The Well is Covered

Yesterday, Vitaliy finished constructing the well. Here you see the before and after shots.

He also put a steal door on the basement. Unfortunately, people have been known to steal such things as pumps (actually, a gas stove was stolen from someone's house last year - and that was no easy feat!). So, we are trying to be careful, particularly since the house remains vacant. Tomorrow, they will begin laying the pipes and the electric in the ground.

"You know Shelia," Iryna said to me, "We have to get this done before winter. I cannot think about ___ living at the stadium again this winter. It is very possible she could die out there this time. And, what about ___ living near the bazaar? We said we could have two mothers with their children in that big room, but if we have to, we can put three mothers and their children. It isn't ideal, but we could do it."

"How much will it cost to do everything we have to do to make the house livable?" I asked.

She thought about it awhile and replied, "Maybe $8000."

I had previously suggested we approach a national firm, called "New Line," and ask them to donate new windows and doors. They had provided such donations for another project on which I had worked and this seemed just as noble a project. So, I brought up this idea again.

I could see the wheels turning in her head. I thought maybe she was doubting me; she never believed volunteers would dig that trench and they did!
"Iryna," I said, "I cannot think of a better cause than providing for homeless, orphaned youth; besides, the worst they can say is 'no'."

She replied, "You know if we are going to build that second building in the future, we should think about asking them for a larger window on that opposite wall, instead of two small ones where we will put the other building."

Down in the Trench(es)

Thanks to a $500 grant from "Appropriate Projects," a $300 wire transfer from Ginny Tranchik, of New York, and 105 hours of volunteer time (21 volunteers for 5 hours), Opika house is about to let flow the water!

"When Shelia told me we would get volunteers to dig the trench, I told her that Ukrainians would never do this," said Iryna Sydakova, Director of Opika. Said Youth Bank volunteer, Oksana Kydora, "I don't think any of us thought we could get this done in one day, but we did it!" So, what was it that made 21 volunteers come out and work for five hours straight to dig a 100 meter long and 1.5 meter deep trench in a day?

Motivating volunteers isn't just about giving them food - but that's important! Not just because of the free food, but because it is a cultural custom among most of the world's peoples to celebrate with food. Iryna had asked for enough female volunteers to "make lunch," but about 1/3 of the volunteers down in the trench were women - unusual for such hard work in Ukraine. These women stayed in the trenches and, it was actually a guy, Sasha Shelevey, who built the fire and baked the potatoes for lunch. When asked about the role of women and men in such tough work, Misha Vakula, used to working alongside American Peace Corps volunteers likes the equitable way in which Americans work. He explained the Ukrainian mentality this way, "I think men do the heavy lifting when digging things like trenches, but women have more endurance and can last for longer." Indeed, Oksana Kydora, a 21 year old Ukrainian and Youth Bank member, picked up her shovel with the first wave of volunteers and was one of the last to put it down. "I like the hard work; I like knowing that I helped dig that ditch with my own two hands."

PCV Erin Sims was onsite, as part of a project to make a documentary film abotu Peace Corps for the 50th anniversary, and asked volunteers why they came out today. Here is what our volunteers said about why they were here.

Because We Wanted To Do Good
Perechyn Community Foundation Youth Bank member, Bogdan, declined to be interviewed, but when I asked him why he came to volunteer, he smiled and said, "Because it's what we do!" Youth Bank member Mykola Radchenko agreed. "We are trying to activate people to do more for the community. We are an example for what others can do if they just take a little time out of their day to do good for someone else." Igor Vyshnayk said, "I love my community."

Because We Want to Give Back
"Why does everyone call Iryna 'mama'?" asked PCV Erin Sims of Maxim Olah. "Because she took care of us these years." Iryna took him into her home after he left the boarding school. He lived with her for seven years while working and finishing college. "I would be living on the streets if not for her." Max knows this house is a place where kids just like him will have a chance to transition to life on their own.

