Katya Celenina, National Director of Fund Nadezhda (HopeChest's ministry partner in Russia) has said that what we do is revive orphaned children. What an appropriate image! These children are often in crisis, or on the brink of disaster, having grown up in tragedy and institutions.
Each year, over 90,000 Russian children leave orphanages and enter technical schools around the country. In a landmark study conducted by Children’s HopeChest, our program graduates were compared to their peers across Russia.
The study found that orphans participating in our programs have distinct advantages. For example, only 3 percent of orphans in our programs are unemployed or not in school, compared with 17.8% nationally. In our programs, almost 2/3 of our kids are employed, compared to only 19% nationally.
Staggeringly, almost 1/3 of all older orphans in Russia are abusing drugs or alcohol. We have a 0% substance abuse rate among the active participants in our programs. Up to 40% of orphans have trouble with the law, compared to only 9% among the orphans we help.
The factors behind this success lie in our relational, long-term approach. By helping children make good decisions and avoid risks, we are helping to restore a sense of family, community, and belonging. This approach, we believe, has made the difference.
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