In the above photo you see some of the residents at a special needs orphanage where we distributed some of the shoes shipped last year.
There is a shocking statistic about which brother Jerry Max Morgan reminded me prior to this trip and which I heard repeated as I made a trip to a special needs orphanage—80% of orphans in Ukraine will eventually find themselves graduated from the orphanages and into a life that results in their early death.
The girls will go into prostitution and the boys will be recruited by various criminal enterprises. Both options see these children as “expendables.” The girls who go into prostitution will live at most 18 months and then they are no longer useful (much less if they are known to have contracted a STD). The boys will be placed in the most dangerous parts of the criminal operations and their life expectancy will be less that 12 months. The orphans are considered worthless.
This horrible human trafficking IS a reality.
Those in the special needs orphanages face their future with an even greater peril and hopelessness.
Brother Jerry is working on a plan by which we can teach the orphans a legitimate trade and thus upon their graduation from the orphanage system in Ukraine (when they turn 18 years old), they will have a real option for living life. During this trip I have been investigating various options for making this a reality. The plan is still in rough draft and Jerry will need to come over to follow-up. The potential “saving” of these children is significant and the desire to help these vulnerable children is great.
Today I visited an orphanage that housed special needs children. There are 440 children in this orphanage ranging in age 12-18 years old.
This orphanage was selected as one of the recipients for the shoes we shipped last year. Of the total population in the orphanage the Director decided that only the “true orphans” would receive the shoes (these are the children with neither living parents nor relatives—they are truly all alone). We were invited to give the shoes to this selected group (about 45). Along with the shoes we gave out a school supply bag containing notebooks, pens, rulers, etc., and a tube of toothpaste bought in a local store. The Director had given us the names and shoe sizes and the Consignee had written the names on the top of each shoe box.
The group was assembled when we arrived and upon our entrance into the room they greeted us in unison. Most stood but there were a few that could not stand. Those unable to stand without assistance were just as vigorous in their greeting as the others.
As the names were called each would come to the front (if capable and if not, we took the shoes to them). They happily received the shoes and stood for a photo. For some this was the first pair of NEW shoes they had ever held!
There were a few whose shoe sizes had been recorded wrong and these were promised that their new shoes would be delivered to them.
One young man in this group was named Dima (probably 16-17 years old). His name was called and he happily reached for his shoes only to have his smile turn into sorrowful disappointment when he realized it was the wrong size. I was standing next to him and I felt his great disappointment. Hopefully Dima will get the shoes with his correct size soon.
In addition to the shoes we gave each one a bag of school supplies and a tube of toothpaste.
At the end of the presentation the Director asked if any of the children would like to say something to us. A young man (probably 16-17 years old) stood up and said how much he appreciated the gifts because receiving those gifts made him feel like a person. Previously this young man had been called to get his shoes and he went out of his way to come to me and say “Thank you.”
As the group was dismissed almost without exception each came to me and shook my hand and said “Thank you.”
Those in the special needs orphanages are often treated as problematic because they are viewed as an annoyance to general society. These are seen as an irritation and a blemish in society. Consequently, they are treated as they are viewed. Seldom is there love and concern shown to them. Today marked an exception. Because of YOU these realized they were important and valuable and loved. Their response to being treated with respect and dignity was a simple “Thank you” that spoke volumes.
Tomorrow I leave Kramatorsk for Zaporozhye. Travel will be by bus and will take 5+ hours. I hope it is a big bus that will hold luggage in the back. On my last trip I made a bus trip and had to sit for 7+ hours holding all of my luggage!
Continue praying for our efforts and the opening of doors by which the gospel can be preached!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Kramatorsk, Ukraine
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