Misha Vakula, a volunteer from the village of Turya Pasika (20 kilometers from Perechyn) explained that he came today because Peace Corps volunteers have done so much for him. Returned PCV Neil Patrick O'Toole (2007-2010) helped him learn English, but even more importantly, taught him the importance of community service. Misha was recently selected to participate in the prestigious UGRAD program (funded by the US State Department) and leaves in August to study for a year in an American university. "Volunteerism has changed my life; it is something I will always do."

Because It's Fun

"It was a lot of fun. It's rewarding to look back and see what we accomplished in one day with a lot of hard work," said PCV Nikita Kangovich, from Cleveland, Ohio and now serving as an English teacher in Mykachevo, Ukraine. German volunteers Johanus and Juliana came, and brought along their friend Anna, because PCV Michele Kanda, from California and serving in Perechyn Ukraine, because she convinced them it would be a lot of fun - and it was!

Because I Was Asked

Arped said he volunteered because Iryna asked him to. "Iryna does so much for all of us, whenever she needs us, we want to help her," offered Balint. "We volunteers help each other and when Shelia and Michele asked us to come, wer were happy to help," said PCV Andy Stubblefield from Florida, now an English teacher in Uzhgorod. In the volunteering training with the Youth Bank, this was the most important fact I shared with them. The number one reason people say they volunteer? Because someone asked them!

Why I Volunteer

I think I might be a volunteer junky. If you volunteer enough, you quickly learn the "volunteer high" one gets from service; much like a "runner's high," this feeling of being inspired by what other people do for others, by what you see they must overcome in their lives and how these things are the fundamental emotions that fuel them to give of their time to others, is palpable.

At one point during the day, I stood at the top of the hill and I could see every single volunteer down in the trench... and for once, that metaphor made sense to me. Here we were, all of us, in the trenches - Americans, Ukrainians, and Germans. The subtleties of this situation would be lost on most people, but consider this.

A generation ago, Ukrainians lived under the tyranny of German occupation and Americans had turned their backs on the injustices perpetrated by Soviets and Germans. Ukrainians in this region could have great reason to hate us, but time has not only changed everything, but now we are learning from one another what it means to overcome and work together.

One of the PCVs is Jewish and immigrated from Russia to the United States with his parents when he was a baby, in order to escape political and religious persecution. Here too was something quite remarkable. Jews from this region were rounded up and sent to concentration camps; they were all but obliterated from Western Ukraine, and there is an unspoken sense of sadness about the fear under which Ukrainians acted by turning their backs on the atrocities. Yet, here was an American-Russian immigrated Jew down in the trenches, joking around (in Russian) with these Western Ukrainians. Furthermore, Western Ukrainians are very proud and there is sometimes great controvercy between Russian-speaking Eastern and Central Ukraine and Western Ukrainians who believe very strongly in preserving the Ukrainian language. Nikita doesn't hide his Jewish heritage - everyone here knows and accepts him for the Russian-speaking American he is.

Here, too, were Lemkiv (white) and Roma (brown) volunteers breaking alongside another to take in the beautiful view from the side of the mountain where the house is located. There is a great deal of racism - not only in Ukraine - but everywhere throughout Europe where Roma people live. They are the fastest growing ethnic group in Europe and the European Union has invested billions in hopes of educating the millions of Roma who are unable to read. Myths about the Roma's ability to "hypnotize you and steal your money" are perpetuated. Often, they are characterized as lazy and entitled, yet here they were - volunteering alongside the rest of us.

Here, too, were kids who grew up in the Perechyn orphanage. Abandoned by their families, they would have great reason to expect life to give to them, not the other way around. Yet, they were down in this trench digging, to help others like them who are in need and to insure that a new generation of children stay out of the orphanages and have a chance at a life with their parents. They may be there because of their love for Mama Iryna, but her service - her volunteerism - is an example to them for what it means to be a good person and an active citizen.

