Monthly News

INDEPENDENT LIFE

In January we completed the first Independent Living Course of the year! The group of teenagers taking part was from a municipal shelter. The teens had spent the last three months with our teacher, psychologist and social worker preparing for independent adult life. The teenagers, all of whom had previously run away from home due to problems in the family, soon settled into the course and began to address many issues which particularly affect street youth. Over the course of three months they learnt many new skills which will help them progress towards a healthy, independent life, free from addictions and aware of the importance of studying and working.

On graduation day the group were rewarded for their progress and treated to a trip to the countryside! They had snowball fights, enjoyed a winter barbeque and sledded all afternoon. We hope that their memories of the course will stay with them for a long time, and help them get a good start in adult life. You can see a photo from their trip here.

In February we started the second Independent Living course of the year! Now we have a group of teenagers from a local correctional school taking part. The new group of students is from extremely underprivileged backgrounds - they are already running away from home, drinking, smoking, getting involved in criminal activity and missing a lot of school.

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO PERM

At the beginning of March we were visited by a two volunteers who came to make a film about the young people who visit our centers. Jake Mobbs, a director and editor, and Nicolas Doldinger, -camera operator, spent two weeks with Love's Bridge, and got a very close view of Russian street youth and the problems they face. As well as filming the activities in both our centers, and visiting some of our more successful graduates at home and at work, Jake and Nicolas spent time in the basements and sewers were many of our young people still live. Although filming conditions were often difficult, the results will play an important role in depicting the lives of youth on the streets, and raising support for the project. We will inform all of our supporters when the film is going to be shown.

We also had professional photographer Lorena Ros volunteering on project and taking wonderful portraits of our children and teenagers both at the centers, at home, and on the streets. All the kids involved were very excited at the prospect of becoming famous, and we look forward to displaying the photos and film later this year!

Enormous thanks to Jake, Nicolas and Lorena for volunteering their time and energy to our project!

PANCAKE CELEBRATIONS

As you may know, Russians take their holidays very seriously, and Easter is no exception! The week before lent is called 'maslenitsa', and the week is spent preparing for lent by eating lots of… pancakes! On the last day of maslenitsa kids and staff wrapped up warm to brave the cold (-22 degrees Celcius!) and celebrate the festival in one of the city parks. The kids took part in traditional Russian games, watched dancing displays, theater performances, and, of course, ate plenty of pancakes!

NEW VOLUNTEER

In the end of December we welcomed a new volunteer to the project. Iris, 21, from Holland, is taking a break from her psychology degree in Leiden to work with our underprivileged and homeless children for six months. Iris has already worked with children in Holland and Moldova, and wanted to come to Russia to try and help youngsters on the streets, and learn about life in Russia at the same time.

Although she expected that it would be far from easy, Iris soon got to grips with the project and got to know the kids in our care. In fact Iris found it much more difficult getting used to the Russian cold than getting used to the street kids! She also found that some Russian people have negative attitudes towards the problems of underprivileged youth. Many Perm residents believe that youngsters living on the streets have only themselves to blame for their situation, and as a result street youth are often victimized and ostracized in society. Iris, like us, thinks that street children need dedicated care, attention and love in order to break their addictions, and become healthy and independent adults.

We always welcome volunteers to the project - if you are interested in coming to Perm and helping out, then please write to us at info@lbridge.org for more information!

GIRLS NIGHT IN

Over the years of working with street children and teenagers we have observed that we see more success stories with boys than with girls. Girls often face many more problems on the streets than boys do - they are much more vulnerable of being abused or attacked, and are at high risk of getting pregnant, which leads to many additional complications and trauma. Girls are also much more likely to get involved in prostitution and run a high risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. These strains have a detrimental effect on both mental and physical health, so we decided to organize 'girls only' events that would boost morale, increase self-confidence and, most importantly, teach the girls the importance of looking after their health and well-being.

This month we were very fortunate to have a beautician come and volunteer her time at the 'girls' night in', and teach the girls about the importance of looking after their skin, and how to apply make-up properly. After a demonstration and question-and-answer session, we moved on to the second part of the evening - an introduction to Arabian dancing! As well as helping the girls develop their confidence, the dancing helps them keep fit and youthful! Now the girls can come to dancing classes once a week in our new center. Most importantly, we have been able to build up trust with the girls who took part, and they know that they have somewhere to turn to in times of need.

View photos from February 2007
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January 2007 News

OUR NEW CENTER IS OFFICIALLY OPENED!

As you know, the last few months have been dominated by the renovations of our property on 58 Chkalova Street; the site of our shelter for the last five years, and now the new home of our activity and help center for underprivileged teenagers and street children. Finally we can finally announce that the work is complete and our doors have been opened to the young people of Perm! It was an enormous task getting the center ready - new water pipes, compete re-wiring, and painting and decorating most of the rooms. The new, bright, colorful center is now welcoming many children and teenagers, both old faces and new! We are extremely grateful to all those who helped us make this project possible - those who provided materials, financial as well as moral support in this long and difficult task! Here you can see photos of the renovations in progress.

On the 22nd December we welcomed kids, staff, volunteers and sponsors to the official opening of the Love's Bridge Center. Click here to see photos of the official opening and celebrations.

We were very pleased that we were able to complete the work in time for the New Year's celebrations. As well as plenty of festive activities in the new center, the kids were treated to a trip to an New Year's ice-skating gala at Perm's main ice rink, visits to Perm's beautiful ice sculptures, as well as sledging trips in the countryside and plenty of New Year's gifts and surprises. The visitors to the day shelter on Pushkina Street were not left out of the celebrations, and were welcomed with plenty of New Year's activities, hot tea, cake and gifts.

A NEW LIFE

We would like to share with you the story of one teenager who we have been working with over the last year.

Andrei T. is nineteen, and first came to our day shelter early in 2006. As he began to come quite regularly we found out about his difficult past. Andrei is a graduate from a children's home. Both his parents died from alcohol related diseases when he was very small, and due to his difficult personality he was treated badly in the children's home and was regularly sent to the psychiatric hospital for his 'behavioral difficulties' .Having left at the age of 18, he was given all his orphan benefits (saved up since he had lived in the institution from a very young age) in the form of a savings book. Like the majority of children's home graduates, Andrei was given no guidance in how to look after this money, and as a result he spent all of it within a few weeks, leaving him with nothing to live on, let alone save for the future. He was on the verge of homelessness when we met him, and had no idea how to resolve his financial problems; his addiction to gambling machines; or even get a job.

Over the first few months we spent time gaining his trust, and rebuilding his faith in his own abilities. At first progress was slow, but with time and patience Andrei began responding more positively to our program - he took part in our three month "Independent Living" course, and was a keen participant in many other activities. In the summer he went on the ACT graduates summer holiday to the Black Sea, which had an enormous effect on him. On returning, Andrei's life really changed for the better. With the help of our social worker he began searching for a job, sorting out his documents, and decided that he wanted to go back to school and get a profession. Now he is training to be a shoemaker during the day and working during the evening, so that he can support himself and provide for his future.

