Project Ladyzhyn Meeting Pavel

We arrived in Ladyzhyn and met our guide, Pavel. He is an official in a different region of Ukraine. I was told Pavel found this orphanage through personal reasons. Ilona from Viant set up the meeting because I have been trying to start a hosting program for children with disabilities and Pavel is connected to these orphanages. She informed me that he is also doing lots of changes and may be looking for some type of help with the orphanages. Seems like a good fit for her to bring us together. Win Win. Her hopes are that we can help each other.

I am introduced to as soon as we get out of the car from a three hour drive. He asks if we want to get cleaned up and have dinner or go straight to the orphanage. The problem is the director is no longer there for the day so we all decide to wait until the next morning. Pavel takes us to our rooms and we all decide to meet in ½ hour for dinner. Pavel does not speak English and I do not speak Russian so Ilona has arranged for Roman to come with us on this trip to be our translator.

We are at a really nice hotel on a river. The owner must be a hunter because the restaurant is full of animals that have met with a hunter’s rifle and taxidermist. When I enter the room they were all there and Pavel immediately shows what a gentleman he is by standing up as I approach the table and pull out my chair. This trait shows itself throughout our visit.
We sit down and start what ends up being a 5 hour dinner meeting. First Pavel asks me what my intentions are and I tell him about our hosting program and our connections with summer camps for children with disabilities and the benefits. He asks many questions and seems to think it’s an amazing idea. He also hears about the current children we host and the experiences they have.

He then starts to describe the children and conditions we are about to see tomorrow. I am realizing he didn’t want to just take me to the orphanage. He wanted to know more about me and my intentions and see if this could be a good relationship moving forward. He then pulls out his Ipad and show photos of the children and things he has done at the orphanage we are about to visit.

I am starting to love this man. I am watching his personality and passion unfold before my eyes. I first notice he is a deeply religious man, he wouldn’t even eat meat for dinner because he is honoring his religious belief of “Lent”. He would later show more of his devotion to God that I will show thorough this story.

As I watched him describe each photo and I could feel his pain as he looked at the kids. He would all of a sudden stop for a few minutes, wrap his arms around his stomach like he was sick, rock and gentle shake his head. He did this a few times showing his deep passion for these kids and the changes he was making. This was not act and it was almost like he would go into a trance and forget we were even there. Maybe he was praying. I don’t know but it was deep meditation whether he knew it or not.

He also showed me all the things he has done to the orphanage with his own money. He has gone to local business men for financial help to change the conditions for these kids. He is an amazing person but he needs much more help and he is tapping out.
He has put two new roofs on two buildings, started changing the doors into rooms, had volunteers come in and paint happy scenes on the walls, cleaned up the grounds, purchased rehabilitation equipment, and built two rehab rooms, one in each building, and hired a therapist to work with the children, most of this out of his own pocket.

When I asked him if he had a list of things that still needed to be done and purchased he said of course and showed me the chairs he has bought for the kids that are $1200 US each. Based on the photos it looks like he has made a huge difference for the children. When you here about my visit the next day you will realize there is a lot more need than what I can imagine.
The meeting was amazing and we toast to a relationship that looks like it’s a good fit. When we click glasses he says in Russian and he looks me in the eyes “It always starts with a woman”. It was very touching to hear Roman translate that.  Like I said, Pavel is a complete gentleman.

I can tell you at this point many questions are running through my head and I am genuinely afraid of what I am about to experience. It’s fear of the unknown and how it will affect me to see people suffering first hand, not just on TV. And for all of you who know me, children suffering is very hard for me and I want to help all of them. Even during hosting, I beg my husband to host the rest of all the kids I have not found families for.

People are not normally allowed in these institutions and it is something I never imagined myself to ever witness fist hand, especially at this level. But the strength God gave me to get this far this fast is by far stronger than my fear of the unknown.