Of privilege and poverty, of families and institutions, of diverse ethnic composition, these aren't simply volunteers. They are a statement about all that is good about volunteerism and international exchange on the local level. That is the power of volunteerism. It can bring people together from all walks of life to focus less on each other and more toward the common good.

I likely could have raised enough money for us to rent a backhoe to dig the trench, but, my experience, gut - maybe my addiction to the feeling of volunteerism - told me that this project had the potential to be a powerful experience for bringing people together. It most definitely was.

Erin asked, in her interview with Iryna the following day, if she could explain some concrete differences Opika has made in the lives of the graduates of the boarding school over the past ten years they have been in existance and how Opika House will help continue this work. Iryna explained that back then, none of the kids went on to college - most went to a trade school or the army, and some ended up homeless. Today, a great number of kids have already finished college. Some of the ones who volunteered dig the trench are going on for their Master's degrees. One of them just returned from an internship with the United Nations in New York City. The biggest problem for boarding school graduates is finding housing. These kids were able to succeed because they lived with her - Opika House expands the opportunity for more youth and their children.

Craftmaking

As many of you know, a group of graduates from the local orphanage have been chosen to perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC from June 28-July 11. Well, kids from the local school are getting into the spirit of this and making crafts to sell at the marketplace for the festival. Here are a few photos of the kids in action.

They have quite a bit of experience working with beads; here you see "pidsnig" flowers (I believe we call them snowdrops), crafted from beads. They are also making small "yarn dolls." If you are interested in having something they made, just let me know and I will be sure to get one to you!

Mother's School Training Days 3 and 4

We welcomed back Olena Yesepenko to Perechyn for the second installment of our training of mentors.

This session was focused on puberty, sexual reproduction, and sexually transmitted diseases and how to educate young people about them. Here you see Balint, a graduate of the school himself and local mentor to youth, practicing how he will provide basic sex education to the teenagers at the boarding school. The participants learned about contraception and how to demonstrate such things as condom use to the youth, while also discussing with them abstinence and waiting until one is older and in a committed relationship and married.

We discussed the growing rate of HIV/AIDS infection in Ukraine - the fastest growing in Europe. While Western Ukraine has a slower rate of transmission than that in Eastern Ukraine, graduates from orphanages are at five times greater risk for transmission of the disease.

Open Your Heart for Good

This weekend, the Perechyn Boarding School and Opika welcomed around fifty guests from Holland. As supporters and volunteers of the CHOE Foundation, these are the families who support the organization and host children in their homes every summer.

They spent the morning at the orphanage touring the place where their "summer kids" live the rest of the year. The kids had been

preparing for their visit for weeks, making colorful beaded potted flowers as gifts, cards, welcome signs, as well as, cleaning their rooms and themselves and memorizing new poems, songs, and dances.

At four o'clock, the Dutch arrived at the Palace of Culture for one of the most impressive performances I have seen in Perechyn. I expected to see a group of 50 Dutch people when I arrived; instead, the 400 seat auditorium was standing-room only. Many from the town also came out to show their support, including graduates of the school from all over the coun

try.

Graduates of the orphanage came from as far away as Korea to perform for the guests in a tribute to their generosity for the last 15 years. The performance, called "Open Your Heart for Good" included the youngest of the boarding school residents, seven years old, and the oldest of the graduates on stage, now 37 years old.

"Studio Suprise," the name Iryna gave to her performance group many years ago, boasts graduates who now live and perform all over the world. Joseph, now a performer in Korea, and Oksana, now a professional dancer and student in Kyiv returned for the performance. Sasha, who speaks five languages, just returned from the six months working for the United Nations. He now lives in Kyiv, but plans to return to Zakarpattia. He not only performed, but translated for our guests into their native language.