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PAINTING

In December we began a new and exciting project in our centres - traditional Russian painting. We invited some specialists in the area to come and start thrice-weekly classes with the teenagers at the ACT centre and at the day shelter "Children without a Home". The students learnt all about the traditional style of painting that is very specific to this part of Russia, and began learning the basic designs and patterns that are used. To start with we worked only on paper, but as the kids skills developed, we moved onto working with ceramics, wooden artifacts from the woodwork shop. The progress displayed by the kids was incredible - some of them had never even held a paintbrush in their lives! The project attracted many kids (as well as volunteers and staff!), and the artists moved on to painting furniture and traditional Russian toys. The final and most exciting part of the project was the make-over of the kids' room at the day shelter - to see how it has turned out, please see our photo page.

Children and teenagers who visit us at the center are now welcomed by a beautiful display of traditional Russian artwork, and all the participants can feel proud that they took part in the creation of this wonderful exhibition! We plan to continue this project at the new "Love's Bridge" center and involve even more children and teenagers.

THE MOVE

As you may know, we left the ACT center property in November due to the dispute that was going on over the property. We were all extremely sad to leave, as we had been working in the center for quite a few years, and many young people had got used to coming to us there. We feel lucky that we are able to continue our work at the new "Love's Bridge" center on Chkalova Street, and hope that the teenagers will get used to this change, and continue coming to visit us as always. There are still many children and young people in Perm who are in desperate need of help and support, and we are looking forward to many more years of working with them to break the cycle of poverty and enable them to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

View photos from January 2007
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September 2006

Prevention course

In June we began a new project which involves younger teenagers who are still going to school, but are at risk of ending up on the streets or becoming involved with substance abuse. Lyuba, our psychologist, designed a two-week course specifically for this "at-risk" group. The course covers subjects such as alcohol and substance abuse, problems in the family and problems with studies and peers. It focuses on the importance of taking responsibility for your own health and well-being, and encourages the participants to take control of their own future by making positive decisions. The first group learned about the effects that toxic substances have on the body, and in particular enjoyed the exercise "How to say NO to substances!" The children were all quite open, most said they had already tried some substances and many of them had no idea of the long-term effects of substance abuse. We were very proud when the children got involved with the local voluntary organization "Memorial" and helped display a 200 meter long "Patchwork for Peace" at the Perm carnival. We look forward to seeing many more successes in preventing these at-risk children from ending up on the streets.

Updates on our shelter graduates

As you may know, the teenagers living in our shelter have been preparing for graduation these last six months - finishing school and college, receiving their professional training certificates and starting work. Here are some individual updates:

• Slava B. (17) has moved in to a flat with relatives in the center of Perm, and is continuing his studies at the practical training college. We have been trying to arrange this for some time now, so are very pleased that some of Slava's relatives are cooperating with us. Slava is very proud of his newly found independence, and visits us to give us updates every week.
  
  
• Vova B. (17) moved into his communal apartment provided by his orphanage in July. He is enjoying independent life immensely, and needed no encouragement in finding himself a job after the summer holiday. He is working on a construction site during the week, and spends the weekends rollerblading and cycling.
  
  
• Vanya G. (15) has moved into a government shelter which we work very closely with. Vanya has on-going problems with his documents (as he is Ukrainian by birth), which the local authorities are currently trying to resolve. We are trying to resolve Vanya's problems at home, and get in touch with his mother in the Ukraine, so that Vanya can be reunited with his family.
  
  
• Dima S. (16) has been re-united with his family! After several visits by our social worker, Dima's grandmother agreed to take him back, and give him a fresh start, and Dima agreed to come back to his grandmother. So now he is living in his home town of Nizhnii Tagil.
  
  
• Vlad Ts. (18), finally finished practical training college this year, and received his professional diploma, which is an enormous source of pride for both us and Vlad. He can now work as a painter and plasterer, earn a decent wage and support himself. He hasn't committed to one job yet, but is looking for something suitable, and also looking for a place for himself to live, as he has problems living in his mother's flat.
  
  
• Alyosha S. (17) also managed to complete his education, and in June received his professional diploma. He can now get a job as a baker. We have also been cooperating successfully with Alyosha's step mother (who fortunately still cares about him, despite the fact that his children's home is legally responsible for him). Together we are currently helping him find a place to live by himself, as it is impossible for him to live at home due to his relationship with his stepfather, and he regularly runs away from his children's home.

Summer holidays

We wanted to make sure that the last summer for the shelter boys would be one to remember, so organized a variety of trips and events that would give them the energy and enthusiasm to persevere with their progress. After camping and rafting trips, the boys joined local Perm volunteers in renovation projects on historical buildings. At the end of July the boys were rewarded for their progress over the year with a trip to southern Russia. The boys spent some time picking fruit, and also had plenty of time for swimming, sunbathing, sports activities and visiting the sights of the beautiful south.

This year we were offered the fantastic opportunity of taking a group of ACT graduates on a summer holiday! A group of teenagers were gathered who had made progress over the course of the year - finding a job, sorting out documents, living at home or going back to school. We stayed for 10 days by the Black Sea, and also visited the Crimea. The kids had never left the Perm region, so the sight of the sea was a real treat for them. We would like to say a big thank you to Julian Connor for providing this wonderful opportunity for our kids!

Volunteers and visitors

We have had plenty of visits and extra helping hands over the last few months - British volunteer Jake came for three weeks in June, and helped out with the new groups of younger underprivileged teenagers we are working with, and took some of the photos you can see on this months photo page. Then in July Christina and Mike Greenberg came from the USA to help with preparations for the new project, and catch up with the kids. Later in August we welcomed French volunteer Phillipe to the project, who helped us with the shelter renovations, and even had time to take some kids to the local shelter for homeless dogs to help out there!

We are also very pleased that we have recruited several Russian volunteers over the last few months! Local students (mostly training to be social workers and psychologists) have been helping run an evening youth club, which is open to kids from all three centers. Such social events are really important for our kids, as they not only keep them off the streets, but help them improve their social skills and personal conduct. Interaction with people their own age also helps our teenagers make positive changes in their lives.

If you are interested in volunteering for Love's Bridge, then please get in touch! If you are unable to come to the project in Perm, then there are many other ways to help out. If you would like to find out more, please read the section "Can I come to Russia and help as a volunteer?"

Renovation update

Thanks to the many generous donations of our supporters both locally and abroad, the renovations at the shelter are now fully under way! The leaks that have been plaguing the shelter over the last few years should finally be at an end, as the premises boasts a beautiful new set of water pipes! Now we are beginning with structural work, tiling, and a brand new bathroom for the new center. We are also very grateful to our dedicated team of staff and volunteers (including some of our kids!), who are helping us complete this enormous job.

We do not yet have all the resources needed to complete the renovations so we are counting on the continued generosity of our supporters and sponsors. In order to complete the renovation work and start the new project we still need to raise a further $10,000. If you would like to find out more about our specific needs, or find out how you can help, please get in touch: info@lbridge.org.

