UKRAINE
Prominets
Nadia
Jenya
Alona, Vika & Nika

In this picture you can see Joy Davies sitting in the centre with a red top on, and on her right, in a white blouse is Olga Surovikina, who is the leader of an Ukrainian Charity organisation called “Prominets”. Olga is a very amazing lady; she’s a retired teacher of Russian arts, and specifically Ukrainian arts, crafts and literature. The children love her, (although she can be a bit of a tyrant), because she works unceasingly for their interests and for them to have some kind of fulfilled life.

“Prominets” is a registered charity in Ukraine, and provides orphans, or very poor children, somewhere to go and play games, study with help, and do various other activities. CHUM provides the funds for holidays for the children, some of whom have never left Kiev. Most of the children who attend “Prominets” live in appalling conditions, and a fortnight by the sea is a dream holiday for all of them. As some of the children, live with very elderly relatives, the time away, gives some respite time, to those caring for the children.

Sat on the floor at the extreme left on the front row is an arts and craft teacher, Ilya; he encourages the children to produce some fantastic pictures and paintings during their time of attendance at “Prominets” Sitting on my left is a lady in a greenish top with dark hair, she has a really good command of English and helps the children with their English lessons. The rest of the adults are either helpers or parents of children.