Our club has a close relationship with a corrective school-orphanage in Rebrikha (village about 100 km far from Barnaul). There are 120 children at the age from 6 to 17 years old. In some years we have already held several projects with this orphanage. In general all the projects held concerning the equipment of the specialized classes: sewing class, housekeeping, playing room.

There was the international sports competition where our guests from Australia, USA, India, Barnaul Rotarians and orphans participated in. Our club always celebrates New Year and others holidays with them, making repairs; working outside; cleaning the areas in and around the ophanage. Cooperation in such activities is useful for children to obtain important skills of life experience and building the relationships. We can do plenty of the projects in such rural areas because of the modest life conditions there. Well, this autumn, during our visit to the orphanage with family members and rotaractors, we realized our next project! We just asked the children what they want to have. And the answer was surprising to us. Orphans told us that they needed soft beds. It appeared that children sleep on the mattresses which were bought many years ago and now look really scary and smell badly. Pillows consists of cotton-wool scraps, blankets are thin and not warm. And all people spend half of life sleeping! It’s so important on what to sleep!!! So that was the idea of the project “Sweet Dreams”.We will be glad if you would join us this worthy project . (Facility code: Barnaul 2)

Rotary Club of Barnaul Capital

(Facility code: Barnaul Capital 1)

Rotary Club of Biysk

(Facility code: Biysk 1)

Irkutsk Shelter #1 is an institution of the city social security department that was founded in 1995.  Since that time, the director has been Lubov Yaroslav.  There are 60 children, ages 3 to 17 who are living here temporarily (12-18 months). 
There are many reasons why the children are at the shelter.  They may be lost, lost their family, abandoned, left alone after parents have died, or run away from their home.  Many do not have identifying documents with them.  During their stay, the children go through social, medical, and psychological rehabilitation to be adapted to "normal" life.  
The staff of 19 are very dedicated people, caring for the children.   They include a psychologist, social worker, speech therapist, physical therapist, teachers, caretakers and others.  All of these people do their best to assist these children.
In the past the Rotary Club of Irkutsk completed a small community project, giving the shelter 5 mattresses.  Three and a half years ago the club meeting place was moved to across the street from the shelter.  Psychologist from the shelter,  Denis Kosinov started to attend Rotary meetings and has become a Rotarian.  Director of the shelter, Lubov Yaroslav was a speaker at one of the meetings and has since become an active Rotarian on the "ChildrenAct" committee.  The Rotary Club takes part in holiday events at the shelter, and also brings visitors from all over the world to see the shelter. (Facility Code: Irkutsk 1)

Orphanage #2 has 274 boarders between the ages of 4 and 21.  All of them are severely retarded and/or disabled.  The staff of teachers, trainers, aids, instructors, medical personnel, and cleaning ward are loving and dedicated to the children.  The orphanage's goal is to educate to the highest level those capable of schooling, train all children with the skills which may lead to employment and to prepare those who could leave the orphanage at the age of 18 to adjust to real life and live independently.

Food, lodging, building maintenance, medical care, teaching and learning equipment and materials and staff's salary are subsidized by the government.  The orphanage is housed in a 30 year old city building which is in constant need of repair. 

In 2000 the RC of Irkutsk got a MG and funds were used for 3 dry swimming pools, Montessori set and dentist office with equipment.  In 2005 another MG was granted for new equipment for a workshop and sewing shop.  In 2007 the orphanage, with the help of a MG from the "Wild Rose" Foundation (Canada) and RC Irkutsk completed the grant for a passenger van for the orphanage.  (Facility Code: Irkutsk 3)