View photos from the summer 2006
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May 2006

NEW PLANS

First of all we'd like to tell you about our plans which we have been developing over the last year and which this summer we are hoping to realize. As you may know the street children situation has considerably changed since Love's Bridge first started working here eight years ago - as a result of our work the local government finally acknowledged the problem of street children, opened municipal shelters, and together we have greatly reduced the number of children living on the streets in Perm.

Our own shelter has helped many former street children return to their previous homes or find a new place to live, and the majority of those who remain are ready to graduate this year. Municipal shelters have improved greatly, and can be very successful with the younger children who come into their care, although their strict rules and lack of freedom mean that they are not so successful with older teens.

We are continuing to successfully work with older underprivileged and street youths aged 16-21 at our ACT center, and we now see the need to expand this side of our work, as well as begin preventative work with younger children who are at severe risk of ending up on the streets. We will work with local schools and orphanages in order to provide early intervention and help children before they give up school, run away from home, start abusing substances or alcohol, or get involved in criminal activities. We believe that to make our work as effective as possible we should be targeting problems as early as we can, and therefore the way that we are going to work in the future is going to change.

We have had many problems keeping the ACT center open in its current location, and we will soon be forced to vacate the premises. Our 24/7 shelter is mostly free during the day, as the children living their study during the day, so we have decided to make the steps towards opening a single center on the current premises of the 24/7 shelter, which combines the services of both the ACT and the 24/7 shelter. Here are some of the services we will offer at the new center:

" All the services currently provided at our ACT center, including legal and job-seeking advice, our course "Independent living and social adaptation", and consultations with our psychologist.

" We have recently started inviting underprivileged children aged 10-14 from local schools to take part in a short preventative course developed by our psychologist. The course is based around the issues of alcohol, substance and tobacco abuse, resolving family problems and staying in school. We hope to work with many Perm schools, and have so far received a great deal of support and encouragement in this latest venture.

" We have known for a long time that the best way to keep children and young people off the streets is by simply keeping them busy. Unfortunately, the kind of activities which kids in the West would enjoy have become very expensive in Russia, and the government provides very few alternatives. Our new center will provide many different activities and clubs for underprivileged children, diverting their attention from drugs, alcohol and crime.

" The few kids that are still too young to leave the 24/7 shelter will continue to stay with us until we can either resolve the problems with their families, or find a new home for them in Perm. We will keep a part of the center operating as a shelter for the time being, and hope that in the future we will not need to offer a shelter at all. Needless to say, we will still be seeing a lot of the boys who are currently preparing for graduation after they leave, as we keep close contact with all of our shelter graduates from over the years and make sure they keep up their progress as time goes by.

We welcome any support that you can offer us in this exciting period of change for Love's Bridge - we are always open to suggestions, ideas and any assistance you can offer!

ART AND CRAFT SUCCESSES

The woodwork shop project has been operating for eight months now, and as you may remember, many of the boys taking part had never even handled a piece of wood before, let alone carved anything out of it! Progress over the first few months was slow but steady, as the students learnt how to safely use the tools and machinery, and learn the fundamental turnery skills necessary to create artistic objects. The boys often faced difficulties, and wanted to know everything straight away, but they didn't give up! Under the guidance of our woodwork teacher (and doctor) Vladimir the boys recently really began to make significant progress in this art. To begin with the boys made simple things such as spatulas and chopping boards. Now they can carve salt cellars, sugar bowls, candlestick holders and small boxes - their level has improved so much that we are now preparing sell the items at local craft fairs.

You can see pictures of some of the things made by our children at www.lbridge.org/5_05_2006.htm

EXAM SUCCESSES

We were all very proud of Dima S. last week, as he passed his college exams with an overall 'A'! Dima has been living at our 24/7 shelter since February this year. After he ran away from home he stopped studying for several months, but fortunately he was not on the streets for long enough to get into substance abuse, and as a result he didn't have too many problems going back to his studies. Now he is an officially qualified mechanic, and has decided to continue his studies in order to become a professional builder-constructor. Well done Dima!!

VISITORS

May was a very busy time for visitors! On the 11th of May many of the children and teenagers that visit or live in our centers prepared for the visit of one of our main sponsors, Julian Conner. Although it was a fleeting visit through Perm, Julian met many of the Love's Bridge staff and children, and many of the children proudly told their successes and hopes for the future. Our two mothers, Natasha and Masha proudly showed off their babies, and all the children were delighted to receive presents all the way from Switzerland. Two days later there was a second surprise for the staff and children when Dermot Brannick, one of the members of the Love's Bridge board of directors, came on a visit from Ireland! Dermot spent nearly two weeks helping out with the project, spending time with staff and kids, and even found time to teach an English class with the ACT center kids.

HOLIDAYS

Russia is famous for its holidays and celebrations, and this spring has been no exception. The boys and male staff from the centers celebrated "Men's Day" with a trip into the forest to play paintball and have a barbeque! The 24/7 shelter director Nikolai told us about the day:

"All the boys living at the shelter were really looking forward to playing paintball - it's a real treat for our kids! However, getting to play wasn't that straightforward- the boys had to have 'gold' status the whole month through in order to finally get their big reward. All the boys achieved their 'gold' status and just couldn't wait for the great day to come. Vanya was particularly excited, as he has dreamt of paintballing for months and at last his dream came true…

The boys' eyes lit up when we got to the center and they saw what was in store for them. After receiving some instruction and some safety advice the boys and men donned their masks and protective clothing, got ready and armed with paintball guns and spare ammunition and prepared for battle! We were divided into two teams, with five on each side. Vova attacked from one side but Vanya leapt out and frightened his opponent away. This scene, witnessed by both teams, made everybody realize the seriousness of the situation - it was no longer a game, but a real battle! Soon it wasn't clear who was on which team, or who was fighting who, every man attacked and defended for himself alone! Gradually the paintballs ran out, and the soldiers grew fewer and fewer…

The game ended. The girls who came with us to cheer welcomed their heroes back with open arms, and Vlad shouted: "Paintball! It's neither a game, nor a sport: it's a real-life adventure!""

PUBLICITY EVENTS

Beginning with Easter our staff, children and volunteers have been organizing and taking part in Love's Bridge publicity events around Perm. Our first few events have taken place on public holidays, when we have given out leaflets to local people about the problem of street children, underprivileged youth, and drug and alcohol abuse. We have also been telling people how they can get involved, support us and help solve these problems. Finding local support for the project is very important for us, and it has also turned out to be a fantastic way to recruit volunteers from local institutes and universities, as well as among our own kids! On Victory Day (May 9), a Russian documentary film about our shelter "Children without a Home" was aired at a local cinema, and staff, volunteers and kids were ready to hand out leaflets and rally support amongst the viewers. On "Child Protection Day" (June 1) volunteers and kids were armed and ready with leaflets in Perm's central park, raising awareness and also promoting our the dolls and greeting cards that our kids have been making.

