no child chooses to live in an orphanage
they live there because they have no other place to go
Five reasons children move into orphanages
(1) Severe Neglect – meaning the child has little or no food, extremely bad living conditions at home or she was abandoned by her parents to fend for herself;
(2) Physical or Sexual Abuse – usually occurs numerous times over an extended period of time;
(3) Death of Parents – Does not occur often but does happen and usually there is no extended family available to care for the child.
(4) Extreme Poverty – Often after one parent dies, the other parent is not physically or financially able to care for the child;
(5) Working Parent(s) – An large number of parent(s) leave or abandon their children at an orphanage while they go work in a foreign country to make money.
Facts about Eastern European orphanages
Number of children
Moldova has more than 2,000 children living in their orphanages and boarding schools and Ukraine has 117,000 children living theirs. These figures do not include children living in their foster systems.
Social orphans
The overwhelming number of children living in Eastern European orphanages and boarding schools have at least one parent. Many children are left at the orphanages by their parents while they go work in other countries for money. These children are labeled “social orphans.”
Quality of care
Some facilities adequately care for the children, but many do not. Because of the lack of funds, children often do not receive adequate nutrition, medical care, or other needed essentials.
Orphanage Staff
Many of the workers in orphanages are great people, with big hearts, and a genuine care for the children. They are heroes. Inexcusably, there are also far too many orphanage workers who are lazy, don’t care, steal from the kids, and even exploit the children for personal gain.
Ages of children
State orphanages house children from birth to age 15 in some countries and age 16 in others.
The EU required foster system is not all positive
The European Union and others have pressured Moldova and Ukraine to lower the number of children living in orphanages. The goal is for children to be reunited with their families or to live with foster-type families such as those we support. This is a positive step; however, it is not all positive. We know some children are being:
- Neglected, abused and abandoned by the families they are being placed with or sent home to;
- Forced to work on farms as free labor;
- Sold as sex slaves;
- Used for the most heinous of reasons.
Many bad things are happening, all while western governments and organizations are applauding that less children are being housed in orphanages. The end game should not be simply to close orphanages, but it should be assuring that every child lives in a safe, loving place, preferably with family. Current efforts to close orphanages are a step in the right direction but for it to work, there must be strong oversight, accountability, and an all out effort to eliminate corruption at every level with no person getting a free pass.
The life stories of orphans are always tragic, but their courage and resilience to overcome are inspiring.
Here are some of their stories.
“My parents divorced because my father was abusive and drank. My mother then died and the social worker sent me to live with my father. He would get drunk and make me do [sexual things] to him. After four years, I was taken to live at the orphanage.”
“I was three when my parents put me out of the house. I started living on the streets. Then a lady came and took me to orphanage.”
“My father died when I was young. My mother is very poor and couldn’t take care of my brothers and me. She took us to the orphanage to live. I get to see her sometimes. “
“I don’t really know the reason I live at the orphanage. I don’t have parents.”
“My parents kicked me out of the house when I was 12. I lived in a doghouse in the back of the house. Neighbors brought me food. It was very cold. One day, a man came and got me and my little sister. He took us to an orphanage. I had food and my own bed there.”
3 Leaders’ share their insights
Kids leave the orphanages at age 15 with the same hopes and dreams of most kids that age. Sadly, only 10% of the orphans will manage to ever obtain a decent and normal life.
I could raise money and turn this orphanage into a golden palace . . . but a golden palace is not what the kids need or want. They need families. They want families. Joe, please find these kids families!
The first step on the first day that children leave the orphanages at age 15 to live on their own, is the first step they each take toward an early death.
Orphan Stories: Growing up at an orphanage
“At night they would show us horror movies. Some people liked them but I didn’t. They made me scared. I would have nightmares. I couldn’t get the images out of my mind.”
“Some kids had cell phones. They would watch porn and then mimick what they saw. Many girls got pregnant. Bad things happened.”
“My orphanage was good. The people cared. The director was nice. It was better than being at home.”
“Because workers weren’t allowed to beat the children, they would tell older boys and even girls to beat whoever got into trouble. They would then walk away as if they didn’t see it.”
“I had a secret place I would go sit. It was on top of a building. No one knew about it. I would go there and cry and pray. Why does my mother hate me? What did I do? Why does she not want me or love me?”
THE DARK SIDE OF LIFE AFTER ORPHANAGE
Hope turns to gray. Darkness surrounds everything. Poverty makes for bad decisions. Life becomes a dead-end. Dreams turn into nightmares. No one seems to care. Death comes way too early.
%
% Moldovan sex slaves who are children
age when orphans "age-out" to live on their own
%
% dead from suicide before age 18
%
% of orphans who go to college
%
% dead before age 21
%
% eventually having a decent life
101 orphans are needing monthly support before August 15.
You can pay the expenses for an orphan to move from an orphanage into one of our family-type homes!
Time we have to get 101 orphans sponsored
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
THE ROAD CREW
PAVE THE WAY. EVERY DAY.
ANYONE CAN. Everyone SHOULD.
Every orphan deserves a life free from the threat of being trafficked. For $10 per month
or more you can pave the way for orphans to be rescued, brought to safety and provided a happier life.
Members of THE ROAD CREW consists of everyday people who want to do their part to combat orphan trafficking.
Orphans need your help now
You can pave the way by giving $10 or more every month. You will not only rescue orphans, you will also walk with them toward a better life.
Partnerships
Resources
About ROH
Roads of Hope is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law ©2020 Roads of Hope | All right reserved
Partnerships
Roads of Hope is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. ©2020 Roads of Hope | All right reserved
About ROH
Address
Roads of Hope
P.O. Box 3040
Pensacola, FL 32516
Orphans need your help now
You can pave the way by giving $10 or more every month.
You will not only rescue orphans, you will also walk with
them toward a better life.