Operation Ukraine is a group of individuals and their churches, non-profit organizations, schools and local businesses working to improve the lives of children living in Artemivsk’s orphanages and two hospitals. We believe that grassroots, person-to-person assistance is the most effective way to bring both help and hope to Ukraine's orphaned children.
Working with Artemivsk, Ukraine
Currently, we work with three orphanages and two hospitals in Artemivsk, Ukraine (also spelled Artemovsk.). Artemivsk is the partner city of Omaha, Nebraska, and we are located in Omaha. We proudly partner with another local non-profit organization, Omahans for Orphans, to work with Artemivsk.
Through their ongoing relationship since 1998, we are able to supply funds, supplies and other necessities directly to the children who need them. No middle men, no salaries and most of all, we know that our work is helping the children - and not being lost to corruption or misuse.
The Orphanages
Artemivsk, a city of about 90,000 in Eastern Ukraine, has two orphanages.
- The
Baby House houses between 60-68 infants and toddlers ages
birth to 3. New infants and abandoned children are brought in all the
time, and those who reach 3 are transferred to other orphanages.
- Solnichko
is a semi-orphanage for children ages 3-5 in Artemivsk. This means the
children live here five days a week but still have contact with family
on weekends. It is an abandonment prevention program for children from
extremely troubled families - the kind of children that end up in orphanages.
While the staff at Sonichko work with these children, they also work
to educate and improve the skills of parents to try to keep the family
together and the child out of the orphanage system. We are very proud
to work with a program that helps children avoid the fate or orphanage
life.
- The Artemivsk Internat houses about 130 children ages 7 to 16. The number does not change often, as children of this age are rarely transferred. The children in this orphanage are NOT available for adoption, so their childhood and young adulthood will be spent here with no chance of being adopted. This also means the orphanage does not receive donations from adopting parents, as many others do.
All of these orphanages have desperate needs for developmental toys, children's vitamins, and funds to purchase vital items locally, make building repairs and pay for shipping of donations.
The Hospitals
- The Maternity Home is the only place women in Artemivsk can deliver their babies. Home delivery is not allowed by law. This hospital is without basic equipment, including even an ultrasound to check to see if cords are wrapped or infants are in distress. We are working to bring the equipment and supplies needed to this small town's only maternity hospital. While women with more money can choose to go to a hospital with equipment in a larger city, this is only an option for those with money. For the great majority of women, including those who are single or poor, this is the only option.
- The Children's Hospital is the only pediatric hospital for 13,000 children out of a population of 125,000 (Artemivsk city and the surrounding villages and settlements.) Children are not treated at the adult hospitals. This hospital also does not have functioning equipment. It is in an extremely dilapidated state, has rotted floors and cots, and is in desperate need of renovations. It is also in desperate need of equipment and supplies, something we're working hard to change! This hospital also serves all the orphans we work with, as well as serves as a shelter to children removed from unfit homes and those abandoned until the court declares them orphans. These children, which average about 14-15 on any one day, live in this dark, crumbling place without schooling or activities for up to five months at a time.
Material and Moral Support
The Ukrainian government supplies extremely meager funds for clothing, educational materials and many other essentials for orphans. The budget for food is extremely inadequate, so malnutrition can be a serious problem. Many children eat meals of broth and bread. Infants also eat broth and sometimes weakly reconstituted powdered milk - there is not enough money in the budget for formula for every child. The vitamins we take for granted in our own children's diets are often missing for these children. It has dire consequences on their intellectual and physical development - and their chances for adoption and a better future.
*** Please note that in most of our photos, the children are wearing, playing with and around all of the things that our fundraising and donors have been able to provide. It is not necessarily the day-to-day reality.
Why? The staff and children in Artemivsk are so grateful for the items and so eager to show their appreciation, they try to include everything in the photos! Like most of us, they bring out the absolute best items they have when 'company' visits! There are more children, for example, that are still without decent shoes or warm coats than we have been able to supply to date. We hope that one day, each child in the orphanages we work with can have proper clothing, coat, shoes and toys...and educational materials...you get the idea! ***
Because there is such an urgent need for basics, we work to:
- Raise
funds throughout the year to provide the orphanages
with additional food, clothing and other necessities, as well as to
pay for building repairs and shipping costs, which are considerable
despite having an excellent rate from the carrier.
- Collect
supplies
like children's toothbrushes, flouride toothpaste and good quality toys
and clothing, that are difficult to purchase and send them periodically
to the orphanages.
- We sponsor
a computer lab in the Internat, so that the children there
will have the basic skills they will need to progress in their education
or be hired for a job in the future. We built and supplied the lab through
donated funts. Now, volunteers from a local technical school teach basic
computer skills to the children each week.
-
Delegation visits. Operation Ukraine visits the children
and staff we help twice a year. During the spring/summer trip, we also
take small groups or delegations to meet our friends in Artemivsk! These
trips allow our volunteers and donors, along with other professionals
like the nursing professors and students from Creighton Univeristy,
to see the progress we've made and the needs still there. We
distribute aid and gather information for our next large project on
each spring/summer trip. The children and staff are thrilled to have
visitors who care about them!
Our Future
Operation Ukraine is a young organization, and already we have found committed, generous individuals to help in our cause. We hope to keep this network of caring people, churches, schools, businesses and organizations growing.
We would love to expand our programs to include:
- Continued
recruitment of new volunteers, members and 'virtual members'! Much
of what we do is through email and on our website because many people's
schedules don't allow for hours of meetings and many of our supporters
are not local! We also have a great need for volunteers to help sort
and pack donations, advocate on our behalf at churches and service clubs,
and other tasks. Everyone can do something,
a belief we've seen proven true time after time!
- Encouragement of adoption from Ukraine. We whole-heartedly support the current reforms in Ukrainian adoption that encourage adoption by Ukrainian citizens, and we proudly support an abandonment prevention program to keep families together when it is possible. We also applaud the Ukrainian government for taking steps towards simplifying the process for those from foreign citizens approved to adopt. It is a privilege for these foreign families to be allowed to adopt a child from Ukraine, one that they appreciate greatly. A loving family in any country is, in the end, the most profound thing we could offer any of these wonderful children!
Although we do not do anything official with adoption, we have been able to help hundreds of families get the information they need to pursue Ukrainian adoption. We can also make recommendation of facilitators we know and trust in-country. We do NOT benefit in any way, including financial, for providing any referrals or help. We strongly believe that providing aid and doing adoptions together in Ukraine is a conflict of interests.
The Baby House in Artemivsk houses 60-68 babies ages birth to 3 years. Many babies in Ukraine are abandoned in hopsitals at birth.
Although the Baby House is well staffed (nearly one adult caregiver for each child!), it is severely lacking in vital items like formula and medicines.
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