Throughout the performance, Jan, the founder and director of CHOE and the leader of this delegation of Dutch, moved around the room - hopping from one chair to another. He talked with different graduates he had know from the school throughout the performance and at one point, he sat in front of me. I had told him one of the things that the Americans (Julie and Ted) had told me

about their girls was that they found the school open and the children accepting of their presence and that they thought this was in great part due to the fact that the children from this school had already lived abroad, in Holland, during their summers. Jan told me that this meant a great deal to him to know that this had contributed to the successful adoption of these girls. I imagine it is hard to "adopt" children for a summer and then have to send them back home, just as it is difficult for the kids to have a home life for three months and then return to the institution. But, the Dutch cannot adopt from Ukraine. I am not certain the reason, but when Americans come to adopt children here, it takes quite a bit of time and money to navigate the system. And, being in a school with experience working with foreigners, certainly helps.

I heard Jan speaking some of the "little bit" of Ukrainian the kids told me he knew; all the words he knew were those of love and encouragement - the most important ones.

I couldn't help thinking about the power of one person to be inspired and inspire so many

others to not only give their time and their resources, but to open up their homes for children, who speak another language, to live with them. You could see from the slideshow that these families had become attached to the kids just as much as the kids had to them. I couldn't help thinking, how unfortunate it is that Holland does not have an agreement with Ukraine to adopt children from here. I would bet many of these kids would be permanently with families in Holland already. The good will of the Dutch is legendary here and their international hospitality makes it easier for those of us who can adopt them to build these bonds. I don't know what the future has in store for Max and for me, but I certainly hope that one day it will include opening our hearts and doors for children in our own home. We shall see.

Visit to the Svalyava Infant Orphanage

Svalyava is a town about an hour away from Perechyn. Svalyava is well known among the boarding school crowd as the "infant orphanage." This is the place infants are taken when they are removed from their mothers, following a few days waiting period in the local hospital.

As I wrote before, one of the reasons we started the "Mother's School" project was to educate young people and build the capacity of mentors to help educate young people from the orphanage to reduce the rates of teen pregnancy among graduates of the Perechyn orphanage. Over the past five years, more than 50 lives births have occurred among 38 teenage mothers graduating from the school. Most of these children have ended up here - in the Svalyava orphanage.

Iryna's goal, by taking them to see the actual orphanage, was to make this process "real" for them. She wanted them to see the place and understand what happens when children come to this place. We were not able to go into the school, as this is forbidden by Ukrainian law (only those who are authorized to be there are able to go in). However, we heard from people who know about life in this place and we facilitated a discussion with the children. The message was not to suggest that the children aren't cared for in this place - they are certainly cared for as much as they can be in an institutional setting. But, the bond between a parent and a child begins very early and the message was that they should consider their actions and their readiness to care for a child before having one.

Two members of our group know this very well. One of them, whom you see here with her child, was only able to keep her child from this place because a community mentor took her and the child into her home, and she is helping to care for them both. Another young mother was not so fortunate and as she stood peering through the gates, I couldn't imagine what she was thinking wiht her child in there and her standing out here in the cold. She was on the verge of getting her child back when a quarantine was put into place at the orphanage and she learned she would not be able to visit the orphanage or take her child until this quarantine lifted. Quarantines are common in Ukraine, as the availability of vaccines and medicines to combat outbreaks of such things as Hepatitis, the flu, etc. are not available.

Many thanks to Erin Simms, the PCV in Svalyava, who arranged for us to have a classroom at her school where we could hear from presenters and have our discussion. Erin is hoping she might be able to work with the infant orphanage herself.

Training at the Boarding School

We have had a busy few weeks! Here are photos from our training at the orphanage with about 30 teen residents. As you see here, one of the teachers at the school (also a mentor in our Mother's School program) used the information she learned from our training to design a training for youth. Our consultant, Olena, provided advice about how to adapt the material for a younger audience and we were able to do so. This training will be repeated in the future for other young people.

The teacher/mentor was able to pass along information she learned to the young people. They discussed such things as teen pregnancy, the developmental needs (physical and emotional) of pregnant mothers and their babies, as well as, the material needs they require after they have been born.

