An Orphan Smiles has students available for sponsorship in our GAP program (Graduate Assistance Program). We try to help these unsponsored students while they patiently wait for a sponsor friend. This is a letter we received from Vova recently in appreciation for help from An Orphan Smiles.

We are happy to report that Vova now has a sponsor, but there are others who still are waiting. Please consider sponsoring one of these deserving students or help with our unsponosered student fund.

http://www.anorphansmiles.org/joomla15/index.php/anorphanslife/programs/55

Letter Translation:
Hello my dear friends,

I am very happy that I have such kind and nice friends as you who has helped me so much in this life.

I am studying at a college to become a professional wall painter and plasterer upon graduation. I really like the profession that I am going to enter in the future. At my college, I have lots of male and female friends, and together with them I study and have lots of fun. On December, the 19th, we celebrated a holiday, the Day of Saint Nicolas. It is a day when Saint Nicolas gives gifts to children who behave well.

I had a great time in the summer of 2010 – I made a trip to a sea. I would like to continue to communicate with you and be your friend. Thank you for the money that you sent me, I spent the money on cleaning supplies. In my spare time, I like to watch TV, listed to music and engage in sports activities.

I congratulate you on the Christmas Holiday.

The whole family has gathered at a dining table,
Happy Christmas;
Jesus Christ came to our world
And he brought us a lot of happiness.

Your friend,
Vladimir

Feed the Soul - Trip to Kiev

An Orphan Smiles sponsored a trip for ten orphans to visit Kiev, the Capital city of Ukraine for the Holidays. These children live in a rural city and rarely leave the orphanage grounds.

Trip report from Bogdan, one of our in-country volunteers:

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I would like to congratul...ate everyone with the successful completion of yet another AOS sponsored trip to Kiev for a group of 10 Myko kids. The trip was a HUGE success! The kids were totally blown away. They stayed at Orphanage No.12 from December 26-28 and didn't want to leave today. The first day we took them to a children's Christmas play, McDonald's and the Dolphinarium. The next day they went to see the performance of the Great Circus of China, saw a 3-D Disney movie (Tangled) and had pizza. Today they went to another Christmas show. Their train was leaving at 4 p.m., so we didn't get much time to do other things today. Kiev was beautiful with all the snow and Christmas decorations. There was lots of free entertainment for children downtown, so the kids really enjoyed that. They loved the metro, the escalators, the shiny shopping malls etc. They had breakfasts and dinners at the orphanage and ate lunch in the city. Irina and our grads (Anya, Igor and Vova) were making all the meals. Another lady from the orphanage came to make 'pirogy' (pies) with the kids today, for them to take for the road.

When I asked what the liked the best, most kids said 'dolphins' and 'chinese circus'. I think it wasn't even the circus but just seeing so many people of another race in one place that fascinated them so much. Kids from Tsurupinsk and Myko are always fascinated by seeing people of color on the streets of Kiev because they have never seen them in their small towns.

This group was by far the most well-behaved. Usually Myko kids are pretty wild (which I personally like....most of the time :) but these ones were very quiet, polite and disciplined. Everyone at O12 noticed that. The chaperone that came with the group - Alexey, a PE teacher - was great with the kids.
We gave each kid a present from the boxes of "Blankets in Memory of Brian". Each kid also got two boxes of chocholates and some pocket money to buy a small souvenier (50 grivna, or $6.2).

There is one more thing that I wanted to share with you. Personal observation. When the memories of the previous trips fade away I start wondering if we should organize another trip or not, considering how much money and work these trips entail. But then when the kids come I realize so clearly that these trips are TOTALLY worth it. When you see the excitement and the happiness in the children's eyes, when you see them fascinated by simple things that you see every day, you realize that these moments of happiness and excitement are worth a million dollars. I just feel bad that those who pay for these trips can't see that.

Biology Classroom

An Orphan Smiles is excited to see Valentina's newly refurbished Biology classroom at Mykolaivka Internat. Several hundred dollars were donated to help with new paint/wallpaper and classroom supplies.

