Transforming the lives of neglected children in Belarus, Moldova, Russia & Ukraine

New Beginning has transformed the lives of many young people leaving institutional care.

Tens of thousands of children throughout Ukraine are abandoned to orphanages. Parents give up their children for many different reasons, including poverty, incarceration, and problems with alcoholism.

The vast majority of children living in orphanages have some sort of special need or disability. Most children living in the care of the state are “social orphans” meaning they have one or more living parents. They lead lives lacking in love and support and are all too often subject to abuse and violence.

In Mukachevo, western Ukraine, the plight of many social orphans is worse as there is a high proportion who are from Roma families. Abandoned by their families to state care, and then again when they leave care as they are no longer pure Roma - and abandoned by the rest of society because they have Roma families.

The young people are emotionally, spiritually and socially traumatised having had years of institutional care and/or abuse at home. New Beginning strengthens self-image and encourages social integration. Only 10% of orphans leaving institutions enter society in a fulfilling and developing way. In contrast, ALL of the New Beginning "graduates" go on to lead fully indepedent lives including employment, accommodation and starting their own families. In the summer of 2010 10 girls "graduated" from the New Beginning programme: 7 have full-time employment, 1 is studying at college and 2 are at university training to be promary school teachers