View photos from May 2006
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February 2006

Hello from an exceptionally cold and freezing Perm! You will be happy to know that we have got through the worst of the cold weather, and everybody in Perm is already looking forward to the spring! Despite the freezing temperatures, there is still plenty of news for you…

NEW BOY IN 24/7 SHELTER

On the 6th February a new boy moved into our shelter! His name is Dima and he is fifteen years old. Dima used to live in a small town called Nizhnii Tagir, which is a few hours away from Perm. Both his parents died when he was quite young, and he lived with his grandmother. After a series of disputes Dima ran away, and spent a few months just traveling between different towns in the region, and spent a month on the streets of Yekaterinburg. He was finally picked up by the police on a train to Perm, and was taken to a holding center in the city. Whilst he was there he began studying on our course at the ACT center, and told us that he wanted to move into our shelter 'A Step Towards Home'. We are trying to get in touch with Dima's grandmother, so that we can attempt to help them resolve their conflict, but in the meantime Dima is very happy to be living in our shelter and has just started studying at a local college to become a mechanic.

NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS

New Year is by far the most important celebration of the year in Russia, and this year was no exception at the Love's Bridge centers! Following an early New Year's party at our 24/7 shelter to say a big 'thank you' to all our local sponsors, there were celebrations at the ACT center for current participants and graduates, a party at our day shelter, as well as the real thing on the 31st for all the children living at the 24/7 shelter. Our two new managers Hamish and Hannah-Louise as well as the shelter staff organized an evening of fun and games for the boys currently living there. We were also really happy to see shelter graduates Sveta L. and Dima B., who decided to come along too. It was especially good to see Sveta, who came all the way from Orda (three hours away by bus) to celebrate with us! After lots of party games, we left the shelter and spent a few hours sledging on ice slides all around the city, and enjoying all the live entertainment the city government provides! Everybody had a great time, and had a day to rest before the boys living at the shelter went off on their winter holiday. The celebrations still weren't over, however, as Russian Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January, when the staff at the day center organized yet another afternoon of fun and games for volunteers and kids. We'd like to say a big 'thank you' for all those who helped make all our New Year's celebrations so fantastic this year, especially the Washington Group here in Perm, and all those in Ireland who sent out presents to former and current street kids who are making positive changes in their lives.

WINTER HOLIDAY

After the New Year the boys from the 24/7 shelter went for a short break at a ski resort in the countryside north of Perm. Most of the boys hadn't been skiing for a long time, so they were really happy to get out of the city and onto the slopes! Even after the long journey there, the boys ate their dinner as quickly as they could so that they could get out on the slopes as soon as possible, and the next morning they were just as eager! They rushed out to make sure the snow was frozen enough to go sledging on the hills, and were very happy to find out that it was. Having spent a few hours sledging, the boys went and explored the forest on skis, then came back to the lodge, tired and happy, to play some games together and learn how to play billiards.
The week continued in very much the same way - the boys skied every day, regardless of the extremely cold weather, and especially enjoyed competitions and races. Not far from the ski resort there was also an ice-skating rink, which the boys were absolutely overjoyed about, and ended up going there several times. At the end of the holiday everybody was tired but happy, and as always, there was plenty to talk about on the way home to Perm.

Click here to see some of the photos from the winter vacations.

ACT CENTER UNDER THREAT

As you may know, in 2003 we opened our third project in Perm; the Adaptation Center for Teenagers, or ACT. The Center quickly became one of the most successful projects here in Perm, and is highly regarded by many people here in Perm. A specialist program for helping underprivileged teenagers was developed especially for the Center, and since the opening we have helped many teenagers who otherwise wouldn't have anyone to turn to for help. In the center, teenagers are not only able to take part on a three month course on independent living, but can also receive help and support from our teacher, social worker and psychologist in order to get back into education, find work or training, or simply get their documents back in order. Over the past three years more than 100 teenagers have taken the three month course, and many more have received other kinds of support. Now more than 60% of those who studied with us are back in education or work.

The premises of the ACT were completely renovated for Love's Bridge with the enormous help and support of local businessmen and companies in Perm, and now, unfortunately, we are unable to say how much longer we will be able to carry on our work with teenagers in this center. The company with whom we signed a rent agreement has recently gone bankrupt, and the company who has taken over the entire premises has put up the rent two and a half times, which is completely beyond our means. The current company who owns the premises has refused to come to any compromise, despite the extensive renovations we have carried out, and the work that takes place here. For now we are continuing out work in the ACT center, and the eleventh group of teenagers is currently studying on the course. If you are in any position to help us in this situation, please get in touch.

SPORTING SUCCESSES

Recently we were offered the opportunity to invite our teenagers living in the shelter and studying at the ACT to start working out in a local gym. At first the kids went in one group, but not everybody liked going in a group, and some of them were quite embarrassed. We decided to let the kids go by themselves if they wanted to, and one of the ACT graduates, Dima T., has started going regularly on his own. He hasn't taken part in regular exercise for a long time, and this opportunity has really done a lot for his enthusiasm and energy. Like lots of our teens, Dima sometimes finds it difficult to socialize with people, and whilst in the gym Dima bumped into an old friend of his, with whom he has started to go to the gym with regularly. So it has helped him not only get fit, but find friends, and become more sure of himself too!

FREEZING WEATHER

As you may have heard, Russia has been experiencing one of the coldest winters on record, and some of you may have been wondering how the street kids have managed to cope with this terrible weather! For the children living at the 24/7 shelter, the cold meant an extra two weeks off school, which there weren't too many complaints about, but for the children still on the streets, it is of course the most difficult time of the year. We saw a noticeably smaller number of children visiting the ACT centre and day centre, probably because finding a warm place to stay and sleep (in basements and around water pipes) is the kids' first priority. Thankfully the worst cold (up to -35 Celsius!) was over after two weeks, and we are all enjoying tropical temperatures of -10 Celsius or so!

View photos from February 2006
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December 2005 News

Greetings from an unusually warm and wet Perm! The temperature has been hovering around zero for a few days now, which means all the snow has been melting - it feels more like the start of Spring than the bleak mid-winter - so we are keeping our fingers crossed for a white Christmas! We have been very busy over the last few months, with some exciting changes taking place, and are expecting an eventful festive period, with plenty of celebrations to look forward to.

5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

On October 19th we celebrated the 5th anniversary of our 24/7 shelter "A Step Towards Home". It's hard to believe that it was that long ago that we opened our doors to help homeless children who want to give up substance use, resume studies and live there full time. Many guests came to the shelter to help celebrate, including some of our major sponsors, city administration representatives and shelter graduates. It was great to see some old faces and find out about their recent successes.

COMPUTER CLASSES

We recently started running computer classes in the 24/7 shelter, and they have been well-received by the children. By running the classes we are giving them another important skill which they will be able to use in their lives once they have graduated. The classes also act as motivation for the children - they always enjoy using the computers, it's an interesting activity for them. We plan to start classes for non-shelter children in the near future, to allow ACT center students and other underprivileged teenagers to have access to computer training.