Urik is a village 10 miles from Irkutsk which is an administrative center for 16 smaller villages.  These 16 villages used to have a very well developed agricultural industry which was completely ruined during the last 10-15 years.  Now the unemployment is 99.9%.  There are NO JOBs at all.  The male population drinks and women are catching up.  Children are neglected and abandoned.  Parents are often deprived of their parental rights, and their children are sent to the shelter.  The only stable income are pensions and "government child support".  For each child the family gets $10 per month.  Some families have 10 children, so get $100 per month.  These children are definitely better off in the shelter than at home where they have nothing to eat.  Very often the neighbors give them clothes.  They actually become street kids. The children never leave the village.  (Facility Code: Irkutsk 7)

The Director of the department and the members of The State Organization of Social Services "Center of help to the Children Left without  Parents' Care", previously called Shelter #2, express their enormous gratitude for financial help and gifts for the children who live in the Center. In spite of the care of the Government, and  Governmental help to these children, left without parental care, every child is impatiently waiting for the personal and individual attention, especially during the holidays.  Almost all the children who came to our Center are from a problem families, a lot of them never had any toys, did not had opportunity to try any fruits and sweets, didn't go to school -- parents simply didn't notice their existence.  WE greatly appreciate your help, also the Club Kihei Wailea's help who congratulates our children during their Birthdays and gives them happiness, always brings smile to a sad child's face during the New Year's Celebration. These children know about their friends in Hawaii, and they know their Sponsors in the Irkutsk Rotary Club in person.  They always are the most desirable guests in our Center.  When it is necessary and possible, we acquire all the necessary things for their lives, but we will be always grateful for any kind of help. 

This is how we can use the finances to improve  lives of our children: Personal portraits/pictures, personal toys, new curtains in children's rooms, and teacher's offices, nice clothing, sports clothing, a computer, sports inventory, the equipment and furnishings for the sensor room (these specially equipped rooms are used to calm down children).

Unfortunately, as of today, our sports playground is abandoned, the playground territory is not developed. Our children are dreaming about simple sports items, like soccer gates, basketball shields/stands/baskets, that we could install for them, balls, good sport shoes, rollerblades and roller skates. No doubt, any financial help changes the lives of our children for the best, and they greatly appreciate this generosity. WE are sure that the love which is given to a child always comes back even in much greater volumes. 

Best wishes, Irina Bogdanova.  (Facility Code: Irkutsk 8)

Orphanage #5 was organized in 1945 as a facility for orphans with some kind of illness.  In 1947, it was reorganized into a sanatorium type orphanage. At present the orphanage accepts children with no parents, parents who are absent, parents deprived of parental rights or parents who are imprisoned or have severe illness. These children have been diagnosed for different illnesses: TB, oncology, epilepsy, cardiovascular diseases, neurology, gynecology, allergy, HIV, and others.

The director of the orphanage is Margarita Galstyan.  The staff is highly professional (more than half of them have university education, and are qualified in a specific category of special education and medical care. They are: psychologist, speech therapist, ‘defectologist’, social worker, counselor, sports instructor, music teacher, craft teacher, arts teacher, caretakers, tutors and homework teacher.  Nineteen staff members have been working in the orphanage more than 10 years. The staff of teachers, trainers, medical personnel, teachers’ and trainers’ aids, cleaning ward are loving and dedicated to the children.

Food and lodging, building maintenance, medical care, teaching and learning equipment and materials, also the staffs’ salary are subsidized by the government. There is no additional money in the Orphanage’s budget to provide extra.

At present there are 101 kids in residence, ages 3-19.  27 of them are in an on-site kindergarten which has 3 group levels to prepare children for school. 74 kids are elementary, secondary or high school students.

Since 1993, the orphanage has been organized into six family units of 15-17 children with full time ‘professional’ parents.  Children who are siblings are kept together, others are placed according to their psychological disposition.  Each unit is separated into a ‘flat’ which has all facilities of a home required for the social adaptation of every day life.  Each has a living room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, play room(s), study room and bedrooms for 2-8 persons each.  

The orphanage has offices for assessment and treatment, library, music/assembly room, arts/crafts room, sewing and woodwork shops, medical unit (including dental, massage and other different light treatment). 

