Our new project – connecting social orphans with caring mentors for mutual social, spiritual and psychological betterment.
Download pictures from Rzhev orphanage.
Description of the purpose of the project and the issues/problems it is intended to address
Moscow and the Moscow area numbers over 11,000 orphans. Numbers of children living in alcohol or drugs environment are vastly larger.
Majority of orphans in boarding schools and orphanages can not be adopted for various reasons (mainly health, age and family status). Children older than 7 have a very poor chance of ever being adopted. There are very few people who are open to accept to a family a teenager with extremely problematic background. This causes irreversible damage to a child’s emotional and mental health. As a result, children are not prepared for independent life. As such, upon exiting the orphanage, many of them turn to drugs, crime, prostitution, many commit suicide, a half of them ends up in jail.
After exiting orphanages:
- Every second child commits a crime
- Every tenth – attempts to commit suicide
- 40% of them become addicts
- Only 10% of orphans become healthy society members
The behavioral problems demonstrated by children of substance abusers are as follows: lack of empathy for other persons, decreased social adequacy and interpersonal adaptability, low self-esteem, and lack of control over the environment.
Children of addicted parents who rely on other supportive adults have increased autonomy and independence, stronger social skills, better ability to cope with difficult emotional experiences, and better day-to-day coping strategies.
Mentor’s purpose:
- to teach children life skills
- to share spiritual values
- to help children develop their potential
- to help children identify their life goals and find ways to achieve them
- to become child’s faithful friend and source of support
Objectives:
- Recruit mentors, mentees and other volunteers;
- Screen potential mentors and mentees;
- Orient and train mentors, mentees and parents/caregivers;
- Match mentors and mentees;
- Bring mentors and mentees together for mentoring sessions that fall within the program parameters;
- Provide ongoing support and supervision to mentors, monitor mentoring relationships;
- Recognize the contributions of all program participants; and help mentors and mentees to reach closure
- Provide special training to mentors related to substance abuse prevention.
Activities:
1. Advertizing in the Internet, Media, City format (Bigboards, public transportation stops) for recruiting mentors and volunteers. Attracting public attention to the problem.
2. Regular visits to boarding schools and orphanages. Establish regular contacts between mentees and mentors;
3. Arranging psychological and spiritual training for mentors.
4. Alcohol and drug-addiction prevention through special classes in boarding schools and orphanages.