PROKOPEVSK

At the start of December Jered Markoff went on a short trip to Prokopevsk, a city in the heart of Siberia. The visit was organized by 'Partners In Hope', an organization we have been working with over the last three years, and the object of it was to see how the techniques and projects which Love's Bridge have developed can be replicated in Prokopevsk. The situation in the city is quite different to that in Perm, and there are very few children living on the streets. However, the local institutions struggle to deal with the older teenagers and help them to adapt to independent life.

A company which employs a huge amount of people in the Prokopevsk region has donated large amounts of money locally to improving the social institutions in the area, and commissioned Love's Bridge to write a proposal to establish a center which would be similar to our very own ACT center. It is very exciting to have the work we are carrying out in Perm recognized at such a level, and to be given the opportunity to have an influence on the lives of underprivileged youth in other areas of Russia.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

December has seen some changes in the Perm management of Love's Bridge. Jered Markoff leaves us as Project Manager, but remains President of Love's Bridge - he will be missed by all the staff and kids here, and wish him all the best with his new 'day job' in Geneva! The two new Project Managers, who will be working alongside Lisa Wasserman in Perm, are Hamish Heald and Hannah-Louise Mobbs, and here are a few words from them:

Hamish - I studied Russian at university in Britain, spent a year and a half living in Moscow and have a great interest in charities and voluntary work, writing my dissertation on charity in Russia. I have volunteered with and run projects for orphans and underprivileged children both at home and over here. I read about Love's Bridge on the website and saw all the photos, so it has been exciting to see everything in action and meet all the staff and children face to face! Our first few weeks working here have been really interesting, and I'm looking forward to all the challenges that lie ahead in 2006.

Hannah-Louise - Having also studied Russian and living in Russia for some time I am very happy to be living in the wonderful city of Perm. Like Hamish I have had plenty of experience working with children both here and back in the UK, but nothing could have really prepared me for the projects here! It has been a very exciting few weeks as we have got to know Love's Bridge children both old and new, and have discovered so much about the work that goes on here. The next few months are sure to be really exciting lessons for us!

UPDATES ON FORMER SHELTER KIDS

Dima - You may remember reading about Dima before - he was one of the first children who moved into the 24/7 shelter, who had ended up living on the streets and using toxic substances after his mother disappeared. He lived with us for two years, during which time he gave up substances and started going to school for the first time in his life. He moved into an orphanage in a city four hours from Perm in 2002, but he found it difficult to adapt to life in an institution and would run away from time to time.
After looking into the situation for a while we managed to find a family in Perm who were willing to look after Dima, and the orphanage agreed to this. The arrangement suits him very well, and he is happy to be living with a real family for the first time. He also gets to come to the 24/7 shelter to see his friends, and we are very glad that he will be able to come on the New Year's holiday with us!

Masha - Masha used to come to our day shelter while living on the streets. She moved into our 24/7 shelter for quite a while, and then moved back in with her mother. However, she couldn't totally give up her substance use and often ended up living in basements and sewers again. She took the Independent Living course at the ACT center and graduated from it two years ago, but couldn't quite break with her old lifestyle. About a year ago she started to make some improvements, and then at the start of 2005 she became pregnant. Since then she hasn't used substances once, has stopped living on the streets, and has been preparing for life as a mother with her long-term boyfriend Oleg M. (also a former 24/7 resident and ACT center graduate). She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on December 18th, and we will be here to help the new parents with their exciting new life.

NEW YEAR'S PREPARATIONS

Everybody is getting very excited at all our centers about the forthcoming celebrations, and there are a number of parties to prepare. New Year is the main holiday for Russians, so we have an extra few days to get ready! Our ACT students are going to a center in the countryside, where they will ride horses in the snow and have a traditional Russian 'banya' (sauna); we will have a big meal at the day center; there will be a party for everyone linked to the 24/7 center - staff, sponsors and kids; on New Year's Eve itself we will have a small party in the 24/7 center just for the children living there. They will also go on a short holiday in the New Year to a ski center in the mountains, so as you can see there is plenty for us to organize!

View photos from December 2005
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September 2005 News

SMALL WOOD WORKSHOP OPENED

In September we opened a joinery workshop where street youth can learn to make things out of wood - it differs from carpentry in that the items produced are relatively small and artistically shaped. Here is a link to a photo of the new workshop and some items produced there.

This new workshop enables underprivileged youth to learn a new skill and keeps them away from high-risk activities. Like the doll-sewing that we started last year, this is a voluntary activity and participating young people will be able to earn a bit of money by selling the items they make. The instructor is a talented person named "Vladimir" who has been working with us part-time as a doctor for five years now - he also works in a school part-time, so now he is a part-time doctor, part-time joinery instructor and part-time teacher!

We believe this workshop will play an important role in reaching our major objective, which is empowering street youth to become self-reliant. Learning marketable skills and work-ethics is one of the keys to reaching self-sufficiency. At the moment the workshop is located in a school and only operates 9 hours per week, but we would like to see the workshop expand and include one more instructor, so older teenagers can prepare for full-time employment under the supervision of instructors who are familiar with their needs.

ACT CENTER PARTIALLY FINANCED BY THE PERM GOVERNMENT

In August a new group of teenagers started an "Independent Living" course in our ACT center. There is one important difference between this course and previous ones - this course is partially sponsored by the Perm city administration. This is a pilot project, and part of a changing social service structure which allows the government to award grants to successful NGOs. We think this is an excellent trend, not just because our project is being financed, but because the "competition" may help municipal structures to improve their services.

SUMMER VACATION

The highlight of the school holidays for the kids living in our shelter was traveling alongside the 2,300-mile long Volga river in our van. They visited several old Russian cities, including Kazan, Samara and Ufa. They spent one day in the Kazan Aquapark, and camped along side the Volga river to get some sun, swim, fish and play. Earlier in the Summer they went rafting, participated in sports at a tourist center, learned to look after
domestic animals in the country side and the older ones helped to reconstruct an architectural monument in the Perm region .

LUFTHANSA HELP ALLIANCE

On the 2nd of September we were visited by a Lufthansa flight crew, who gave a generous donation to the project - over the years different Lufthansa crews have visited our shelters, and they've always been very helpful.

VISITORS

In September Anne and Maureen Slack came from Oregon to stay with us for a week. Anne is one of the Love's Bridge directors and Maureen sponsors one of the young people in our shelter. They visited our shelters and spent a lot of time communicating with the children and teenagers in our care. The kids in the shelter really loved the guests and the boy that Maureen is sponsoring couldn't help crying when they were leaving.

This August and September several other very helpful visitors came to Perm -- volunteers from Ireland. Dympna, Eamonn, Ailleann and Stephanie, thank you all for donating your time and efforts to the Perm street children project!

RECENT SUCCESSES

You might remember Sasha P., an ACT graduate, who we wrote about in September 2004. As we wrote in 2004, her progress was frustrated when her step-father and sole
caretaker died. She started making progress after she completed the ACT course, but then went downhill again after her step-father's death. Her situation recently started improving -- she started studying again! We helped her enroll in a school where she can learn a profession and receive other benefits. We are very proud of her and hope she does well!

