(written by several of our volunteers at the 2006 UCARE camp in Crimea)
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Kristen Kalymon
Michael Koniuch
Anya Koniuch
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Our families have always been a part of the Ukrainian-American community and, for the past several years, we have heard about the humanitarian efforts of the Ukrainian Children’s Aid and Relief Effort (UCARE) organization. We grew up hearing about the beauty of Ukraine, but also many of its social problems. Our parents encouraged us to work with UCARE, as it would allow us to contribute to a well-established volunteer organization. In August of 2006 we left Detroit to join UCARE in Krym (Crimea), Ukraine, where we would work at camp with children who had been living in orphanages for most of their lives. The orphans traveled many miles from Ananiv, a town in Odessa state, to spend two weeks with us near the beautiful Black Sea.
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A plane ride, a train ride, and a bus ride later, we arrive at Тріумф
Серця (Triumph of the Heart) in Nikita, Krym—our home for the next two
weeks. After unpacking our luggage, we walk down to the garage to begin
sorting out donations for the kids. There are piles and piles of
donations, all ready to be sorted, named and put in bags. Eventually,
we get everything prepared: markers, colored pencils, a folder, a
notebook, a pen and pencils, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and
shampoo, deodorant, socks and underwear, tank tops, goggles, towels and
washcloths. Then there are flip flops, sneakers and t-shirts that need
to be sized out before putting in bags
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| The kids come back from the Black Sea and line up to get their
goodie-bags and sized for shoes. We, as well as the other volunteers,
are standing at the bottom of a short staircase, and the group of 18
kids is at the top. The volunteers are surrounded by a sea of
donations: bags, shoes, clothes and a million other items. The first
thing that strikes us is their size – the kids are all small, much
smaller than we expected in comparison to 12-16 year-old children in
the U.S. The second thing that we notice is their shyness. They are
very polite and quiet as they look at us (and all the donations) with
big eyes. They try on shoes and walk around, asking various people to
feel them to see if they fit well. All the kids politely wait for their
names to be called, and when they are called, they walk down the stairs
and look through their new bags, trying on shoes and picking out
t-shirts.
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After scoping out their new belongings, the kids set the table for
dinner. We all eat together; regardless of how much is served, the kids
finish every last bit off of their plates. As they all help to clean up
afterwards, their manners and helpfulness become apparent. We then each
introduce ourselves and play ice-breaker games. During dinner and
subsequent games, the kids inspect us, trying to figure out who we were.
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We also notice, on that first day, the children speak primarily Russian
and seem reluctant about using Ukrainian, or don’t seem to know it well
at all. It is slightly frustrating not being able to fully communicate
with them based on this language barrier. We discover in the weeks to
come that they become more comfortable in their use of Ukrainian
language.
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Each day we followed a schedule which included morning exercises,
breakfast, and a 30 minute hike down the beautiful Crimean mountainside
to the Chorne More. We spent most mornings on the rock-filled beach and
splashing with the medusas (jellyfish). This was the highlight of each
day—the kids looked forward to playing in the ocean, sunbathing, and
simply enjoying life. They found it hilarious the adults were afraid of
being stung by the medusas (jellyfish), and to prove that there was nothing to be
afraid of, they would scoop the gelatinous blobs out of the water and
launch them through the air at us. Despite their affinity for throwing
medusas, the kids were well-behaved beach-goers. For the most part,
they didn’t swim out too far and loved to be watched while jumping off
the dock. They would line up, jump in, climb out, and jump in again
over and over again, never tiring. Even though the children were poor
and their circumstances dire, they were full of youthful exuberance and
joy of life.
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After swim time, we ate lunch and had a daily afternoon activity, which
included a hike up the Crimean Mountainside;
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a trip to the aquarium
and water show;
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a visit to the Lesia Ukrainka museum and downtown
Yalta;
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a look at the Botanical Gardens;
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a trip to the ruins of Khersonesus, an ancient Greek city:
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a hike to a small lake to celebrate the midsummer holiday of Kupalo;
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and a Black Sea cruise to the
Lastivka Hnizdo (Swallow’s Nest).
