Rodni Kut in Rogachev - our second family home • Recuperative holidays in Britain • Holiday at Neman Sanatorium •Hospice Support • Family Home 2000 • Medical Aid • Funding • Cloud Nine Centre • Humanitarian Aid Programme • Foster Care Training Programme • Zhuravichi Children's Home • Training and Exchange Visits • Our Partners in Belarus • Plans for the Year Ahead

‘Rodni Kut’ in Rogachev -
Our Second Family Home!

Oxana and Anya

Papa Sergei and his family

"Baba" Katya reads to Nazar

Sarah and Anton

Anya, Ira and Nazar moved into their new home in Rogachev in early January. They received a warm welcome from their new ‘Foster Papa’ Sergei and from all those who will be involved in their future care.
Helena Walker (who hosted Nazar over Christmas) and Joan Edwards (in whose home Anya spent six months last Summer) travelled to Rogachev to settle the first three children into their home. In February they were joined by Anton and Stas, currently enjoying a term at Woodlands School in Plymouth will join the family in May.
The five children will officially be fostered by Sergei, and CCP(UK) will fund the salaries of five carers, or ‘aunties’ who are keen to offer the children all the love and support they need to help them develop. Four of the children had been living at Zhuravichi, a large orphanage for children with disabilities, and Ira came from the Abandoned Babies Home in Gomel.
Ira has deformed feet and will come back to Britain in the Spring for an operation and the fitting of prosthetic limbs. Marian Clitheroe, Ira’s ‘Mama’ in Devon, has set up a Trust Fund for her which is receiving lots of local publicity and generous financial support. And many families in Devon and Gloucester have completed standing orders to support the ongoing costs of caring for the children at Rogachev.
Sergei was responsible for supervising all the work on the renovation of the house and will continue to care for it in the future. It is now beautifully decorated, and warm and cosy. We are very grateful to all the volunteers from Britain who helped to create the home - David Walker, Sandy Mackintosh, Harold Jackson, Dave Reeves, Norman Heeley, who also provided many of the sanitary fittings; Peter and Adrian from Bronte Furniture who supplied and fitted the kitchen; Terry Kowarin, who went twice; Mitch Blake, and Paul Rowley & Steve Clewes of J.T.Shakespeare who provided and laid all the carpets and vinyl.
Although the inside of the house is comfortable, there remains much work to do on reorganising the garden in the Spring to create a play area.
Helena and Joan talked to Sergei and the staff about feeding the children, encouraging them to be as independent as possible, and about appropriate activities for them. In February Sarah Grenfell brought Anton out to the house and gave guidance about his care.
Two days after the children arrived the association threw a wonderful party to welcome them into their community. We chose Rogachev as the most appropriate place to set up the first home of this kind because this association of families with children with disabilities is so energetic, caring and inclusive that we were sure the children would get all the support they could possibly need. We have helped the Association to develop the work at their centre and they now have a full time driver, visiting physiotherapist and classes in computers, sports, and arts and crafts. We fund most of what they do, and the British Embassy and KeyMed have provided the funding for a very effective Early Intervention programme which supports the families of young children with major disabilities.