Vova, one of the boys living in our 24/7 shelter is 16 years old now and in a couple of years it will be time for him to graduate, so he needs to start preparing to live independently. He has always been eager to work, but so far couldn't even hold part-time jobs - he always tired of any routine quickly. Now Vova is an apprentice in a team renovating apartments and has worked 20 days so far, which is real progress! Until earlier this year Vova had a personal tutor, but academic study doesn't seem to be his strong point, so he will be more prepared to face life on his own if he learns a profession. He will continue basic scholastic training in our shelter.

View photos from September 2005
View photos from August 2005
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June 2005 News

CNN "INSIGHTS" REPORT ABOUT LOVE'S BRIDGE

On June 16th - 18th a report about Love's Bridge projects by CNN's Ryan Chilcote was featured on CNN International "Insights", including an interview with Christina Greenberg. If you have not yet seen the report, or you only watched the domestic version (which was much shorter), you are welcome to download the video from our site. It is available in Real Media and Windows Media formats, click here to download it.

SVETA MOVES INTO AN APARTMENT OF HER OWN

As some of you may know, Sveta graduated from our shelter two years ago and moved into foster care. Now that she is almost 18 she moved into a small apartment on her own, a big step for her! She also successfully completed her school year. Her new home is about two hours outside of Perm, and it's not furnished or renovated yet, but it's a good start. We're proud of her for completing the transition from the way she used to live years ago, in sewers and gutters, to living independently in a home of her own! We wish her success in getting set up in her new town.

SMALL CHILDREN VISITING OUR DAY SHELTER

Most of the street kids who come to our day shelter are 10-16 years old, but this month a brother and sister started coming who are only 3 and 5 years old! Tania, our day shelter teacher, described their first visit: "Sasha and Katya were very dirty when they came. When I took them to the shower they just stared at the warm water, it seemed like they'd never been in a real bath or shower. When we offered to make them something to eat they said 'Just give us the food and we can make it ourselves'. They acted as if they were used to doing everything by themselves and hadn't had any adult supervision."
We looked into Sasha and Katya's situation and we found out that their mother is a street teenager herself, unfortunately one of the ones we have not been able to reach yet. They live in an old house with broken windows and doors that is due to be demolished. She spends most of her time drinking and going out with friends so the kids are pretty much left to fend for themselves. We feel it's better that such young kids stay with their parents, if possible, so instead of taking them into our shelter we are trying to help the mother make changes in her life so she can take care of them properly. We'll do our best to make sure it works out.

NEW CHILDREN IN OUR SHELTER

In May, Tanya (16 years old) joined our 24 / 7 shelter. Tanya left home in August 2003 because of family problems. Our social worker started looking into her situation, and already met with her stepmother once. According to her stepmother Tanya's mother and father divorced when she was 3, and for some years she was living with her mother, who was constantly drunk and rarely cared for her. After a while her father picked her up, and we're told that he took better care of her, but it seems she hasn't gotten over the scars from her early childhood yet. It's still not completely clear why she left home, and it will probably be a few months before we have all the answers, but we will try to reunite her with her family if possible. Until then we'll make sure Tanya gets the education and emotional support she needs.
Vanya N. (16) moved into the shelter in the beginning of June. Vanya lived in Kazakhstan until he was 14. Unlike most of the kids in our shelter he never used substances; however, he was forced to live on the streets because of extreme poverty - his father is absent, and his mother earns less than $15 per month. He left Kazakhstan with his mother to escape ethnic strife (because the Russians dominated Kazakhstan during the Soviet era, native Kazakhs have been aggressive towards ethnic Russians in recent years). He applied for a passport almost a year ago, but hasn't received one yet; without any documents, he is unable to receive social help, enroll in school or get a job. He was in a municipal shelter before coming to us, and he liked it there, but government regulations prevent him from staying there for more than 10 days, so after the 10 days were up he moved into our shelter. He appears to be a bright and hard working boy. Our immediate goal will be to help him get his paper work in order, or at least get a temporary ID, so he can enroll in the equivalent to high school this September. He already found summer employment to keep himself busy until then - and he even helped another one of the older kids (Vova) find a summer job.

SHATURA'S PROGRESSIVE FUND RAISING INITIATIVE

On the 15th of June Jennifer Gaspar from "Partners in Hope" visited Perm with Georges Zurbach, the financial director of Shatura. Shatura is a furniture chain with retail stores in Perm, and they organized a progressive fund raising effort, which involves selling stuffed animals in their stores, the proceeds of which will benefit our project, and encouraging their local employees to contribute. The company plans to match all contributions. Shatura isn't the first local company to get involved in supporting our street children projects, but this kind of progressive fund raising is new in Russia and we hope it will catch on, because the development of local charities is very important to Russia's future.

SUMMER VACATION

The majority of the children in our care completed their school year already, another year of successful study! They are going on various nature outings and other activities that take advantage of the brief warm weather. Some of the older teenagers have found summer employment.

View photos from May 2005
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March 2005

PROJECT FEATURED ON CBN NEWSWATCH

In March 2005 our project was featured several times on CBN Newswatch. You can read the story here: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/031105russia.asp. The video clip is no longer available on CBN's web site, but we plan to make it available on our web site soon, together with some of the other footage John Kluver filmed in January 2005.

NASTYA'S JOURNEY WITH SASHA K.

You might remember that Sasha K. moved into our shelter in December 2004. He came to Perm from a nearby town, because nobody took care of him there he thought he could find work here. He did find a part-time job, but had nowhere to live until he moved into our shelter. After moving in he enrolled in school for the first time in years, and has been doing well in his studies. In March Nastya, our social worker, traveled to his home town with him so he could attend a court case regarding his alcoholic mother's parental rights (initiated by the government). When they got there Nastya phoned the municipal service that was responsible for him during the court case.
However, they took Sasha to a hospital for tests, and told him he would have to live there for two months - even though he had been living in our shelter for several months and was perfectly healthy! Apparently they just didn't have any other place for him to live. After a week he couldn't stand it any more and came back to our shelter.

If Sasha's mother has her parental rights taken away, Sasha will receive an apartment from the government after he turns 18. Regarding his plans for the future, Sasha says "I don't know exactly what the future holds, but the most important thing is to learn a profession. I want to experience the freedom of being able to take care of myself and not having to depend on anybody."

EMPLOYMENT

March was an excellent month for several older teenagers who used to live on the street, because thanks to the efforts of Vera (social worker) in our ACT center, they were able to find employment. This includes Sasha U., who recently got out of juvenile detention. He was there for stealing, which is certainly wrong but sometimes hard to avoid for kids who are living on the streets and desperate to survive. He recently said "When I got out of detention I wanted to find work and get a new start in life. But things turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I was living with a group of friends, 13 of us were sleeping in one room. Then the police sealed our apartment because they suspected one of us of a crime, and I was forced to start living in basements. One day one of my friends told me that people in the ACT center could help me find work, so I went there because I was tired of waking up hungry every morning. First Vera helped me replace my lost documents, then she found work for me at a saw mill. The director was very nice to me and wanted to help. I worked there for a few days, but it was very difficult to sleep at night because the other teenagers would make a lot of noise and the police would often raid our basement. I couldn't keep up with my work and had to stop. Then Vera helped me find another job, near my sister's place outside the city. Now I can get a good sleep at my sister's place before going to work".