The club has been sponsoring Orphanage #5 since 2003. In 2005 musical instruments were purchased with a grant provided by OrphanAct. In 2006 RC Irkutsk got à MG (USAID/IREX, DSG, ORPHANACT, RC “IRKUTSK) for the Orphanage. The funds were used for the new sports ground. In 2007 Rotary District 5370 (Canada), the “Wild Rose” Foundation (Canada), and RC “Irkutsk” completed MG “Passenger van and Musical instruments for Orphanage #5”.

Rotarians visit special events held in the facility, such as Christmas celebration, Art and Handicraft exhibits, Children`s Day, the beginning of school year. They also bring there visiting Rotarians from Canada, USA, Finland, etc.

Irkutsk Rotary club has a committee which monitors all provisions to the club projects for the Orphanage. The committee members are: Denis Kosinov, Tatiana Shestakova and Sergey Nikiforov. Director Margarita Galstyan and Deputy Director Elena Sholokhova are very cooperative and helpful. Many club members have developed strong relationship with the kids, administration and the staff. (Facility Code: Irkutsk 11)

Since 1998 The Rotary Club Kemerovo collaborates with orphanage “Mechta” providing moral and material support such as:

• Summer vacations in Spain during 6 last years,
• Purchase of equipment and musical instruments,
• Excursions and trips in theaters and circus,
• Volleyball plays (between Rotarians and children),
• Purchase of building materials etc.

(Facility code: Kemerovo 1)

Khabarovsk Children’s Home #6 is a temporary home for 48 children aged from 12 to 18. The children badly need sofas and bedside tables to keep their clothes and personal belongings. Presently, these children have to keep their personal belongings in a remote room that is very inconvenient to them.  Our project for this Home is to purchase a sofa and beside tables. (Facility code: Khabarovsk 4)

Khabarovsk Rotary Club has been supporting Vinogradovka Children’s Home since December, 1996. The Children’s Home is located in Vinogradovka Village , Khabarovsk District. It has 28 children of 2-7 years old; many of the children are physically or psychologically challenged. During the past ten years the Club with the help of Rotary International has acquired the furniture, toys, clothing and different equipment. Khabarovsk Club has also replaced the old heating system with a new one and constructed children’s playground. In 2003 Khabarovsk Rotary Club jointly with a Belgium Rotary Club acquired a minibus for Vinogradovka Children’s Home. Our priority project now, is to raise $3,962.00 to acquire a drying apparatus for Children’s Home. The old dryer has recently broken. A drying apparatus is necessary for drying the children’s clothes and bed linen. The Rotary Club of Niigata, Japan will allocate $1000 for the project. Khabarovsk Club, on its own, will not be able to raise the rest of the money required  to purchase this much needed  dryer, so is looking to other Rotary Clubs for support. (Facility code: Khabarovsk 5)

(Facility code: Krasnoyarsk Enisey 1)

Regional Governmental Institution for Mentally disabled children “Shumkovsk Mentally Disabled Children’s Orphanage” was founded in 1960 and was based on already existing Institutional Facility for Elderly people founded in 1941. There are 126 mentally disabled children who live in this orphanage; 39 girls and 87 boys.  48 children have parents, 49 children whose parents gave up their parental rights and left then at the hospital after the birth; 4 orphans; 25 children whose parents lost their parental rights. These children are mentally challenged, Down Syndrome children and children who were diagnosed as mentally retarded.

The main  direction of working with mentally disabled children is to take care of them and to teach them to take care of themselves, teaching them hygienic habits, prevention of traumatism and infectious diseases; prevention of emotional and psychological break downs and epileptic seizures.

