Name	Ladyzhinskyi orphanage
Address	Vinnytskyi district, Ladyzhin (village), Troyandy str., 1
Tel:	(243) 6-27-40; 6-37-81
Principal	Zybko Grigoriy Petrovich
Volunteer	Ganna Yuriyivna Gerashchenko
Cell phone	(095)01 24 542
E-mail	ann.g.ko@gmail.com

The orphanage is located in the forest, about 7 km from the small town of Ladyzhin in Vinnytsia Oblast. Situated on the river bank, there is but one rural road that connects the orphanage to the main highway.

Twice a day, a special bus with orphanage’s employees goes through this road.  To get to the boarding school for anyone else is very challenging. Since there is no public transportation to the orphanage, you would need to have a car or hire a minivan/taxi type of transportation.
Children: There are 140 children in this orphanage. Most of them are boys from ages 6 to 30 years old. There are only 25 girls. All of the children are severely disabled: main diagnosis – Cerebral Palsy (severe), malformations.

Buildings: the orphanage consists of three, two-story buildings as well as a cafeteria, laundry facilities, garage, warehouse, vegetable storehouse and an administration building. There is a playground, which was donated by sponsors.

Residential building: each building consists of the sleeping quarter for children, medical room, bathroom and warden’s room.

Each sleeping quarter houses seven children.  These children are confined to their beds. Also, each sleeping quarter has a table and a bathroom.  On the walls hang pictures of children. The atmosphere is cold, sterile and depressing, despite the fact that the staff is trying to lighten the atmosphere with artificial flowers and photographs.

Baths and toilets have no special equipment needed to care for children with disabilities. 

Daily Routine: one nanny is responsible for the care of 14 children. Because of such enormous burden all of nanny’s time is spent on taking care of the most primal and basic needs of the child: changing sheets, feeding, washing kids’ faces and hands, cleaning the mess left after meal times.

There is no time left for one on one interactions with each child.  There is no time left for game playing or talking. This factor, as well as the lack of special adaptive equipment leads to almost total immobilization of children who are forced to stay in beds for days on end throughout their life.

It’s been a year since 3 teachers set out to work at the internat in Ladigyn. They wanted to make a small report to sum up our work together:

1. The day before the teachers began working in March of 2010 one play room was equipped for the price of 13,120 UAH ($1,646.17)

2. Dec 10, 2010- with the help of sponsors a second play room was equipped and the first was enhanced for the price of 24,158 UAH ($3,031.12)

3. March 10, 2011- play equipment was purchased for the price of 3,185 UAH ($399.62). This equipment was intended for the third play room in the new building.

4. Since May 1, 2010, 4 teachers work in the internat, 2 in each play room. They earn a monthly salary of 1,500 UAH ($183.11)

5. Throughout the year the teachers from Ladigyn attended 3 seminars- 2 were conducted in the Lvov rehabilitation center, where they received work experience with seriously ill children. 1 was conducted in the Znamez Internat- where they had the chance to share experiences of their work with teachers from five different internats in Ukraine.

a. The 3-day seminar in Lvov (4 teachers, 1 from Kalinovka) in January cost 1,835 UAH ($230.24)

b. The 2-day seminar in Znamez in July (the director, doctors, and caregivers from 5 internats for disabled children gathered to exchange experiences, as well as the representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy) cost 5,680 UAH ($712.67) – and included transportation for caregivers & director of the internats and meals for the period of 2 days for all 36 participants of the seminar in the Znamez internat.

c. 4-day seminar in Lvov (September 2010, 4 teachers and 1 nurse) cost 2,300 UAH ($288.58)

6. Equipment from the Torez internat (where the equipment was not needed) was transported to the internat in Ladigyn so the non-ambulatory children from Ladigyn could be involved in the training process. Transport cost 700 UAH ($87.83) and 2 tables and 6 chairs had already been purchased from IKEA.

