| St. Petersburg, Russia 2005 |
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| Abundant Life RACECAR CHARITY RUSSIA |
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| Statistics of Orphans in St. Petersburg, Russia St. Petersburg, Russia, November 2005: Many Russian orphans born to HIV-positive mothers face discrimination on the part of health and educational officials. (AP/WoldWide Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky) Orphans and Street Children: 40,000 street children live in the city and the surrounding area. 110-120 state orphanages, accommodating approximately 100 children each. 20 government shelters and 10 private shelters, housing up to 25 street children each. 90% of graduate orphans end up in crime, prison, and prostitution. Within the first five years many commit suicide. St Petersburg, Russia is a beautiful city with a dark secret: thousands of kids are living on the streets. They're the children of alcoholic and abusive parents, who run away for weeks or months at a time. Most of these kids will drop out of school and become addicted to drugs and alcohol themselves. Two brothers, eight and nine years old, were found in a phone booth, where they'd lived for six months after running away from their alcoholic single mother. Another four-year-old boy was left parentless when his mother was jailed for knifing his grandmother. Stories such as these are common the world over. But in Russia, slightly more than a decade after it emerged from Communist rule, the number of such cases has reached epidemic proportions. And those working in the under funded social system say it's impossible to cope. An estimated three million children -- almost one child in 10 -- are now considered to be neglected. Street kids, now crowd by the dozens into metro stations and underpasses. The International Labour Organization estimates that between 30,000 and 50,000 children live on Moscow's streets and another 10,000 to 16,000 in the other major metropolis, St. Petersburg. Church of Abundant Life took a Mission of Hope St. Petersburg, Russia June 5-12, 2006 Missionary: Joseph Ruggerio 10 members of COALLetter from Joseph Ruggero ( Missionary to St.Petersburg, Russia) |
Greetings Elizabeth,
I am going to try to explain the impact you have had on these two girls lives. Ira is now graduated and going
to trade school. To be a casher in a grocery store. This is the lowest school there is. Because of her nervous
breakdown she missed a lot of school and graduated with low marks. Yours was the only letter she ever
received during her time at the orphanage. She keeps it and your photo dreaming of someday seeing her friend
or visiting her in America. You are her connection to a better life and to her the embodiment of love. Her letter
was very hard to translate because she doesn’t write very well. She once looked like a skinny kid that wasn’t
very attractive. Six months ago something happened and she turned into a real beauty.
Katya received one of your Christmas Santa Clause gift packages. You wrote to her because she had no
friends and was always getting into trouble. Again yours was the only letter she has ever received. I’m happy
to say that she is doing much better with the girls, but still has a way to go. She loves her beautiful American
friend. She loves to write poetry and a girl she learned to love is at the center. I know her well and I read her
poem and cry every time. My dear Elizabeth, these children need you. You already have a ministry here
without even trying.
“These Children Need You”
In His Service,
Greg Nanigian
Cell 617-943-3040
Office 781-848-0994
Home 781-848-5172
Abundant Life Race Charity
c/o GNA
400 Washington Street, #302
Braintree, MA 02184
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