father sold their house and walked away. 

She ended up on the streets, forced into prostitution. She lived with a businessman, who soon abused her, especially after the birth of her daughter, Dasha. 

Escaping, she lived in rubbish bins. She met a decent man, but he began to drink heavily and she had to leave - now with Vanya as well! 

She lives on just £50 per month in a flat borrowed from a friend who is in prison, but will soon be released. Ruslana is very kind, a good mother, but overly trusting of people. The Children’s Hearts shelter could be her only refuge. 

This work has been achieved solely through ChildAid’s funds, so it is thanks to you that we can provide this essential facility - thank you!

Issue 212 Lent 2016 - A Time for Joy

Tanya has attended the Isle of Hope for 17 years. Tanya was always denied access to any other place because of the severity of her disability, with constant care required.

Her mother says it all: 
“… everyone looked at us as a hopeless case, as a burden. I knocked on every door for help, but opened only one, as it turned out the most necessary. I thank God for it. I am very happy, my daughter is very happy. 

Our broken down family is back together. My daughter shows clear progress. She learned a lot. She can now look after her hygiene and began to paint. Tanya is happy to go to her favourite Isle of Hope every day. She has friends here and a full life. I thank God, I thank all those who took part in the fate of my family. We are happy as much as you can be with such a problem in our country”. 

ChildAid has multiple projects in Belarus as we aim to provide some assistance to the troubled country. To find out how you can help or to donate visit our website.

Issue 212 Lent 2016 - A Time for Laughter

The Isle of Hope brings relief and laughter for all the families and young people who are involved. 

Alena has been coming to Isle of Hope for 1 year. Previously she attended a centre in the education system. Once she left there no social institutions were ready to accept Alena as they said she needed too much care and her disabilities were too complex.

Her mother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She didn’t know what to do until Alena's grandmother helped. She came to the Isle of Hope and immediately felt that her granddaughter will find her second home there.

Today Alena has made many friends, she is very happy, participates in all activities, likes to listen to music and to walk in the park.

Her mother says that she has even physically changed a lot, developed an interest in life, and every day when she goes to the centre she is so cheerful. 

“Thank you all for the fact that my life and my daughter's life goes on and we are happy” says Alena’s mother.


ChildAid has multiple projects in Belarus as we aim to provide some assistance to the troubled country. To find out how you can help or to donate visit our website.

Issue 212 Lent 2016 - Petya's Story

Petya’s family of 8 lives in a two bedroom apartment in Minsk, Belarus. The family includes his elder brother with his wife and three children. Petya has a severe learning disability and physical difficulties. 


He and his father had a wonderful relationship. His dad knew how to deal with Petya’s epileptic fits and always took him to and from the Isle of Hope centre where Petya has stimulation, care, support, and friendship. Petya and his father especially enjoyed their summer breaks at the grandfather’s summer dacha - small but a lovely retreat.

Last year his paternal grandfather died and to everyone’s surprise the dacha was left to Petya’s uncle. Was this a reflection of social attitudes against disability in Belarus? His father sunk into depression at this injustice, and even the offer of compensating cash from the brother did not appease. Pensions are received at a relatively early age and these are taken to supplement wages, however, with the current crisis many pensioners are now losing their jobs. Petya’s father was one such victim - deepening his depression. 

On Christmas Day our partner met Petya and his father at the Catholic church for mass. All seemed well. But, on 5th January his father jumped from a high-up window and killed himself. The full impact of this devastation is not yet known, but Petya is constantly crying and it seems his immunity system is being affected by his own sadness. 

But, he is still at Isle of Hope who are doing all they can to comfort him. The father’s pension will stopped (there is no widow’s pension) so further financial pressures are inevitable. The services Isle of Hope provide are totally free to users - ChildAid meets virtually all of their costs of £2,500 per month. 

ChildAid has multiple projects in Belarus as we aim to provide some assistance to the troubled country. To find out how you can help or to donate visit our website.

