When we brought Ksyusha, she was 4 years old. Her parents refused to believe that they had problems. Blaming and scolding everyone, they couldn’t understand why their child was taken away. In the end, they finally realized their problem and agreed to undergo rehabilitation.
They admitted that it took them almost a year to attend the ‘Children’s Ark’ to realize the need for help. In addition, the grandfather and grandmother began to visit the girl after they learned about the problems in the family. They began to support her and her parents. After completing rehabilitation, Ksyusha was finally taken home, and now they are a happy family!
This story became a motivation for other parents to accept help and follow the advice of our specialists. Dad with Ksyusha often come to us, now as guests and for holidays. And we have a lot of them! Svetlana is the head of the music studio. And she has a great ability to help build relationships between parents and children through creativity. By giving roles, small poems, learning songs together with the family, we see how the parents unfold. In this image, it is easier for them to say something, so they can express themselves, express their thoughts. Most often, parents look closed, but on holidays they open up and can communicate better.
One mother approached me after one of the holidays and said: ‘Thank you very much, we really enjoyed it. We never imagined that we could have so much fun with the children.’ It’s one thing when you have fun in an alcoholic state, but here they have the opportunity to see another life. Thank you all for being with us!
We never know how long our children will live. Therefore, we do not waste time in vain: we engage in activities, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. It seems that just recently the first bell rang in schools, we were assembling backpacks with the children, wearing lush bows. And now it’s already November, and that means it’s time to prepare for Christmas. And although it’s gray and rainy outside, as the saying goes: ‘Prepare the sledge in the summer.’ Christmas is a holiday of love and mercy. Therefore, we do not remain indifferent, and with great pleasure we open a collection for Christmas gifts. We invite you to this wonderful atmosphere of preparation for the wonderful and bright holiday of Christmas. Gifts will be collected not only for children from the orphanage in the city of Saint Petersburg but also for children from other regions of Russia. Everything in the world starts with something small, everything is born small, and then grows: a small sprout becomes a big tree, a stream flows into a river, words grow into sentences and big novels, great melodies are composed from a few notes. Dear ones, let’s all together gather Christmas gifts for our children!
Children who come to foster families often carry a heavy baggage of distrust, pain, and disappointment. And when you see happiness on the face of an adopted child, you rejoice twice. Parents of such children need a lot of love, strength, and wisdom. That’s why supporting foster families is so important! When parents have support, it’s easier for them to love. When parents can get answers to their questions, parenting becomes wiser and more balanced. When parents have time to rest and socialize with other parents in the same situation, it’s a time to recharge.
That’s why one of the directions of the Children’s Ark is to support foster families. We hold regular Saturday meetings for parents and children so that everyone can spend this time productively, joyfully, and soulfully. Every Saturday, we meet with teenagers from foster families and run a club. This summer, there was a wonderful opportunity to interact with the kids on hikes. During this warm season, we equipped the boiler room, reconstructed the water supply system, repaired the summer shower, and renovated some rooms in the house. In September, we completed the cleanup and garden rearrangement.
We would be delighted if you become a part of the Children’s Ark ministry!
Last year, Lena came to us. At that time, she was seven years old. Unfortunately, Lena’s mother did not arrange for her to go to school. We never know how long we will have the children with us. This year, we were among the first in line to submit an application for enrollment in the first grade. We have even passed the medical examination with the future first graders.
And then we encountered a surprise in the form of a refusal, as it was also necessary to pass a psychological-medico-pedagogical commission. In short, our eyes twitched, and our brows turned gray, but we passed the commission. And the child was enrolled in school. When a child enters the first grade, the requirements for their speech, behavior, and way of life change dramatically. It’s an exciting moment for every parent and future first-grader.
Lena is eagerly awaiting the day when she will go to school. So we don’t waste any time: we study, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. And from September, our socio-developmental center will open its doors again, and the children will attend additional developmental activities.
Everything in the world starts small, everything is born small, and then it grows: a small seedling becomes a big tree, a stream joins a river, words turn into sentences and great novels, a few notes compose great melodies.
We thank you for your heart and prayers, for your cooperation and assistance in serving the social orphans! May God bless you abundantly!
He and his sister were brought to some new building with lots of children and adults. And no one understood them. “I’m the eldest, I should find out why we’re here!? Everyone approached us, hugged us, smiled. But I wanted to cry, I wanted to go home…” These thoughts, probably, visited Oleg, who came to us.
“Moo, yes, I, uh…” These were the words we heard from Oleg and his younger sister Sonya (3 and 4 years old) when they arrived at the “Children’s Ark.” Their speech was practically absent, and we couldn’t understand them. With time, we began to guess what they were trying to communicate, thanks to their expressive gestures!
“Moo” was the first word that Oleg learned to say. And when people told him, “We don’t understand what you want?” He would earnestly and as loudly as possible say, “MOO, MOO!”
When new children arrive, most of the time they come with a whole bunch of problems. We started speech therapy sessions and visits to doctors. But not only that, the children also participate in developmental activities in the art studio and creative workshops for woodworking and metalworking. The caregivers also invest a lot of effort and heart into the children’s development.
Now, looking at the results (maybe not noticeable to outsiders), you realize the “leap” that Oleg has made. And, of course, this is not the end; we continue to fully develop the child. This is not just the result of our staff’s work but also thanks to your support. Since we are not a state shelter, the staff’s salaries come from donations. Your help is an invaluable contribution to our work! Thank you!
A happy childhood despite everything. “Children’s Ark” set sail in St. Petersburg and began its journey: challenging, emotional, but confident. The map constantly showed new places where children needed help. It was the need that called our ship to arrive and assist those in need.
Maximka joined the Children’s Ark when he was only 3.5 years old. The boy was developmentally delayed and frequently fell ill. He had almost no documents. The work to restore his documents and medical examinations began. In the clinic, we were informed that his mother had hardly brought him for check-ups since his birth. After a month, a woman called us in search of her son. You would be as surprised as we were when we learned that she was Maxim’s mother. It’s sad to see such parental irresponsibility.
We started working with the mother. We invited her for discussions and talked about the importance of caring for one’s children. Maxim was scheduled for a serious head surgery. For a long time, we collected medical certificates for the hospital. And finally, after a year, the mother showed responsibility and went through with the operation with the child. She stayed with him throughout the entire hospital stay. This is a significant victory for us! After leaving the hospital, Maxim returned to our shelter. We continue to work with him and his mother.
Along the way, compassionate people, volunteers, and benefactors come on board. Together, we strengthen the “Children’s Ark” and help the children and families who are going through tough times.
With your help and collective efforts, we will create a healthy, joyful, and genuine childhood for these children. Thank you for being with us!
