The long-term goal of the New Beginning project is to provide social rehabilitation for children leaving orphanages at 16 who would be at risk from life on the streets.

At 16, children have to leave state care. They are no longer the responsibility of the state and they have to then fend for themselves. Life on the streets is incredibly dangerous, many children find themselves working in prostitution, being sent to prison or fall victim to trafficking. They have no rights and no one is accountable for them.

The New Beginning program provides a safe place to live and a participatory program of preparation for adulthood including vocational training, life skills and help finding accommodation.

The training program equips the children with the skills needed to live a safe and healthy life such as: personal hygiene, cooking, cleaning, personal safety and the girls receive training in sales, hairdressing and sewing and for the boys decorating, welding and mechanics.

The focus of the project is for those children who could be considered the most vulnerable, those with special needs and children whom are from the Roma background in Ukraine.

There is an element of the program that lobbies local government and informs the wider community on the plight of children leaving care.

Future:

Thanks to the generosity of ChildAid’s supporters and with land freely provided by the Mayor’s office, two family homes are being built in Mukachevo. In addition to foster parents, each house will provide a home for up to 10 young people (one for boys and one for girls). The young people will stay in the foster homes for up to a year receiveing a loving personal attention they have probably never known whilst they undertake their technical education.

It is hoped that the success of this modelwill enable more such homes to be available for more orphan graduates in the years to come.