"The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love."- Mother Teresa
KIEV, UKRAINE
In the grassy outskirts of Kiev is an orphanage called The Father’s Ark. It’s foundation was built centuries earlier under the cool shade of Ukraine’s stately pines. Within this a war-torn land, the children are familiar with hardship. The demands of Communism left families to face impoverishment encroaching upon their doorstep. Many parents turned towards drugs as a relief as well as a means for survival. But when addiction set in and parents displaced their responsibility, the children were often left to fend for themselves on the streets. That is until they arrive at the Father’s Ark. Without any possessions to their name, they are welcomed into the orphanage with caring arms. Each child is given a bed, clothing, daily meals, educational classes and an invitation to attend chapel. What initially looked like the end of a road for many, is actually a new beginning. Quickly they discover a community among peers, siblings, and dedicated volunteers who stand in as parental figures. In time each or sibling group will be reunited with their stabilized birth family or they go on to be adopted by their “forever family”. The orphanage embodies it’s name as an ark of safety until each child has a home to call their very own.
Get involved by donating or become a forever family for children living at the ARK Father's Care in Kiev, Ukraine (http://fathers-care.org)
