Life Skills

Many of the orphans receive some education from the orphanages. But what happens when the child reaches 16 years of age and must somehow figure out how they must survive. The statistics are grim regarding what happens orphans after they leave the security of the orphanage. Jobs are scarce, housing is expensive and there is no government support. What skills can be given to these children so they can provide for themselves with food and,/or somehow help supplement their income.

One example is a greenhouse that OAI commissioned to be built at Orphanage #9 in Khabarovsk. With this initiative the children will learn to garden and grow food and learn nurturing skills as they care for the flowers and vegetables that they grow. The hope is that the orphans become self sufficient to produce food for the orphanage, and sell enough produce to pay for the electricity as well as the on going costs to maintain the greenhouse. This is one of the best projects that we have seen since it teaches many necessary life skills and is a permanent solution for supporting these orphans.

Another example of building life skills and teaching children to work is the Dormidontovka, Farm Orphanage. The Orphanage has a sewing room where the girls are taught sewing skills to make clothing and bed sheets. With some donated woodworking tools and equipment, the boys are gaining skills in repairing and producing furniture. The boys also produce wooden toys and cutting boards. Lena recently purchased a shoe mending machine for the orphanage. With this machine the children are able to mend their shoes and sew zippers into boots. People from the nearby village also bring in their shoes for repair.