This kind of open dialogue is important with these children, as many of them have no parents (and thus, no examples in their lives) and/or little contact with adults who provide them such education. We take this for grantide in our everyday lives.

These kids are like every other teenager in the world. Their bodies are changing and the hormones are causing them to act in ways they may not understand. Many of them say they know these things and understand them, but we often found that their information was skewed and incorrect. The training, as much as anything, was important to changing their perceptions about how to become pregnant and how sexually transmitted diseases are passed on to others. But, just as important are the softer issues like psycho-social and moral issues as they relate to the choices these young people make in their lives.

Stan, Julie and their 3 girls

Over the last two weeks, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with a lovely couple from Indiana are now the proud parents of three girls from the Perechyn boarding school. They found this website after a search of the internet. It was such a joy, getting to know them and, at least in part, traveling with them on this epic journey.

They visited three schools in Ukraine, before finding a good fit with our own here in Perechyn. Like all new parents, they ran the gamut of emotions the month they were here, from nervous to happy, from tired to overjoyed. As they explained in their interview with a reporter from the Perechyn Kalaidescope newspaper, from the first day, the girls were absolutely certain that these were their parents – all of them, including the youngest who, barely able to read and write, insisted on signing the paper herself that it was her sincere wish to go home with this couple (even though she had an advocate who could sign for her). If you had met them, you would understand why; goodness and love transcend language barriers.

After trying to work out of his hotel room, Stan, a computer programmer, and I met at the time when he was considering returning to Kyiv in order to have regular internet access. Each day they were allowed to see the girls for three hours at a time and Stan and Julie would have been away from each other and from this experience together. So, it was quite provident that our office was equipped to fit his needs. Stan became a regular part of our “collective” and he fit right in.
On Men’s Day (also known as Red Army Day and Soviet Army Day), he celebrated with us in the kitchen. I joked with him that we are so much like a family, that we would normally be eating from the big plate of the chicken with our fingers. Plates and forks had been passed around in his honor. Stan, sat up and brightly asked if it would be ok to eat with his fingers; I smiled and translated his question to the rest of the office staff. Everyone let out a great laugh and the forks were put aside. Stan shared with us that our camaraderie reminded him of the four years that he and his wife Julie spent in Morocco.

In true Ukrainian fashion, theirs was a time of hurry-up and wait. Things would happen very quickly for awhile and then full-stop, while they waited to be added to the docket of the local courthouse line-up, or stood in line for a stamp, birthcertificate, or passport. Had I not gone through something similar (marrying a Ukrainian), I could not have appreciated the amount of patience they had, even though they had hired a facilitator to help them navigate the system. As we entered a very long holiday weekend, there was a mad dash to get all the paperwork completed so they could get to Kyiv for medical interviews and final visa checks (before the holiday festivities began and offices closed down).

I went shopping with Julie as she prepared a party for each of the girls’ classes at school. I had this vision of her with a Tupperware full of cupcakes, she had made with one of her daughters, sitting in the backseat of a minivan two years from now; after dropping her girls off at school, she made her way to her job as a nurse practitioner at the local hospital. Life - ordinary, beautiful.

On Tuesday, they waited in a local government office all morning, and then rushed into our office to pick up the cakes they had left in our refrigerator the day before. They were off to the classroom parties. At the end of the evening, Max (my husband), Michele (another Peace Corps volunteer in Perechyn), and I happily celebrated their new “simeyni zhittia (family life)” at our apartment. It was Julie’s birthday and the birthday of their new family. We talked about their experience and their journey to get to this place - really, just the beginning.

Many people ask about the language barrier between the girls and the new parents. Stan and Julie speak some Russian, but anyone who has spent any amount of time in a foreign country knows that when you cannot communicate with words, you learn other ways to express yourself. In some ways, this expression is more meaningful than words could ever be. It is non-verbal communication that brings people to their most meaningful relationships, whether or not they speak the same language.

