Ukraine
OH Ukraine Update: Challenges Due to War
The war in Ukraine has great challenges and caused great suffering within the country. Things are very difficult in Kyiv region and all over Ukraine, with almost daily sirens, missile and drone attacks with power and water outages. For children in the orphanages, it is also difficult and stressful. In the midst of this our staff continue to faithfully care for orphans. In addition to programs in the orphanages, we have assisted with evacuation, food, and humanitarian help to orphanages and people fleeing the war. Please pray for the end of this terrible war.
Our Work in Ukraine
We have had a great ministry to orphans in Ukraine for over twenty-two years. Typically, we are working with orphans in government orphanages, bringing love and working to give them a future with hope. These children have a tremendous vacuum, missing the love and care of a family. Our focus is currently on orphanages located in the Kiev region, as well as promoting mentorship, adoption and foster care.
Typically, about 10% are orphans whose parents died and 90% of the children are social orphans. Social orphans come from vulnerable families, affected by poverty, addiction, abuse, special needs issues, and more. The stories are often sad and tragic.
What We Provide
- OH staff build close, one-on-one mentoring relationships with children. These relationships allow us to meet both basic and deeper needs, and better prepare them to have a successful life as those who love God and please Him.
- Our staff are working in orphanages loving the children, mentoring, providing humanitarian assistance, tutoring, counseling, camps, outings, special programs, and more.
- We also teach practical life skills and character development in the orphanage.
- We provide IT courses to equip teens with IT skills for their future and integrate technologies into their lives, achieving a comprehensive approach to learn basic computer skills for office work, programming, web design, animation, robotics and AI. These help children develop intellectually, as well as give practical skills.
- OH summer camps have been a highlight of the year for many orphans, which God uses in wonderful ways to encourage them and help them grow.
- Orphan’s Hope has a great smaller team now, working in the Ukraine with a passion to see these children’s lives saved from tragic ends. We are very grateful for your interest, prayers, and support for Orphan’s Hope ministry in Ukraine.
- We are also working to end orphanhood where we can, by mobilizing God’s People. How can we see orphans find life as sons and daughters of the Most High, raised in the love and knowledge of God in a family environment, experiencing the power of His love, salvation, and victory for them in Jesus name? Throughout the Bible the Father of the Fatherless calls his people to act with his heart and compassion for orphans. These are our days in a fleeting life where we are called to care and invest in these children that are of eternal value. It must start with the people of God to answer the call to care for the orphan. Please join us.
Things have also been changing in a positive way over the last two decades, as more children have been able to go into foster care and adoption. It is great that more kids are living in families with more personal care and attention. This is what they need most. A loving family is the best place for kids to live. We have been a big encourager of this, especially among churches. Although orphanages are fewer and smaller, there are still a lot of children in orphanages. Orphan’s Hope continues to be a light for kids in the orphanages who haven’t been able to be taken into a family.
There were 750 orphanages all over Ukraine before the Russian invasion with about 100,000 kids. 10,000 orphans graduate from the orphanages every year with about the same number coming in. These are beautiful and normal kids in many ways, with loss beyond their control and significant challenges. We can make a real difference for them. The more time you spend with them, the more you love them and have compassion for them.
The cost to the life of an orphan in orphanages is hard to grasp unless you experience it firsthand and realize the needs of the children. You can start to appreciate the depth of their needs, the hurt, and feelings of despair, when you understand that an estimated 10% of these children commit suicide after leaving the orphanage, many the girls get pulled into prostitution, and many of the boys into crime.
You can see the tip of the iceberg in the young teenagers who are pushed into the world, unprepared for life and often hurting. They often lack basic skills like how to cook, shop, budget, bank, etc. They need love and mentorship from people who know God. We have seen how we can make a real difference together and are giving our lives to love these children. The challenges can be great and the sacrifice at times not small but look at what Jesus did for us. Can you partner with us to fight for these children?