Issue 212 Lent 2016 - Belarus

Isle of Hope was established 20 years ago largely in response to the news that 2 mothers had committed suicide. They could not bear to face the fears and distress of bringing up their severely disabled children in a country which rejected all forms of “weakness” in society and made little or no provision of support other than institutionalisation.

Sadly, today it seems that only limited progress has been made. Economically, Belarus is going through great hardship. In this last year the Belarussian rouble has fallen in value by 75% and inflation has run at 11%. Recent economic growth has been tentative, even negative.

Average wages of £250/month are under pressure as prices soar. Our partners report that they cannot remember a time when people have felt so desperate making life much harder for the families we support.

ChildAid has multiple projects in Belarus as we aim to provide some assistance to the troubled country. To find out how you can help or to donate visit our website.

Issue 211 Christmas 2015 - Continued Work in Ukraine

In 2014 50 families each month were regularly helped with food parcels and/ or clothing by Children’s Hearts. Now it is over 100 families.

Families are either refugees from the Donetsk area or locals who are becoming worse off as the economy deteriorates. Our immediate issue is how to address this growing need over winter with heating, food, clothing and debt support?

In the longer term we will seek to offer more substantial and transformative developmental aid. 

Two further visions for Ukraine are to:
a) identify ways to procure hospital and medical supplies in the UK and then ship them efficiently to eastern Ukraine
b) expand the services to disabled children in Dneprodzerzhinsk from respite and fellowship to a full rehabilitation programme with specialist staff. 

You can support our work in Ukraine via 

Virgin Money Giving | Donate | Donation Amount

Issue 211 Christmas 2015 - New Partner in Moldova - The Phoenix Centre

The 25 children who have started to attend the Phoenix Centre are already hugely excited. The children draw, play and interact with each other and the staff. Until now the children have been virtually confined to their homes.

When asked recently if they would like to go home early in case they were tired, they all replied no “we are tired of home”.

We step out in faith with our review of supporting the Phoenix Centre as this will require a whole new funding programme, but we:
“Trust in the Lord with all [y]our heart, and do not lean on [y]our own understanding” (Prov 3:5)

As well as the day centre, ChildAid has been pleased to contribute to a mini-bus which is used for important emergency aid deliveries. 

You can support our work in Moldova via

Virgin Money Giving | Donate | Donation Amount

Issue 211 Christmas 2015 - Wheelchairs for Belarus

ChildAid recently met with a Brother and two Sisters from the St Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus. Truly lovely and kind people who care so much for the seriously disabled children they look after in the neighbouring internat.

They mentioned that it is very difficult to obtain wheelchairs in Belarus. With many children in the internat unable to walk they are effectively confined to their beds at all times.

A quick discussion with our partner here in the UK, MAD-Aid, and we have been able to secure over a dozen refurbished wheelchairs for the Convent to use. These will be collected by the Convent on their next visit to the UK - when they come to sell Russian and Belarussian gifts (also available from ChildAid).

Funds have also been provided for pens, pencils and paper which are expensive and of inferior quality in Belarus. As part of our future plans we will be looking to provide more life-changing equipment for Belarus. 

You can help support our work in Belarus via 

Virgin Money Giving | Donate | Donation Amount

Issue 211 Christmas 2015 - The Good Work In Moldova - Tony Hawks Centre

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:6)

At the Tony Hawks Centre in Moldova, ChildAid discussed with Diana & Grigori Covalciuc the potential of building an extension on roof of the new centre.

With the extra space, facilities could be provided to enhance physical performance of their older children to strengthen muscles by providing a large area for physical exercise. The area would also be used as a training and presentation area to spread awareness and knowledge of childhood disabilities.

There is also need for specialised equipment, such as a child-sized treadmill to help strengthen muscles. Once again we are hoping that Rotary may be able to help with this.

We have also begun deliberations over succession planning for the time when the amazing Covalciuc doctors take their well-earnt retirement. 

You can help support our work with the Tony Hawks Centre via

Virgin Money Giving | ChildAid | Campaigns | Tony Hawks Centre