Building Homes for Russian Orphans P.O. Box 1126 The Zadruga Foundation is a 501(c)(3) (pending) not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Russian orphans age 15 to 21 by providing a safe environment in which to live while offering financial, emotional, vocational and educational support as they transition from the orphanage into adulthood and Russian society. A recent report by the United Nations called Russian children “an endangered species.” There are more than 4 million Russian orphans and homeless children. Only the luckiest of them live in orphanages. There are 700,000 orphans living in 2,000 state-run orphanages. This severely under-funded orphanage system does little to prepare these children for successful adulthood. For the homeless orphans not in an orphanage, most live on the streets or in underground sewers. The plight of the Russian orphan is at a critical stage. Statistics show that only one out of ten Russian orphans becomes a productive member of society. When orphans are “emancipated” from the orphanage at age 16 or 17 to make their way in the world, most have no money, nowhere to go and no adult who cares what happens to them. More than half are recruited to a life of crime, prostitution, 10% commit suicide, 30% are addicted to alcohol and other drugs during their first year of living independently. The Organization for Security and Cooperation In Europe estimates that 50,000 young Russian women are trafficked abroad each year by organized criminal groups for forced prostitution. The mission of the Zadruga Foundation is to assist these young adults, as they make the difficult transition from the orphanage to adulthood and Russian society. Simply having one adult in the life of these orphans, who cares about their well-being, has been proven to make a significant difference in their chances for success. The Zadruga Foundation will provide group homes for these young people. The homes will be staffed with caring adults who are trained in dealing with the tremendous challenges these orphans face. Financial, educational, emotional and vocational support will be provided. In this type of nurturing environment, it is our hope that many of these young adults will find it in themselves to flourish.
We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth. -George Bernard Shaw
|