It's often next to impossible for these young people to find work on their own, because employers know taking them in is risky, but our social workers have become experts at persuading directors to give these former street kids a chance. Because of limited resources we are not able to provide teenagers over 18 years old with housing, so Vera usually helps them look for a relative that can put them up temporarily or tries to persuade a municipal institution to take them in until they receive their first salary and can rent a room.

Other former street children who found employment through the ACT center recently include: Vova K, Lena T. and Christina P. -- Misha D. and Vanya K. also got new jobs.

RECOLLECTIONS FROM STREET OUTREACH

We regularly engage in street outreach, a non-religious activity which involves driving to different parts of the city to find street children, feeding them and inviting them to our day shelter. The goal is to gain their trust, so that we can eventually help them leave life on the streets. In 2004 Russian president Putin put a special emphasis on the problem with street children, so municipal services scrambled to get them off the streets, which usually means arresting them and keeping them in a holding facility. Because of this children are often afraid we're going to arrest them, and it's become more difficult to make contact. Here are Jered's recollections from a recent street outreach engagement:

"Usually at least one of the older kids comes along, but this time was different because little Sasha, who just started coming to the day shelter, asked if he could come along as well. Having him with us actually helped a lot, because he reassured the kids we met that we were there to help them. Two of the boys we met were named Sergey and Alexei, they live at home but they beg because their parents are very poor. They were very thankful for the food we gave them, but they ate quickly and were noticeably worried that we might be plainclothes police. We gave them small cards with a map showing how to find our day shelter. Some other kids we met were sniffing thinner and didn't want to talk with us. Hopefully we will meet them again someday when they are not in an intoxicated state."

SAD NEWS REGARDING DENIS M.

As you may recall, Denis graduated from our shelter last year. Things seemed to be getting better for him: in 2004 he graduated from the equivalent to trade school and was reunited with his aunt, who he hadn't seen for years. His aunt was very happy to see him again and invited him to live with her. He moved in with her late last year, and she did her best to look out for him. However, his aunt was unable to supervise him during the day, and he started occasionally sniffing thinner again. One evening in January, when he was in an intoxicated state, somebody (we still don't know who) beat him up and left him lying in the snow behind an outdoor market. The temperature was well below freezing, and by the time he was found the next morning all of his limbs were frozen. He ended up having to get most of his fingers and toes amputated.

Denis is surprisingly cheerful despite his challenging physical state; the reality of what happened to him hasn't really sunken in yet, which may actually be for the best since he would probably be quite depressed if he was fully aware of his condition. He has learned to walk again, and he also uses his hands well enough to take care of himself.

It is difficult to find anything positive in Denis' situation, but it is a good reminder of what we are up against: we are fighting for the lives of every child and teenager we work with, and if we fail the consequences are very unpleasant.

View photos from March 2005
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January 2005

HOLIDAYS

In Russia New Year's is the biggest celebration of the year, and throughout December we were preparing for it in all three centers: hanging decorations that George sent, drawing cards, inviting guests, wrapping presents, etc. Finally, the long-awaited holiday came, and thanks to help from several sponsors, it was very merry indeed! We celebrated on different days in different centers, so some kids ended up attending more than one party. A big thank you to everyone who helped make the holiday season special! You can see photos from the events here: http://www.lovesbridge.com/5_01_2005_frame.htm

Usually the kids in our shelter travel somewhere during the January school holiday, and this month they went on a short but fun trip to a horse farm where they got a chance to practice their horse-riding skills!

CHRISTINA, MIKE AND DERMOT VISIT

Everyone was very excited on January 4th because … Christina, Mike and Dermot came for a visit, after being gone for a year! While they were here, John Kluver (a freelance producer) came to film the project. Without Christina and Mike the filming would probably have been very difficult to organize, but they were here and a lot was accomplished in a short period of time. Aside from filming our own activities (shelter, day shelter, ACT center and street outreach), we filmed: several government institutions, including a mental hospital where they send children who are addicted to substances and a holding facility for kids picked up by police; a visit to the grave of a child who died in a sewer when she was 11; our kids going to school; and interviews with kids and staff members.

John Kluver is currently in Moscow, using the footage to put together news reports for CNN and CBS, and possibly a lengthier documentary.

RYAN CHILCOTE VISITS FROM CNN

Ryan Chilcote, CNN reporter for Russia, came on January 15th and 16th. He visited our shelter, was given a guided tour of the cities basements and sewers (where street children often live), and even interviewed Jered inside a sewer! We will inform you before the piece is broadcast on CNN.

NEWS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN

A full report would be quite lengthy, but here's news about a few of the kids in our care:

• Sasha G. (12 yrs.) went home this month, after being in our shelter for two months. When we found him he was living on the streets and sniffing, but now he's home again with his mother! Our social worker visited them to make sure everything is alright.

• Sasha K. (15 yrs.) started living with us in December. He used to live in Nizhny Tagil (a small nearby city), but after his father died his mother started drinking a lot and he left home. He found work here in Perm, and for a few months he was sleeping on the floor at his work place, until he found our shelter and moved in. Now that he's living with us he'll be able to attend night school and catch up on his education!

• Olya S. (18 yrs.), a ACT center graduate, moved to a youth dormitory operated by a church in the Perm region, where she can continue studying and work part-time.

• Grisha K. (13 yrs.) just came back to our shelter after half a year absence. He's having a hard time adjusting to the schedule again, but he is going to school and avoiding substances.

• Vova B. (16 yrs.) repaired an old computer someone gave us, and now he's really proud to have his own computer. He has finally gotten used to keeping a normal schedule and studying regularly. Vova has a very difficult history: he was in a mental institution 7 times for using substances, and his former caretakers told us we would never be able to help him! He also suffered horrible abuse on the streets that we would not want to write about here. He's not mentally ill, though, he just has a very strong will. We believe he can accomplish a lot, if he uses his will power to reach positive goals!

• Oleg Z. (17 yrs.) finished his studies last year, and now he's looking for a job. Once he finds a job he plans to save up money for awhile, then move out of the shelter and start living independently!

• Albina P. (20 yrs.), another ACT graduate, found a new job in December. She phoned us on her first day of work and she was quite nervous, but she was happy when she got her first salary before the New Year. She's still studying on weekends.

View photos from January 2005
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November 2004

Recently we came up with an idea that provides some of the young people we work with a way to express their creativity: five of our teachers learned how to make traditional Russian cloth dolls. Now they are regularly organizing workshops, in which kids who are interested learn to make the dolls themselves. A Perm wholesaler donated the needed materials. After the dolls are sold the kids share the profits with the teacher who helped them make the doll; considering that many of these young people are used to making money by begging, stealing and prostitution, this creative activity is a great way of helping them to learn that there are better alternatives (see link below for a photo of the dolls).

