Happy Child logo

A British Charity Wants to Tell the World about the Special Children in the Kalinovka Orphanage

March 7, 2012, 14:00 3356 Author: Konstantin Kulakov, translated by Daria Sukach reporter.zp.ua British volunteers are going to make a documentary about the orphans of the Kalinovka Orphanage and show it on the world-famous BBC channel

The Director of the “Happy Child” charity foundation, Albert Pavlov, told ReporterUA that he has recently accompanied the British volunteers to the Chernigov facility in Kalinovka. The Kalinovka Orphanage currently has 120 orphans aged from 4 to 35 years diagnosed with various mental and physical disabilities. A great number of the orphans are wheelchair users.

A new and important concept will be highlighted in the documentary. A completely restored house that used to be a Mennonite mansion has a new life and purpose. Since the first of December 2011 it has been a family type home, “Happy Home”. The orphanage Director and staff, volunteers and Happy Child foundation have worked together to make this a reality for nine of the orphans. The unique project is individually oriented towards each occupant. It provides a nurturing family-like environment.

“Some children who now live in “Happy Home” can already read syllables, - Albert Pavlov delightfully tells us.

The employees of the “Happy Child” charity foundation note that the physiologists from all around the world have concluded that upbringing and education of orphans is much more effective in small family-like groups than in huge orphanages. This works well with ordinary healthy orphans and also disabled orphans. Most developed countries are establishing foster family homes instead of orphanages. The BBC has already broadcasted a similar documentary about the Bulgarian experience in the reformation of the orphanage system in the custody of the abandoned disabled children.

Happy Child foundation - effective help to the most needy children of the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine

They need help:
Mariia Zaslavska
Mariia Zaslavska

Central nervous system malformations, spastic tetraparesis, symptomatic epilepsy

Help now

You donated in 2026

$16 207

Full report

Our expenses in 2026
38 sick children $13 396
Medical equipment:$414
Humanitarian help:$10 612
To disabled children:$11 391
To orphans and poor children:$4 910
Tourism program:$154
Help to adults:$2 994
Service expenses:$6 994
Total sum of expenses: $50 947

$7 521 761

donated since 2007