Here is an excerpt from a letter we recently received from Valentina...

Hello dearest An Orphan Smiles group,

Thank you very much for the money that sponsors sent to make my new classroom beautiful and functional. I bought a lot of items: a plant stand, a set of posters of Plants and Animals of Ukraine, set of posters of Ukraine and "how big I am". I bought a lot of items for the biology classroom. Thank you!

On Saturday I will go and order curtains for the windows. I also bought posters on wild and tame animals, fruits and berries (tablets and posters). I will also purchase vegetable and fruit seeds to plant and show the children how the seeds make things grow.

Thank you all for your help and your care for the children.

With love,

Valentina

An Orphan Smiles would like to thank Sharon and Pat for contributing a very large donation through "Blankets for Brian". "Blankets for Brian" is in memory of their son. His friends and family gathered a couple weeks ago and assembled 23 boxes to be shipped to Ukraine.

The boxes averaged approximately 30lbs each and are filled with individual bags containing a toothbrush, comb, crayons, gloves, scarf, candy, a stuffed animal and a blanket. There were also bags designed for teenagers and adults. Sixteen of these boxes are on their way to Tsurupinsk Children's Home and the rest are headed to Orphanage 12 where Bogdan will distribute to those who utilize the Graduate Support Center.

The boxes are in the process of being shipped and with any luck will arrive just in time for the Holidays. Now all the children at Mykolaivka, Orphanage 12, and Tsurupinsk Children's Home as well as the older students will receive something individually for the Holidays.

Thank you Sharon and Pat for your thoughtfulness and your very meaningful gifts.

Sending Birthday Wishes

The K-Kids (a service club) of East Pikeland Elementary School in Phoenixville, PA participated in the An Orphan Smiles Birthday Card Program. The 4th and 5th Graders made Birthday cards for 20 children who live at the Tsurupinsk Children's Home in Ukraine. Tsurupinsk Children's Home is home to 118 mentally and physically challenged orphans. They typically do not receive anything for their birthdays and receiving cards from others has been a big hit!

To participate in the card making, contact our Birthday card coordinator at Birthday@AnOrphanSmiles.org.

Zhenya's Case

For over two years, An Orphan Smiles has been advocating for a young man who has been falsely accused of murder mainly because of his orphan status. Last November, there was a major break through and he was released from prison. However, the charges had still not been dropped.

We have received a new report from our in-country supporter Bogdan on the latest development in Zhenya's case:

Today was the first hearing on Zhenya's case. Bad news: the prosecutors have changed Zhenya's charges from killing a person while defending himself (maximum 2 years of prison) to an assault that caused a person's death (minimum 7 years maximum 9 years of prison). We are back at the where we started 3 years ago...What a nightmare...

The good news is that the judge who is hearing the case seems to be much more professional and fair than the previous judge. But then again, this judge works in the same court house and in the same system...Both of our attorneys were at the court hearing today - Oleg Veremeenko (the young and fearless attorney who specializes on human rights cases - INCREDIBLE person) and Vladimir Grechanovsky (an older and very well-known attorney who consults us on the case and makes judges and prosecutors take us seriously). Those guys are really great. They make Zhenya feel really confident.

The next hearing will be on June 25th, at 9 a.m.

GAP Program Feedback

GAP is An Orphan Smiles program which assists teenagers aging out of the orphanage system in Ukraine generally at the age of 16. Sponsors are needed to be matched with these young adults to provide support after they leave the orphanage in June.

Koila pictured here is one of the lucky orphans who has a very caring sponsor family to cheer him on while he completes his vocational training. Koila is wearing a beautiful handknit sweater made for him by his sponsor.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for a deserving teenager who has very little or no support in the world outside the orphanage please visit our GAP program page on our website:
http://www.anorphansmiles.org/Content/Sponsor%20a%20Graduate_Generic.htm