Prioritising Education

Last December we introduced you to Dima, a young boy who entered our care along with his mum and siblings at the Crisis Centres. We recently caught up with our partner Dasha (youth leader) to see how Dima, now 14, and his family are all getting on.

To recap, this family ended up at the Crisis Centres due to dire poverty and awful living conditions - they were effectively homeless and the children were starving. The children had lost their father to war, and their mother then embarked on a new relationship with a man who turned out to be violent and the children witnessed anti-social behaviour as well as substance abuse.

Thankfully, their mum left the abusive partner and is receiving support and aiming for independence at the Women's Crisis Centre, where she and the youngest four children were able to be accommodated. Dima and his older brother had to stay at the Men’s Crisis Centre as they were over 14 years old.

Although they are now safe and their basic needs are being met, the scars of the past linger on. Their mother's emotional detachment and her inability to protect them are what has shaped their memories in childhood so far - experiences that have severely affected their educational development.

At the Open Hearts Youth Group, Dima has a good relationship with youth leader Dasha. But, when group time ends he gets distressed at the idea of having to return and spend time with his family. His erratic emotions have also had a knock-on effect at school. At age 14, his academic abilities in reading and writing are nowhere near where they should be. This problem is much worse for his younger brothers and sisters who are unable to read or write at all. His brother Vanya is already 11.

The physical and emotional hardships these children have been through, as well as educational neglect, pose huge obstacles for them all in the future.

Keen to address educational disadvantages and help those who've fallen behind, Dasha and her mum Alina are both training to become certified primary school teachers. Their training is going to take some time but they are so keen that they have already completed the first two modules of their courses!

Another reason Dasha and Alina are determined to get qualified, is that when a child comes to them needing residential care, without the ability to offer that child a 'certified' education, they would have no choice but to take that child to an orphanage. This is a heart breaking prospect as the impersonal care provided in an institution (where children become a mere number) would damage some already hurt children even further.

It’s our hope that Dima, his siblings, and many children in the future, will all benefit from our new project, Legacy Lodge. There, Dasha will have space to put into action her plans for learning and development; not just once a week like her youth group affords, but every day. She's arranging workshops to introduce vocational skills to the children and making sure that hobbies and talents are given room to flourish. All this, alongside education that will be a part of daily life at Legacy Lodge, leads us to believe these children will have the chance of better futures and have the opportunity to leave their pasts in the past.