My husband, Maksym, took the day off to clean our apartment and make a traditional Ukrainian meal in honor of Stan and Julie. Just before we ate, he made this toast. “I grew up in the boarding school, myself, and I want to tell you that what you are doing for these girls is a great thing. Here’s to good people who do great things.”

Mother's School Training: The Case of Two-year Old John

Today, we spent the morning learning about early childhood development and the needs of the child from conception to age three (using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs among other theorists).

But, the most powerful part of the day was the end, when we watched a film about a young child named John, who was left by his mother at an orphanage for nine days. There were around 8 children in two rooms being cared for by 3 or 4 nurses.

The black and white film showed how over the course of nine days, the child’s experience day in and day out was impacted to the point that his personality almost completely changed. The first few days he was sad, but calm, by day three he was using a teddy bear as a surrogate mother, while attempting numerous times to sit on the lap of several of the nurses. By day six he was acting out and, because of this, he did get more attention, but by days seven and eight he was depressed and could not be consoled by anyone. He stopped eating and by day nine and there was concern for his health by the nurses. He would go back and forth from belligerent to inconsolable.

On day nine, John’s mother returned. At first, he wouldn’t go to her; he was put in her arms and was calm, but after a few minutes he started screaming again. The mother wanted to comfort him, but couldn’t. The child, after a struggle calmed down again. Several times he left her, hysterically. There was a point near the end when he was sitting on the lap of the parish priest and he looked at his mom with an unbelievably difficult face to forget.

I was reminded of what I know about post-traumatic stress disorder. It is possible to recover from it in a function way, but there is a window of exposure that makes it harder and even impossible to recover. This was nine days – imagine those children growing up in these institutions; not hard to imagine, since it is a reality in Ukraine. It has nothing to do with the nurses not caring for the children. They clearly were doing the best they could, feeding, clothing, bathing and putting the children to bed. But nothing could replace the important bond that forms between a parent and child which contributes to their stable development to adulthood.

The consultant showed us a chart later that showed, roughly, that 75% of our learning in life takes place before the age of three. In this case, could 9 days before the age of three, be equated to months or even years of time as an adult?

Roundtable with Local Officials

In the early evening after the first day of training, we hosted a roundtable for local officials and members of the community to talk about this population. All but one member of the training stayed behind, which was quite energizing.

Iryna had invited an inspiring woman to open the session and she talked about the day she learned about this young woman and her baby (photo below) who were about to be turned out onto the street. She said that she just couldn't see any other way than to take her into her home - she was quite humble about it and even surprised to be asked to speak. But, you could tell the baby was quite adapted to her new "grandmother" and on her way to a healthy life. And, it was the perfect way to open the Roundtable - an honorable, generous community member, a young, healthy mother and her baby quietly sitting on her lap. A local reporter was at the roundtable and arranged to feature them in the "Women's Day" issue of the local newspaper.

We had hoped to have have more officials, unfortunately there was only one. However, the mayor's number 2 person was on hand and the mayor herself stopped to recognize Iryna for her commitment to the community (photo below right). The elected official is an oblast (state) representative and if we could only have had one, she would have been one of the best to have (photo of her above with a standing Iryna). Very well-connected and influential, she was clearly interested in the topic and took lots of notes when the consultant talked about our day, the state of things in Ukraine, and how elected officials can help tackle this issue.

The two most pressing issues, identified earlier in the day, were registration and a one-stop place where one can go to find out about all available resources. I could see the wheels were turning about how we might be able to streamline the local process.

One example was discussed. A local woman who has no identification and cannot get any because she has no family. In order to get a "passport" (ID card) one must return to their place of birth, prove they are who they say they are, and wait for a period of time for processing. This woman was from another part of Ukraine, lacked money to return and had no place to stay while she waited. Her child cannot be registered, because she, the mother, is not registered. Furthermore, to prove you are who you say you are - one must have identification. To pick up a new identification, one must present identification. Seems a bit reciprocal doesn't it?

