Stahlke Adoption

Giving Back

Months ago, when it became clear we would travel to Ukraine this year, our children chose some of their toys as gifts for their friends in the "older children's" orphanage. This institution is located about four blocks from the baby orphanage, where Kola lives. Today, when I unpacked the bag with our children's donated toys, I found three small notebooks and over a dozen soft stuffed animals.

Our children also asked that we purchase soccer balls with their tithe from earnings and found money. We supplemented these funds and bought thirteen soccer balls in the open market. Two of them, made of leather, should last a long time, while the others, which are plastic, will allow more children to play. We also purchased toothbrushes, since our kids had described sharing them.

Since Masha is in Kyiv right now, a local English teacher (who is serving as translator for another adoptive family) offered to go with us to the "older children's" orphanage. We met with the director and showed her photos of our children. She asked how they were doing and was very happy to get a positive report. After giving her the toys, soccer balls, and toothbrushes, we asked to see the lockers in the anteroom for the older children. Three years ago, our monetary gift to the orphanage had allowed them to purchase new lockers which are bigger and more suitable for teenagers. Not only did the director allow us to photograph the lockers, but she also allowed us to tour the entire building. We saw more of the orphanage today than we saw three years ago. Now we have a photo of the lockers to show our children, as well as pictures of some of their living and sleeping quarters.

Last Thursday, in the initial flurry of Kola's adoption paperwork, the director of the baby orphanage told us that Thursday afternoon was a good time to give our gift. This orphanage has cared for Mikola for more than four years, and we wanted to show our appreciation. We traveled to a store with the orphanage's head of housekeeping, and told her the monetary amount of our gift. She purchased a large number of towels, as well as an enormous bolt of cloth, which the orphanage seamstress will make into sheets.

Masha commented about the towels, which are quite soft and very colorful:
"How wonderful for a small child, who arrives at the orphanage hungry and in dire need of a bath, to finally receive a meal and a soaking in warm, soapy water, and then wrap up snugly in a soft, beautiful towel."

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:15 AM