Ukraine's Orphans
Why are there so many orphans?
It is difficult for us to imagine having to abandon your child because of poverty. In Ukraine, this is a major reason for the orphan crisis.
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia, Poland, Belarus, Romania and Hungary. Before 1991, it had a very difficult history that included occupation by Czarist Russia, the banning of it's language, being forced into the Soviet Union, horrible man-made famines under the brutal dictator Stalin that killed millions of people in the Twentieth Century, massive deportations and millions more dead in World War II...a true testament to a people bound and determined to survive.
In 1991, Ukraine finally achieved independence from the Soviet Union. Although this independence brought joy to many people, it also brough massive instability and economic turmoil. The economy is finally growing again, but millions - of people live in poverty across Ukraine. An experienced teacher earns only about $50 - $70 per month, for example, and though housing and food costs are relatively low compared to U.S. prices, clothing, shoes and other things are actually more expensive for same quality.
These changes over the past 14 years have caused many social problems that have contributed to the massive rise in orphans.
These problems include:
- Unemployment. Many of the factories and industries that employed people during Soviet times have been closed, leaving people without any means of earning money. Although some people have become very wealthy, most are unemployed. The situation is particularly bad for women, who have a much higher unemployment rate.
- Poverty. With unemployment and the absense of social programs funded by the government comes poverty. Many people struggle to find enough money to buy food, clothing and medicine for their children.
- Collapse of Social Programs. The old socialist daycare programs are long gone, and there is no well-establised private industry to meet this need. Therefore, when a woman is able to get a job, especially if she is single and without family, she has no way to secure child care.
- Alcoholism and drug abuse. As these problems have grown, so have rates of alcohol and drug abuse. Unfortunately, many children are either abandoned in the hospitals by these mothers or are taken by the state when the mother fails to provide adequately for the child.
- Prostitution. This is a major problem in Ukraine. Because of the desperate economic situation many women find themselves in, especially those who are young and single, many are forced to turn to prostitution. Often, women are taken over international borders and forced to work as prostitutes in other countries. Some are tricked, told that they will work as waitresses or maids in other places. When these women become pregnant, some choose to give birth to the baby and give them up to the orphanage, hoping they will eventually be adopted.
- Poor medical care leading to early death. Some children become full orphans (both parents are dead) because of a lack of access to healthcare and the effects of poverty on their parents.
- Other
social problems. As
in our own society, other social problems lead to children living in
orphanages. These include abuse and neglect. Sometimes, children are
taken by the Ukrainian state in order to provide them with a safe environment.
What is life like for these orphans?
What happens to orphans once they turn 16?
Before abandoning their children, some women beg in public places. Other children are taken from their parents because of neglect. Some women leave their children in the hospitals at birth for placement in the orphanges.
