Of the 26 million children living in Russia today, 700,000 are without parental care. Of those, 95% are social orphans, with at least one living parent who is incapable of caring for their child. The vast majority of these children are placed in state orphanages, which all too often leaves them ill prepared for life in the outside world. Recent statistics show that after leaving state care at 18 years old, 40% become alcoholics and drug addicts, 40% commit crimes, are homeless and unemployed, and 10% commit suicide before they are 25.
What We Are Doing
Kitezh Children’s Community in rural Kaluga region has had some considerable success in addresses these issues through an innovative approach, pioneered by Dmitry Morozov, a Historian and journalist from Moscow. Started in 1992, he attracted foster parents and teachers join him to build a village community to provide abandoned or orphaned children with family support, an education and the therapeutic care that is vital to their health and well-being.
Ecologia has supported Kitezh since it began, helping to build two foster family villages, Kitezh and Orion, with homes for the families, a school, a church and a farm.
What We Have Achieved
- Helped to build two children’s villages in Kaluga region – Kitezh and Orion
- Introduced therapeutic work with children to Kitezh Children’s Community
- Provided the professional training at Kitezh-Orion and in the UK that now forms the foundation of their therapeutic work with orphans
- Run successful volunteer programmes in both Kitezh and Orion Communities for over 300 volunteers since 1998
- Organised exchange visits for Schools and Youth Groups from the UK and USA since 2012
