Meeting the Potiivka orphanage

Meeting the Potiivka orphanage

In the end of January 2020 a representative of FOU, our American friend Sandy and sisters from the Women’s Monastery of  Zhytomyr first met the Potiivka boarding school-orphanage. This is not a regular school/orphanage because most of the kids are suffering from effects of Polio and mental illnesses. There are a few more than a hundred kids from grade 1 to 12. Out of them four are orphans. Most of them are from the city of Zhytomyr, some are from Donetsk and Kyiv.

We received tons of positive emotions from the visit and the facility itself.

 

  • The teaching staff is very friendly and open. They love what they do and love the kids.
  • Kids are taught to care after each other, and not bully like it usually happens in comprehensive schools.
  • School is very calm during the breaks, they entertained us with dances in wheelchairs. Watch the video below.
  • Teachers were bragging (in a good sense) about there graduates’ achievements. Among them are Paralympic winners, lawyers and teachers.
  • The school has it’s student-president elected by the students, which is really a good example to follow.
  • The facility has treatment rooms and exercise rooms.
    Most of the equipment is from Soviet times, but it’s in working conditions. Physical exercise rooms are modern funded by volunteers.
  • The teachers make up a lot of interesting crafting to do together with the kids.

We also attended lessons.

When having a conversation with the principle I asked if they have any needs and received a very calm reply that there’s nothing big they are lacking at the time, except for maybe shoes, since the government provides 1 pair per child for three years time.

The principle’s assistant added that they also need elastic pants because the school has a lot of children on wheelchairs and those pants are a real necessity for them.

The institution has a worry that the government wants to transform it into a regular public school and that would mean that it won’t be able to have kids come over from other places than the Potiivka town.
That is why we are asking you to pray so the establishment continues to exist in whichever form would be the best for kids who are staying there and for future students to come.

The school administration is very open and invites us to come again and don’t be afraid to tell others about this place.

Asking for your prayers!

Peace to you!

If you can help us with shoes or trousers let us know, or contact the principle’s assistant directly : Aza Burnis

More about the school can be found here

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