For those of you who are wondering what my experience is with children with disabilities, I can tell you now I have none. Do I know what I am doing? No. Why here and now? I have no idea. Am I good at building teams and raising awareness? Yes. All I know is God brought me to this place with Pavel through Ilona and my relationship with Viant. As I write about this experience that has touched my heart I can tell you, it was meant to be for some reason. Why Ukraine, why this orphanage? Like my husband tells me with hosting, one at a time Ginger, one at a time. This is just the start of something new for us and this is the first one. It will not end here.

To Be continued……

Project Ladyzhyn Preview

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Basically in a nut shell,

Last week I visited a level 4 disabled (highest forms of disabilities) orphanage in Ukraine that is in desperate need of help. I know not too many years ago, America use to have similar institutions with children who were suffering because the world had locked them up and forgotten them.

Underfunding made conditions for proper care unattainable and disabilities became worse because of being untouched and unloved.

I originally went there searching for children we could bring to America for hosting and disabled camps. Once I got over being overwhelmed I soon realized we needed to bring the people, camps, and programs to them to help hundreds, not just one or two of them to us.

There is a Ukrainian man named Pavel who found this orphanage last December and is doing some amazing things with his own money. I was touched by his compassion and generosity and vowed to do everything I could to help him and these suffering children. I made him and them a promise to do all everything possible.

It will take exposure of the conditions and the help of many to make a difference for these children. We will be building a team of volunteers and search out the nation and world for people to go there are teach these caregivers and put together programs. Help is needed to work with the children and to get them out of their life long crib prisons.

We will also be doing lots of fundraising to help Pavel remodel a building to provide an actual place for the children to play instead of dark hallways and toy less hard floor bedrooms.

Over the next few days I will be blogging about my trip, the conditions, things Pavel has already done, and the needs. As well as building a Facebook and fundraiser page.

If this is something you are interested in following, please Like our FB page

http://www.facebook.com/GuglielmosHopeProjectLadyzhyn

as well as bookmark Guglielmo's Hope Blog page.

http://orphanhostprogram.blogspot.com/

I would love for you to join our journey to change lives!

Trip to Ukraine Part 1

Well I just got back from an amazing whirlwind trip to Ukraine. Now that I am use to the flight it’s not that big-a- deal. Although my travel agent will be getting an ear full! He booked me an 8 hour layover in Munich on the way home. Thank God they had a couple spas at the airport. Just dread my hubby getting the bill for my facial, pedicure and massage. Oh well, not like I ever do that….eeek!
I come prepared for my flights now; get to watch a bunch of new releases on the plane and sleep…. All good!

When I exited the plane in Ukraine and walked down the metal stairs there was a woman with a sign with my name on it. She held a radio and was in a suit. Nothing like feeling like a celeb as I got into a private Mercedes as all the others coming off the plane squished into a bus.  Thank you Ilona! I LOVE YOU!

I was then taken into a plush room where I had a private customs officer and waiting while they went to get my luggage out of baggage claim. When I go through my “private security” I was greeted by my wonderful Ukrainian family from Viant; Beautiful Ilona and my “big” little brother, Sergey .

Off we went to Ilona’s office where I hugged Elena her assistant and unboxed a bunch of gifts sent by families for their host children. I packed one large suitcase full of gifts and donations. Now I was able to put my own carry on bag into the big suitcase with lots of room to spear. Once we had our nice visit, Sergey and I were off for a long night of driving. Not long after we got in the car we were smack dab in the middle of traffic. No worries, nothing better than trying to talk when neither person can understand the other.  No worries, it took about an 15 minutes for us to get use to each other’s charades.

We stopped to get gas after an hour in traffic, just out of Kiev. On the back side of the gas station was a little diner. It was very nice and decorated in old Ukraine village style. Serg spent 15 minutes trying to figure out what I wanted to eat only to have the waitress show up and point to the part of the menu in English. LOL . Good laugh! My favorite Borsh and “Bleen-chicky”, Ukrainian crapes. Oh and some chicken that was to die for. Ukrainian food is amazing for all of you wondering.