The consultant shared that, in another community, the police accepted the sworn statement of two members of the community who knew the person and were able to approve registration. This was just one example of how a local social service agency has worked with local police in partnership.

It was even more powerful ending the session with mini-presentations by former graduates of the boarding school who are making it - and contributing members of society after receiving the support of Opika and other organizations like them to help them get set-up to live life on their own, soundly and securely.

About the Consultant

It was extremely helpful to have the outside consultant. As a trainer for "EveryChild" Ukraine (link to the UK site in English), she and her organization are the best in their field. They were trained by the Institute for Human Service (IHS) in Columbus, Ohio, with whom I was connected in my life before Peace Corps. IHS' founders literally wrote the books on childhood development practice in child welfare.

Olena, our trainer, is also a practicing professional and so, she could challenge our thinking about how we interpret the law, work with local officials (particularly the police), and advocate for the rights of the girls.

One of the most important things she was able to help empower this group to feel they were more prepared to challenge assumptions and advocate more for the young women, rather than feel powerless in the face of sometimes corrupt and/or convoluted local systems.

This was quite evident at the roundtable that evening, when practically every member of the training stayed to share their thoughts and ideas with the local officials.

Mother's School Training - Portraits and Biases

Today rounded out the first day of the "Mother's School" that the ladies of Opika and I put together. Funded by the US Peace Corps through their Special Projects Assistance (SPA) Program, Peace Corps helps support volunteer projects that a) help build civic engagement and/or b) help build the capacity of a nonprofit organization. In this case, we were building the capacity of Opika to respond to a particular sector of the population they serve - teen mothers.

The day was quite long, probably longer for the trainer who traveled from Lugansk all the way to the West coast of Ukraine (about 1.5 days by train). Here is how the day went. We:

1. Created a Portrait of the typical "teen mom" Opika serves

• Age 14 to 24,
• Orphaned or removed from situations of neglect,
• Husband or father of the child is unlikely to be part of the life of the mother/child,
• Lack basic material needs - food, clothing, shelter, etc.,
• Psychologically not prepared themselves and unable to provide this for their unborn and living children, and
• A particular cultural aspect unique to Western Ukraine - young Roma mothers.

We then:

2. Listened to Statistics about other parts of Ukraine and, realized (with the acception of the Roma mothers) our situation is not that much different from other parts of the country.

3. Identified the Top Concerns to serving this population and discussed Ways to Tackle them.

4. Undertook an activity to bring out our own Biases.

Most of the people in the training were trained as teachers, not psychologist and social workers. So, our understanding of child development was very narrow. The consultant pushed us into confronting our own biases about working with these children, because she was preparing us for tomorrow, when we will learn about child development from conception to age three.

The better we understand the needs of the girls, the better able we are to respond to them and to get out of the way of our own misconceptions about what we think they need.

Roof Raised and Entranceway Prepared

Nora Havasi, one of Opika's volunteers and a professional translator, recently stopped by the house and took these photos! We can now say that the roof has been raised and an entranceway prepared.

This is a big step forward for us, because it means that we can begin work inside the house while winter is still doing its best to keep bundled up and in our warm houses! We shall have to wait until the ground thaws to put in the water lines, but the well is ready to start pumping water.

It is so very exciting to see things start to come together. My time in Peace Corps ends June 28th and I would really love to see this house occupied before I leave. I can already imagine the little bare feet pattering around the yard as moms weed the garden. My husband and I are donating our refrigerator, a mattress and as many things as possible from our own place to help get the place started.

The wiring must be completely redone, a water line and pump installed, and the bathroom and kitchen prepared before the girls can move in.

The bathroom will require quite a bit of infrastructure - including a toilet, tub, sink, tile, etc. The kitchen has a stove pipe, but a stove is needed as gas and water lines. I recently put in for a small grant to an organization called "Appropriate Projects" for the installation of the water line, pump, and kitchen sink. This grant is for $500; I will let you know later how this turns out!