Some of the kids are using their new found talent in another way as well: today (November 28th), a number of the ACT attendees are putting on a puppet show for cancer patients, with puppets they made themselves!

Our ACT teacher Natalie has started teaching English classes three times per week, for those who are interested. Natalie also organizes very interesting excursions to museums, factories, transportation facilities, etc. Her dedication and inspiration has helped many teenagers to choose to give up substance abuse and start leading productive lives.

On the 10th of November we participated in the city social forum. As a result our project may receive some funding from the city administration … we'll keep you posted on progress in this area.

Last but not least, the newest member of our 24 / 7 shelter is a great little guy named Sasha. He's 12 years old and was living on the streets for several months before we took him in. He's so grateful to be in the shelter that he usually offers to do everybody's chores for them (each of the children have scheduled chores to keep the shelter clean) - we actually have to keep him from doing them to protect him from being overworked (and make sure the other kids do their fair share).

Interesting fact: Tatyana Sidorchuk, Russia's 19 year old candidate for Miss World this year is from Perm! To learn more, click on this link: http://www.missworld.tv/bio/bio.sps?iBiographyID=11550

View photos from November 2004
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September 2004

In June two of the young people who lived in our shelter "A Step Towards Home", Denis and Oleg, graduated from their professional school (similar to community college) and received their diplomas! Now they're looking for work so they can start living independently.

One of our social workers, Irina, has some more good news about Denis: "Last autumn I came across the address where Denis' father used to live. As it turned out his aunt was living there. She used to take care of Denis when he was little, but she hadn't heard from or seen him for 7 years! Denis started visiting her, and quickly became friends with his cousin who's six years older than him. Last autumn Denis started living with his aunt full time. For the first time in many years he celebrated Christmas and New Year's with his family. Though he used substances a few times, this year he successfully finished his studies, and spent time in a clinic to cure his desire for substances. It's wonderful that he's living with family again!"

The rest of the kids were also well occupied this summer. They went on several rafting trips down the river "Silva". Vlad and Slava liked it there so much that they went back in August, while some of the other kids went down to the Black Sea. After traveling in a van for three days, diving into the ocean was a great feeling! Natasha and her small child also went with them.

Our ACT center graduates regularly visit us to let us know how they're doing or ask for assistance. Here's a story from one of these teenagers, told by our ACT teacher, Natalie: "Sasha successfully completed our ACT course, chose a professional school, and gathered the documents needed to start studies in September. Then her step-father (and sole caretaker) died unexpectedly. Sasha was left alone with her younger brother. Right after the tragic event she came to our center for help. We contacted her relatives and her Aunt agreed to take her and her brother in. So she'll be able to study after all, with the added responsibility of looking after her younger brother."

As the new school year started the kids in our shelter resumed studies on September 1st, and a new group of underprivileged teenagers started the ACT course on September 8th. Some of the kids in the shelter have also been learning to cook; they are starting to make many of their meals themselves! We also took a new boy into the shelter. His name is Ivan and he's 13 years old. He's been living on the streets and sniffing substances for a year now, but after lots of care and attention from the caretakers at our day shelter he decided to quit sniffing and move into our shelter. He originally ran away from home because he couldn't get along with his foster family. We plan to help him restore relations with his relatives, once he gets over his addiction to substances.

One of our biggest concerns right now is providing a place where underprivileged teenagers can gain some work experience in an environment where their problems are understood. Over the last two years we have secured commitments from several Perm businesses to hire underprivileged teenagers (over 16 years old). This has worked out for some of our graduates, but for others it is more difficult because the managers in these businesses aren't adapted to working with individuals from such a difficult background. We have several ideas for combating this problem; the first one is souvenir production. Some of our teachers are currently learning how to make certain Russian souvenirs, after which they will set aside certain days to produce souvenirs with whichever teenagers are interested. The souvenirs will be sold and the proceeds divided between the individuals who produced them. We have other ideas as well, and will be developing them over the next few months.

We have a new address in the USA now, it is P.O. Box 575 Ashland, OR 97520 USA

View photos from Septermber 2004
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July 2004

This summer is exceptionally hot in Perm, and as usual the kids in our care are spending much of their time in nature camps, playing volleyball, badminton and table tennis, fishing, rafting, etc. Here are some other events from the last two months:

SVETLANA RECEIVES THE PUBLIC RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE

On July 10th Svetlana Kozlova receives the Public Recognition Certificate for her role in our street children project. Svetlana is the head of "Zashita", our Russian partner organization. The award was presented by the Perm mayor Arkadii Kamenv and the Perm region's vice governor Tatyana Margolina.

VISITORS FROM CHELYABINSK

As you may know, there are very few non-governmental organizations working with street children in Russia. However, two years ago, Michael Shapov and several of his friends decided to start helping underprivileged children in Chilyabinsk. Their project is roughly at the same stage ours was at 4 years ago; they are renovating a building to use as a shelter for homeless kids. They heard about our project and visited this July in order to see how they could learn from our experience. They spent a day touring our facilities and eagerly making copies of any material they could get their hands on! We gave them our translation of the WHO manual for street children, copies of the material on which our ACT course is based, and a copy of our project's database software.

We plan to assist this fledgling organization in the future so they can effectively aid neglected children in their part of Russia.

FORMER STREET CHILDREN HELP THE ELDERLY

On July 14th it became official: Nokia awarded a grant to graduates from our program, in cooperation with students, to build a dance floor for the elderly in a remote retirement home. The only compensation project participants receive is knowing that they are giving others some of the care and attention that they have received. Some of the participants are Vanya, Oleg M, Oleg Z., Alexei, Kostya and Zhenya - all of whom were rescued by the streets several years ago by Love's Bridge efforts.

NEW ON-SITE MANAGER

A new on-site manger, Kerry Woodham, has arrived and would like to say a few words:

"I arrived in Perm on June 28 after a challenging couple of weeks of trying to obtain a Russian Visa from the consulate in Moldova! Nonetheless, my first weeks in Perm have made up for any hassles that I experienced in transit.

Jered and all of the staff have been so welcoming and helpful in every way. The kids whom I have spent time with are great and never dull! All in all, my first three weeks have been such a positive experience and I hope to play a positive role in every facet of being an on-site manager."

LOGGING COMPANY AGREES TO SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

Vera (social worker) and Kerry met with the director of a logging company. He agreed to employ up to 12 former street youth (over 16 years old) with a decent salary and special conditions; they won't be fired if they skip work during the first month. This is important because street youth aren't used to a regimented schedule, and frequently experience frustration when they find a job, only to lose it after a few days for failing to show up at work on time. The month "grace period" should give them the needed time to adjust to a regimented work schedule. This logging company is the third local company that has been networked to provide special employment conditions for former street youth. We aim to find further opportunities to give these teenagers diverse employment prospects and help them get on their feet.

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