During February, the children of Kalinovka were visited by a professional volunteer massage therapist Natasha. Despite providing free massages, Natasha would like to teach these skills to other volunteers who are willing to come to the Children’s Home and is prepared to stay for several days in a row. Unfortunately there is not sufficient motivation for the current staff. Many of them want larger salaries but without any new responsibilities.
Sergei from Zaporozhye (who joined our volunteer team as a driver), suddenly drew attention from the children. Again I was witness to how much the orphans need communication from not only women, their “moms”, but also with “dads” (rare visitors in Kalinovka). The kids miss male attention a lot. If a male visitor appears at the institution, even if only once, the children remember him, send regards and want to keep communicating by phone.
On February 8th, three boys from Kalinovka underwent medical examinations in Zaporozhye Children’s Hospital. Nikita, who has heart disease, was examined by a cardiologist. Kolya visited a neuropathologist and other doctors. As for grown up Alyosha, one of the municipal hospitals had refused to conduct his examination so he went to the Regional Hospital for patients who live outside of the city. Later Aloysha was given a prescription by a local psychiatrist.
During February there was a meeting with officials from the Department of Industry. On the agenda of this meeting was the need to evaluate results from an energy audit conducted in Kalinovka in August 2012. We hope that if the results from this meeting get proper consideration, then and investment program on energy saving at Kalinovka Children’s Home will be financed by the local government.
Building supervisors visited the construction site and gave their conclusions on the works needing to be done and highlighted some minor drawbacks. In fact, at the end of February construction works were renewed. It is expected that in spring, roofing on the second house will be finished.
Last month 3 more profiles of Kalinovka orphans were published on our website. We hope in the very near future they find adoptive parents. The profile of one orphan from Kalinovka also appeared in an international adoption database as well.
Our volunteer Olya, who has visited Kalinovka kids several times, has created a demonstration version of an on-line shop to help sell the kids’ bead crafts. The money generated from this will then be used to buy beads and wire for further masterpieces.
Since February another group of children has started doing bead weaving under the supervision of teacher Larisa D.
And, of course, once again a group of volunteers from Energodar has visited the children of Kalinovka. They brought candies, fruits, stationery and a lot of positive energy to charge the kids for the month to come. We hope that when its warmer we will manage to take the kids on an excursion to Berdyansk.
About the teachers’ work:
Raisa G. worked with children of “The Happy Home”. During the month they solved arithmetic problems up to 6 and made figures out of plasticine. Maxim B. learnt to distinguish his first 5 letters of the alphabet by pointing at them. He cannot spell them yet though as he has difficulty talking. Raisa also played draughts with the children. This very group of children also enjoyed making hand crafts out of plasticine and CDs with the other teacher Sophia Sh.
The teacher Valentina K. studied letters with Larisa K. through the help of a sound toy “My first teacher”. Children under this teacher were also fascinated with being able to color in the coloring books.
The teacher Natasha P. did puzzles together with Vladik K. and Dima S., and she played toy pyramidions with Oleg P. The boy Ruslan V., being blind, is learning to discover things through touch with the help of Natasha.
Olga M. put the cartoon movie “Chip ’n’ Dale” on for the kids and read children’s books to them. Nastya M. from her group can recognize her favorite toy now. Olya P. is learning to drink from the cup. Anzhela G. can now hold her bottle and take a toy from her teacher’s hands.
The list items needed for the Children’s Home in Kalinovka as of March, 1, 2013:
1. The construction materials for the Happy Home-2
2. Plaster for figure modeling
3. CDs with songs for children
4. The 4mm wire
5. Acrylic paints
6. CDs with cartoon movies and fairy-tales
7. Double-sided sticky tape
8. Big and middle sized puzzles
9. Musical toys
10. Rubber and plastic toys
11. DVDs
12. Glue
13. Canvas for bead embroidery
14. Empty DVDs
15. Vitamins for children and adults
16. Water filter
17. Embroidery set (colorful threads, plain canvas or canvas with printed pictures)
18. Construction toys
19. Toy blocks
20. Toy pyramidions
21. Mathematics learning copy books
22. Floristic tape (green and brown)
23. Deodorants
24. Transparent files
25. Paper А4
26. Cotton wool
We’re grateful to everyone who has supported this project and also for your spiritual support. Remember that nobody but us can help these children! Each dollar and minute of your attention given to these special children is worth its weight in gold! Please keep up the good work!
