Helping Hands (Chita, Russia)

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Profile

 

Based in the Siberian city of Chita, Helping Hands works with children and their families living in extremely harsh conditions. With inflation on essential items such as firewood and food running many times more than the official rate (at around 12%) and unemployment all too common, desperate conditions are being faced.

 

It is a small-scale and cost effective project offering a range of intensive support and help for children who are most at risk of forming life-threatening patterns of behaviour, or who live in families facing crisis.

 

For a profile on the country we suggest the BBC website on Russia

 

 

Current Services

 

Work includes activities and guidance for children, respite breaks, family support that strengthen relationships and material aid. Some recent areas of support provided include:

 

• providing support to speed up the provision of state benefits to families who are entitled to them but where authorities are not processing applications
• travel costs for children to get to school
• supporting families in trying to clear their debts
• encouragement to children to go to school
• provision of food, firewood and warm clothing
  

However, a key focus of their activity is now centred around an informal "3Rs" programme. Here a small group of children with such learning difficulties that schools will either not take them or they are struggling with their work, are given essential educational boosts. They learn to distinguish colours, draw, begin to write and read syllables. Sports equipment was provided by a ChildAid supporter and this is an added bonus in developing their bodies as well as their minds.

 

ChildAid has purchased 3 computers where two groups per week are held to learn some basic, yet essential, PC skills. These groups are eagerly awaited and numbers are always many more than can be accommodated.

 

Future Plans

 

To continue to develop new programmes of educational support as well as supporting more and more desperate families.

History

 

Founded in 1997 by a local evangelical minister as part of the church's mission. Operated by volunteers, many of whom were young people themselves. It started as a "soup kitchen" for street children before developing day programmes in a former church building. This was destroyed by fire in January 2008 and rebuilt a year later.

 

Supported by ChildAid since 1997.

Contact Details

 

Director: Elena Volotova

 

 

E-mail:   helping.hands.chita@gmail.com

 

Post:       26, 5^th Kashtakskaya Str   

                Chita

                Russia

 

Phone:   +73 0222 00405