Lest you fear you upon my departure (five months from now) you will cease to know about this project, as many of you know, my heart is forever tied to this place and so this blog will continue to live on as will my work with Opika for as long as I have breath in me. And of course, Max and I hope to be able to return to Perechyn occasionally.

Check back to see more about the work of Opika and Opika House! And, make your contribution today!

Before and After

BEFORE

AFTER

$642 donation from Seminary UMC

It is cold and snow is on the ground in Perechyn.  It has been on the ground for what feels like an epoch!  We are very eager to keep moving on the reconstruction of Opika House, alas the weather makes this impossible.  

However, we are very happy to report that over the winter months we received a $642 donation from Friends of Seminary United Methodist Church (Big Stone Gap, Virginia) as a special Christmas contribution.  Thank you so very much to our friends in Virginia.  We cannot wait to once again begin our construction so that we may show you are progress.

Opika Performers at the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Another piece of great news, some of Opika's volunteers were selected to represent Peace Corps, not only from Ukraine but from around the world, at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival from June 30-July 11.  

The ten performers will help Peace Corps celebrate its 50th Anniversary, by showcasing some of the work that Peace Corps Volunteers do around the world.  Opika's director, Iryna Sydakova is designing a performance to highlight the best of Ukrainian culture, the uniqueness of the Peace Corps Volunteer experience, and the way in which local communities work together with a volunteer to insure a successful relationship.  

But, you already know all about this if you are reading our blog!  If you would like to read more about the festival, go to: http://www.festival.si.edu/ or click here.

Chaslivtsi Orphanage

Each year, Opika sponsors a series of New Years concerts celebrations at various orphanages throughout Transcarpathia.  Thanks to Dutch and American donors last year and this year, Grandfather Frost and his Granddaughter, Snigura, visited three orphanages, held concerts, and handed out gifts.  

In this video, the kids say thank you to the sponsors.   

Christmas in Transcarpathia

Many of us grew up with families and when we came down the stairs on Christmas morning, Santa Claus had left for us toys and treats. We took for granted those special traditions with our families like going to midnight mass and riding around in the car looking at Christmas lights.

Holiday spices wafted through the house as mom made wassail or baked cookies. The smell of pine was enough to make you overlook the sap you had to scrub out of the carpet after Christmas. And, making Christmas cards or decorations using the previous year's cards were a big part of some of our Christmas rituals.

Finding resources for such celebrating are becoming more and more difficult. Most funders are looking for "sustainable" projects which change the overall situation in which children live, play and grow. And, while these are extremely important, so too are the everyday things like Christmas concerts and visits by Grandfather Frost and Snigura.

I would say that my family traditions, perhaps more than anything else, contributed to my understanding of belief, tradition, heritage, and ideals. These traditions taught me generosity and what it means to give and to receive. I learned the importance of sharing with others and of appreciating all that I have. And, when it comes down to it, these are the things that "sustain" me in my life. They are the lifeblood of who I am and all that I try to do in the world.

In 2010, I decided to introduce the group of 3rd and 4th graders at the Perechyn Boarding School to a little of the traditions we celebrate around the holidays in the United States. These included not only things like baking Christmas cookies and writing cards of thank you to those people who have been special to you all year round, but our wonderful tolerance of the difference of people and the ways in which they celebrate their traditions - from Christmas and Chanakah to Ramadan and Kwanzaa.

Volunteers from boarding towns shared their holiday traditions - from midnight mass to viewing Christmas lights from the car window, to caroling on the back of a hay wagon, and eating Chinese food on Christmas Day, to lighting the Minorah throughout the eight days of Chanakah. It is our hope that by seeing how we celebrate the differences in each other, so too will these young people learn to celebrate the differences and similarities among them. After all, isn't this the very definition of sustainability?