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.
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