Rotaract  Club Krasnoyarsk together with the teachers of this orphanage participate and conduct variety of games with the children, and also simply visit them, because these visits are even more important for this children than any material things.  Rotary Club – Krasnoyarsk also helps this orphanage financially: they purchased two washing machines, toys, and many other necessary items. (Facility code: Krasnoyarsk 1)

Boarding school in Korolev (a small town near Moscow) was opened in 2005. There are about 40 children from 6 to 15 years old. Half of them are orphans. The rest live in this boarding school from Monday to Saturday and for weekend their relatives take them home. The school consists of 2 buildings: one is for studying - there are class-rooms, assembly hall, sport hall, etc.; and another one is dwelling building where children live, play, sleep and eat. (Facility code: Moscow-East 1)

Distribution Center for homeless children, children with out parent or parents that are close to loosing their parental rights.   These children who are waiting to either be sent to an orphanage or returned to parents or guardians.  There are 20-25 children in the facility at one time.  1-4 children living together. (Facility code: Moscow-East 2)

The SUVAG program was started 15 years ago in the small city of Yakutia, 7 thousand kilometers from Moscow, where the temperatures reach as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 F).  The founding principal of SUVAG is that of Petar Guberina, Khorvatioan professor, member of the Academy of Sciences and auther of the verbaltonal method.  This method is successfully used in many places including the USA, Great Britain, France, Belgium and Japan.

SUVAG works to cure 87 inhouse children and 33 children from surrounding schools in the Ukraine, Georgia, Turkmenia, Bashkiria, Altay and many other regions in Russia.

SUVAG uses music to develop and expand on what little hearing the students have and to help them in speech and psychic development.  Phonetic rhythmic and music stimulation helps these special students pick up sounds, inaudible under normal conditions. (Facility code: Nerungri 1)

The “Ulan-Ude Teen Socio-Rehabilitation Center" State Social Service Institution has been in existence for more than 13 years. The Center was created for the rehabilitation of teenagers left without parental support and who have found themselves in a complicated life situation.  The medical, social, psychological, and pedagogical rehabilitation of more than 100 children and teenagers ranging in age from 3 to 18 occurs at the Center annually.
Since December 2006 the Center has been the republic’s experimental test bed for introduction of new forms and methods for working with teens.  The Center has worked closely with the social organizations in Ulan-Ude, which have assisted in carrying out the rehabilitation process.    One of the strongest partnerships is cooperation with the Great Baykal Trail and with the Ulan-Ude Rotary Club. The following have been achieved within the framework of this three-year partnership: two prolonged trips to Lake Baykal; hippo therapy lessons; publicizing a healthy lifestyle; and successful establishment and organization of a tourist club attached to the
Center where new adherents familiarize themselves with the basics of tourism, study the unique Lake Baykal flora and fauna, and acquire skills useful in their later lives. (Facility code: Ulan-Ude 1)

Wonderful things are happening at the Edelvisse Center.  We keep our children busy, while at the same time, teaching them responsibilities and values.  This will allow them to become well rounded adults with the  lessons they have learned while at the Center. (Facility code: Ulan-Ude 2)

(Facility code: Ulan-Ude 3)

This school functions as a boarding school because it is the regional school for the blind. There are 150 children ages 7 to 18 years of age. There are 45 totally blind children and the rest have corrected vision of less than 40% normal. Braille is taught along with others programs to include music, foreign language and the life skills for daily living.

This center houses 45 children from 5 till 18 years old. Children who have been left without care of parents get to the Center "Berezovsky" from all areas of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. They are children whom have gone through a tragedy or cruel treatment from adults. They often have problems in mental development, posttraumatic stress, aggression, and abnormalities of emotional balance, fears and various mental frustrations.

The restoration of physical and mental health of the children is carried out by various methods: work therapy - a joiner's workshop, sewing workshops, musical therapy - the psychologist organizes trainings on psychological rehabilitation.

These children lack one thing, which is very important and necessary for the restoration and strengthening their health, - an equipped sports ground. They have no special clothes and no equipment for doing sports. The teachers believe that doing sports is good not only for physical health but mental health as well.

Currently, 1.6 million children living in the Russian Federation (4.5% of the total) belong to the category of persons with disabilities.  Only 38% of children with disabilities are integrated into the regular educational environment.