7. As a result of the lack of diapers for the period of 3 months (July, Nov, Dec 2010) it was necessary to buy diapers for all children with whom our teachers work, for the price of 4,400 UAH ($552.07)

8. The purchase of developmental toys, winter shoes, shipment of children’s books and method books (donated by the publisher Ranok), payment for New Year’s gifts for the children, and also different small things including extension/power cords for a tape player, prints, music discs during this year, cost: 1,319 UAH ($165.39). Additionally, sponsors acquired carpets and large inflatable balls.

9. With the help of sponsors at Ladigyn there are now 2 new music centers, 4 computers (+1 computer for our coordinator and teacher Lila Vitkovska), and a digital camera. Thus Lila now may communicate with anybody who helps Ladigyn, take photos and share them with everybody. Also thanks to the perseverance of sponsors, Lila learned the basics of the internet (although she was very scared at first).

10. At this time 4 caregivers work with 30 children regularly and bring in other children from time to time. In addition to developmental toys, all children receive the chance to go outside, learn personal-skills (toileting, teeth-brushing, etc.), and eat at the table.

But the most important thing is not that the children learn those things, but that the personnel, despite their rejection of our initiative for 6 months, have already seen results in their work with the children. If somebody works with the children, they stop gnawing at the bars of their cribs and eating sheets. At this time - and it appears to be the most important results of our work - a large portion of the children who were tied up have been untied!!!

According to Lila, in the internat there are still bound children who “eat sheets,” but such actions are symptomatic of Hospital Syndrome, which occurs in those who do not receive physical touch or attention or do not get worked with. Recent sponsors from Kiev who visited there said that the rooms in Ladigyn are not as appalling as I had described earlier.

You see, a year ago children practically lay on bare tablecloths, without clothes or diapers. Bed linens, clothes, and diapers (although not without a sudden deficit) began to appear during the period of our work in the internat. For the purchase of the above, we did not spend any money (except on diapers, exclusively for the children in the classroom). And these are also changes which arose thanks to continuous attention from outside.

For the first time at the internat, not only the students and teachers celebrated New Year’s, but the administration was present as well. The teachers sewed New Year’s clothes for the children and bought small gifts like photo albums and candy. 

11. We had found 2 painters (by request of the director) to paint the newly renovated building to make it more comfortable for children. Payment for the work of 18 rooms to be painted was 6,500 UAH ($814.55). 

12. Upon request of the teachers and the wishes of our sponsors we found the opportunity to purchase a special device with which to transport disabled children from the 2nd floor to the 1st. Thus all children who live on the 2nd floor who don’t go out for walks will receive a chance to do so.

You see, the main argument of the nannies is that they are not able to carry the children downstairs (esp. 10-18 year olds) because they are heavy. This leads to a life-long tenure in the house. It’s interesting that in Ukraine (T06) is sold for €4,900 ($7,063.61), while suppliers from Italy sell it for €2,900 ($4,180.44). (http://www.vimectv.com/biprodottto-en.php)

13. On April 2nd a rehabilitation equipment specialist came to Ladygyn to put together a full list of necessary equipment and make special measurements. The Americans promise to send us as much necessary equipment as possible, accounting for the needs of every child. The costs of transportation and customs are being assumed by the Americans. (http://www.adaptivemall.com/standers.html)  Still not done, and desirely needed. We have all list of kids with all data what they need and send it those who interested in helping us with equip.

14. On April 6th two teachers from Kalinovka came to Ladygyn: Lila showed the teachers at Ladygyn the wonderful bead projects she does with the boys, which can then be successfully sold. In the last Zaporozhan market the children sold their work for 2000 UAH ($250.63) and received their first orders.

 We had found after that a teacher who work with boys two times per week by making hand-made from bead.

I thank you all for your help, attention, and kind words of support. You all, each in your own manner, work in ways that are imperceptible to the public, but necessary for all of us. It is necessary because our nation inhumanely dooms those who are weak and not like everyone to degradation and extinction. Thanks to you, our country still has a chance.