Ukraine's Orphans
Daily Life for Orphans
Caregivers
The orphanages in Artemivsk that Operation Ukraine works with are relatively small by Ukrainian standards. The Baby House, ages 0-3, houses 60-65 children. The Internat, ages 7-16, houses about 140 children. Many orphanges in other parts of Ukraine have upwards of 200 to 300 children.
The staff at the Artemivsk orphanages are caring and dedicated. Often coming from very limited means themselves, the women* working with these children get paid very little (on average, from $40 - $70 a MONTH!) and sometimes have delays in receiving their salaries from the goverment. Despite this, there is very little turnover. Children see the same faces daily. They hug and kiss their caretakers, and the caretakers return their affection, making the environment much more emotionally healthy!
*The great majority of childcare workers in Ukrainian orphanages are women.
Food
Food provided to the children varies widely depending on the season and what it available. In the summer, there is wider availability of vegetables. The staff brings in extra from their gardens to share with the children when they are able. Fruits are scarce and expensive. The children eat a variety of foods including bread, soup , potatoes, yogurt or kefir and so on. The cooks and staff do the very best they can on extremely limited money. Treats that are a normal part of an American child's diet like fruit, juice, candies and ice cream are extremely rare. Some children have never even tasted some of these foods. When we take small cookies, biscuits, fruit and juice to the children, they are very excited. While eating, they are absolutely silent - they are hungry.
Education
When children reach school age, they are taught right in the orphanage. Basic subjects are covered, and art, Ukrainian language and history, and religion are also taught. This is evident from the beautiful artwork these children produce, as well as their knowledge of their rich history and culture.
Despite dedicated teachers and a very structured education program, the orphans are at a disadvantage for many reasons. Classrooms are often without desks and chairs - children sit on old sofas or even the floor in some cases. There are few textbooks, and the ones they have are very old and outdated, from the Soviet period. Equipment for science - inlcuding fundamentals like microscopes - are non-existent.
Learning English is another disadvantage. Public school students in Ukraine can choose to learn English, but there is no budget for this in the orphanage schools. In Artemivsk, however, they are lucky! Through a program designed and funded by Omahans for Orphans, English language high school students from two public schools come to the Artemivsk Orphanage weekly to teach the students English. These high school students teach 33 of the orphans with materials they have created and drawn themselves.
Medical Care
Many orphanage directors in Ukraine are licensed physicians. The orphanges have physicians on their staffs in all cases, and also nurses. However, because of the severe lack of money, most needed medicines are not available or far too expensive for the orphanages to obtain. Equipment is extremely old and useless. Through our donation program, however, we try to keep the Artemivsk orphanges stocked with needed medicines and are seeking updated, donated medical equipment. This helps to prevent unnecessary suffering or conditions that get worse without treatment, like ear infections or respiratory illnesses.
There are a host of different medical and dental needs the orphanage children have. If you are a physician or dentist and would like to help in this way, please contact us. To donate medicines, please see our Urgent Needs page for a list.
Emotional Attachments
In Artemivsk, the orphanages are very well staffed, unlike many orphanages in other areas of Eastern Europe. There is nearly a 1:1 ratio between caregivers and children in the Baby House!
Visitors to the orphanages report that the caregivers are very caring and compassionate towards the children. This helps the children develop normal abilities to bond to each other and to adults.
However, because of the large number of children and the institutional setting, it is of course better for these children to be placed in a family setting when possible. Adoption of Ukrainian orphans is becoming more common, both in Ukraine and internationally. Thousands of American families and single adults (many in Nebraska) have adopted children from Ukraine.
Learn more by reading the pages below:
Why are there so many orphans?
What happens to orphans once they turn 16?
(Above) Children in the Baby House in Artemivsk are relatively lucky. There are enough caregivers that children can be fed by hand, unlike so many children in other Eastern European orphanages who are fed with proped bottles in cribs because of understaffing.
(Below) Unfortunately, because of lack of medicines, many children with common problems, like this baby with a face rash, often go without simple medical treatments and suffer pointlessly. We work to provide needed medicines all year.
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