Off for a 5 hour drive. Yes I slept most the time. Serge is such a trooper. We did figure out a way to communicate and would laugh a lot. Especially when we saw a Porky Pine in the road and he seemed to find the name comical. I think I was delirious at this point because I suddenly found the name “Porky Pine” to be hysterical. Never really thought about it before until someone who didn’t speak our language thought I was joking when I said it. (Had to be there.) Later when we were with Roma, my translator, it was actually a “Hedgehog”. Sorry, still a funny name and we had another laugh.

He also at one point washed his windows. The car all of a sudden smelt like alcohol and he had me convinced the fluid in the wiper water was Vodka. He also gave me a bad time because I asked if the guys walking the streets in the middle of the night were taxi drivers. He motioned to me later pointing to some guys sitting on a curb with beer bottles saying “ya, taxi drivers”. Ok, I am in stiches with my delirium and his little brother teasing. I think it’s time for me to go back to sleep. Again, had to be there.

We arrive around midnight, (I think) at an amazing place where many families stay when they do their adoptions. It was an adorable white building in a back ally. The woman who ran the place was so sweet and the room was like a bridal suite with peach bedding and window coverings and a big double heart on the wall. Serge got my computer set up with internet and went off to bed. I of course cannot sleep and catch up with emails , call my hubby, and stress about falling asleep and not waking up in time for my little brother to come in and make me up to go without a shower.
I finally konk out only to wake up at 4 am by a call from my hubby so I shower, get ready, and continue to email.

I finally fall asleep again only to wake up to a knock and a guy walking into my room. I assume it’s Sergey doing his normal “get up we are leaving now ” greeting, but when I focus I see it is Roma (Roman). It was sooo good to see him. Roma is my translator and such a great guy. I love traveling with these two through Ukraine. Safe, fun, and interesting all in one. Roma is a book of knowledge and tells me history and stories of all the adoptions he has done over the 12 years doing them. He also fills me in about all the different regions and the adoption process in each one. All different! We had some time to catch up while Sergey got ready and off we went.

First stop another apartment that families can rent while they are adopting. Really really nice and by far the best place to stay I have seen in Ukraine. Rhonda, another California host mom, was there adopting her boys. We gave big hugs and I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Roma’s wife and baby girl who were also staying there with Rhonda. Both just beautiful! I had shopped for Rhonda’s boys because she found out she didn’t have good clothes and shoes to bring them home in and Ukraine turned out to be too expensive to buy these things.

We then all make our way to the orphanage. First we go up and meet O. the director. What a beautiful and amazing woman. She took us on a tour of the orphanage then brought children in to meet me to give the gifts I had brought from families. I had to search out the kids on our list to get photos and information. O. has this orphanage nicer than many US family homes. It is the Ritz of orphanages. She also is so amazing with the kids. She has a personal relationship with each one of them and knows everything about them. She talks to them like a mother talks to her children and she meets with them every week and rewards them for good studies. They all adore her and now so do I. Oh and I need to mention this is the orphanage where my little Vadym from last summer was from.
We had lunch with O. at one of Roma’s favorite restaurants in the town. It was a beautiful little bakery who donates pastries to the orphanage for the kids every week. On their birthdays the bakery also sends over cakes for the kids to celebrate. Again, amazing food and oh I forgot to mention, coffee in Ukraine is the best I have ever had.
The town was also very nice with lots of people and shops. Everyone dresses nice and it just feels very comfortable and safe. Of course everyone is beautiful and dresses nice. Leather, fur, and boots are the big fashion in Ukraine. Dark clothes are also very popular. Fashion jeans are also a must.
I had a nice bonding visit with O. and was very sad to say goodbye. Especially to my little man Slav. . I can’t wait to love him this summer! I was bummed I missed some of the kids but we will see them this summer.
Off to Ladyzhyn which was another 3 hour drive. That will be the next blog and the story is deep. Stay tuned. I am working on a huge project now because of this visit. I will write about it next.
I am very broken hearted I am in Ukraine and can’t see Lera. She is 18 ours from Kiev by train and it’s just not possible to see her. I did send her a huge bag of goodies through Ilona. I will be loving her soon enough. Can’t wait to see her
photos coming when I figure out how to add more.