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In addition to these activities, the
children also attended workshops. Our goal was to provide them with
life skills that they may not receive otherwise. As camp counselors, we
led workshops on health care, dental hygiene and self-esteem.
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| Additionally, there were courses on self-defense and sexual
trafficking. Because children living in orphanages are often targets of
human trafficking, it is an especially salient topic. The health care workshop, led by Anya, included educating the children
about important health issues such as hygiene, first aid, smoking, drug
and alcohol addiction, and most importantly AIDS, of which Ukraine has
the highest rate of infection in all of Europe. It was disappointing to
find out that many of these children had never even been informed of
the AIDS epidemic and the disease’s methods of transmission.
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The dental
hygiene workshop, led by Michael, included teaching the kids the proper
method of flossing and brushing their teeth and basic knowledge about
oral hygiene. The self-esteem workshop, led by Kristen, focused on
teaching the kids how to be aware of their feelings and better monitor
their moods. The kids played feelings charades and were encouraged to
show others how they would express various feelings. Additionally, the
kids made feelings-thermometers and were asked to rate situations in
which they felt very happy and very sad.
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| The children were presented with a wealth of information throughout the
various workshops. If they retained even half of what they were taught,
we will have succeeded in getting our messages across. Topics such as
HIV/AIDS and depression were difficult and mentally exhausting for us
to teach because of the significance of these issues in the children’s
lives. Teaching in a second language to children who have essentially
never been exposed to these topics was very challenging.
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During our two weeks at camp, we had many opportunities to interact
with the children, which provided us with insight into their
personalities and behaviors. For example, whenever we went on any
excursion, we needed to bring snacks and drinks with us. The kids
impressed us with their willingness to carry everything in their bags.
Tiny little girls would happily volunteer to carry two liters of water
on their back for everyone to share. Without their polite and helpful
nature, each trip could have been a struggle. Also, when injured or
ill, most of the children simply needed and craved attention,
inspection, and a Jolly Rancher to make them feel better. Finally, we
noticed their longing to be a part of a family. While out in public, we
often found them staring at families with a yearning in their eyes.
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| This camp was an emotional learning experience for us as counselors.
Each day was exhausting and challenging, yet highly rewarding. For the
kids, it was most likely the highlight of their entire lives thus far.
Leaving was emotional for both counselors and children. The children’s
ease of attachment and difficulty with separation illustrated their
longing for family and need for human bonding. We gave the orphans an
experience of a lifetime, but they also changed our entire outlook on
life. Despite their difficult pasts, the children remain positive,
upbeat, and energetic. It was refreshing to be part of such an
uplifting atmosphere, and their optimism was contagious. They always
had kind words, emotionally meaningful statements, and genuinely warm
compliments to give us. They had so little to give yet gave so much.
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The Ukrainian orphans’ day-to-day life is drastically different than
the life of a typical American child. Though they receive an education
in their orphanages, it is most often dismal in comparison to schools
in America. The knowledge that they gain rarely provides them with any
skills to function in society. Furthermore, once these children reach
18 years of age, they “age-out” and are forced to leave the orphanage
with nothing more than the skills they have been taught in school.
Unfortunately, the government rarely provides funding for additional
educational or vocational opportunities after exiting the orphanage.
Often, the future of these children is grim and unpromising; over 80%
of them will end up on the streets, in jail, or conned by human
trafficking/sexual slavery.
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| UCARE’s goal is to encourage education, self-esteem, and opportunities
for children living in orphanages. By realizing that people actually
care about and support them, the children are finally able to feel
special and loved, motivating them to reach for their goals. We
constantly reminded the children of their high potential and encouraged
them to continue pursuing their dreams. We’ll never forget these kids
and our experiences in Ukraine.
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