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Center of Social-Psychological Rehabilitation for Children of Kherson City Council – this long title conceives the possibility for four-five dozens of children to receive shelter, protection and help in complex vital circumstances… The Center is located in 15 minutes’ drive from Kherson. We met these children not once in Kherson, entertained them at Shopping and Recreation Center “Fabrika”.

Though, on 6 April we visited them ourselves with presents from all Kherson folks…

Center of Social-Psycho logical Rehabilitation for Children is the reorganized shelter for minor children from 3 to 18 years. Children from the whole oblast get in there. The Center is located not far from Kherson and that is why children are often visited and get presents, sweets – as Headmaster of the Center, Anna Oleksiivna, confessed on holidays, especially Saint Nicholas Day and New Year’s Day… But whether an equal mark can be put between those yoghurts, candies and care, communication? Rhetorical question.

What children get in this Center?

• Children from families in complicated vital conditions that cannot be won through on their own, if for definite reasons (because of a long-lasting disease, disability, etc.) are not able to provide appropriate support and maintenance to children, shrug of their parental responsibilities, use alcohol and drugs;

· Children that are left without parents’ support or persons’ that substitute them;

· Children that are violence victims and need social-psychological help, human trafficking victims;

• Street children.

As you have already understood, a group of boarders is changeable here. According to official regulations every child can stay in such kind of Center not more than 9 or 12 months. There are 33 boarders in Stepanivka Center at the moment. The rest 9 children are improving their health in oblast health resorts. And what strikes most of all is the quantity of the smallest… There is always a NUMBER OF THEM. Zlata, Nadiia, Nikita, Vanechka, Lera Olenka, Kiriusha – these are not just the names of three-, four-, five-year old boys and girls. This is the reason to ponder over - what is wrong with our society? And why such kind of CVC do happen? Not complicated, but AWFULL vital circumstances, due to which it is a norm to give a child away from own family, circumstancess when representatives of services for children’s affairs are obliged (and thank them for doing this)to take children away from their homes – for the sake of their lives and health…

As a rule, children get in here without essential things and, of course, without a suitcase with personal belongings… It is foreseen by the State to hand in a minimal set of notebooks and exercise books to each child as during their stay in the Center, children of school age attend Stepanivka Secondary School.

But children are children everywhere

There are restless bunnies in Kakhovka, inquisit ive little magpies in Novokyivka… In Stepanivka we were met by genuine, sincere and open angels that prepared Easter celebration program for us. The concert was in the midst… Poems, songs, festive speeches… Having noticed that they were taken photos of, the smallest children forgot about straight lines and Easter songs the same very moment and… started to sit for us! It was not until later, in spite of haste with which they were sent to midday sleep, the smallest children got used to the guests, and asked to sweep them up, caught noses with their little fingers, burst out laughing… One of the most vivid memories from the meeting was a chorus exclamation “Wow!” when we showed what beauty we brought with us… Right after Charity Fest (10 October 2017) a dress designer and stylist Kateryna Savchenko and handy women of tailor’s shop Kate’s Lab were sewing dresses, shirts, skirts and waistcoats for girls and boys from Kherson Boarding Schools. And here, at last, the moment of gifts giving to boarders of Stepanivka Center came! Small girls were thrilled with dresses, and elder ladies - a meeting with a real designer!) Small Zlata with her brother Kiriusha became the heroes of improvised photo session, winning our hearts with frankness, sincerity and beauty!

P.S. Representatives of Kherson Oblast Charity Fund “Warm Hearts” visited the Center together with us, presenting each child an Easter cake and yoghurt…

Visiting of the Center aroused a variety of emotions, questions and consideration… Hopefully, my story will touch your feelings and inspire for conclusions…