Chernobyl Children's Project International invests in improving the living conditions and standard of care in orphanages in Belarus, but we believe that every child needs and deserves a home of their own.
Our Foster Families program allows children in orphanages to be integrated into a family setting where they can thrive with parental love and support, be encouraged in their education, and look forward to the future with hope. The photographs on this page show one such family – the Gudkovskie family of Starye Dorogi.
This incredible family has taken in 7 children from orphanages and committed to giving them the love, nurturing, and guidance of a family of their own.
The latest additions to the Gudkovskie home
- Anton and Julia
|
The family's story started with the love and generosity of Natasha and Sergei. Natasha worked in an orphanage, and couldn't stop thinking about the sadness of the children without families, and their bleak prospects for the future. She and her husband Sergei would often discuss the fates of new children who entered for orphanage. One girl in particular made an impression on Natasha – a young girl named Katya. Katya and her sister Irina had been placed in the orphanage after their father was imprisoned and mother started abusing alcohol. The two girls cried many tears over the loss of their families, and made a number of attempts to run away from the orphanage. Natasha and and Sergei were touched by the girls' determination for a happy life, and took them in as their own children.
|
The family grew when the Natasha and Sergei took in another girl, Inna, a friend of the sisters who grown bitter and aggressive during her a time in an orphanage, and was not able to be successfully placed in any other family. Natasha and Sergei were able to bring her into the fold with their patience and understanding. Her brother, Oleg, soon joined the clan, followd by Ivan, a kindergartner abandoned by his mother in Minsk. Finally, two year old twins Julia and Anton made the family complete.
Foster families in this program are carefully screened and cleared, and receive psychological support and counseling to help them deal with the challenges of their new family situation, along with the emotional legacies of the children's past lives.
Katya's Story
We received this letter from Katya, the first of the children to join the Gudkovskie family:
“The word ‘family' has a very important meaning for me – the family is the only great treasure that a person has in life. I had my mom, my dad, three sisters and two brothers. I remember how my parents took us laughing and walking together in the park, how we celebrated my 5 th birthday, and my first day at school physically.
Sergei and Oleg |
“Then one day I lost it forever. The world around me lost all of its color, it drowned in darkness. Suddenly I'd lost all of my dreams and the whole meaning of my life. My father was imprisoned, my mother started to drink alcohol and she did it more and more often. We children were starving, tramping, begging on the streets. It was a very hard and horrible time for us received...
“ Later on I was placed in the orphanage – there were monotone and strict regulations. There was no love, care or comfort, or place for a child's personality. Deep in my heart, I wanted to return to those sunny days when I had a family, because I wanted to feel happy again is.
“One day a woman Natasha came to the orphanage, and she became my second mother and took me home. I've found a new family, where I feel very happy. My grey and dull days became bright and sunny again! I know that all together we have our future. I love my mom Natasha and my dad, Sergei. I believe the main treasure have is my family children." |
-- Katya December 2005
|
