Ukraine's Forgotten Children
For thousands of street children (and some estimate there are as many as 200 000) who live in a twilight world in the underground tunnels and pipes of city's like Kharkiv and Odessa, hope is in short supply. These children are desperately vulnerable to cold, hunger, violence, exploitation and terrible loneliness.
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Mary's Meals - Odessa
Estimates suggest there are around 3 000 homeless children living on the streets of Odessa.   The Way Home – our partners in Odessa – report that these children are exposed to the cold, hunger, disease, particularly HIV infection and at high risk of becoming drug/solvent users and being sexually exploited.  Their life on the streets leads to a breakdown in health, missing out on education, likely involvement in criminal activity, psychological problems and premature death. 

As well as running a social patrol that seeks out street children and offers them assistance directly on the streets The Way Home operate a day centre.  We are providing Mary’s Meals there to encourage children (around 250 a day) to use the centre where they are offered study opportunities and learning support.

Kharkiv Street Children Outreach
There are an estimated 11 000 street children and homeless people in the region of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.  The local authority is sympathetic but has limited resources available. 

SIR and our local partners, Depaul Ukraine, are developing an outreach service to help alleviate some of the problems faced by the street children.  Trained staff and volunteers befriend homeless children on the streets, offering food and medical care. These children are encouraged to use our day-care centre where they can receive; hot meals, welfare advice, clothes, education and training.

Kharkiv Street Children Night Shelter
The children face many dangers on the streets such as sexual exploitation and violence. The second phase of this project is to provide a 12 bed emergency night shelter for children at great risk.  SIR is seeking funds to undertake this major work to help these desperately vulnerable children.

Country background:
The Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.  The years of communist rule caused the people appalling suffering as enforced agriculture collectivization brought about a famine that killed millions.  The current president, Victor Yushchenko, came to power during the so-called Orange Revolution amid great optimism for a better future. 

Population:
47.6 million
Life expectancy:
66 years
Below Poverty line:
29%
Development Index:
78