GENNADIY MOKHNENKO MINISTRIES

Artem is now 11 years old and he lives in Pilgrim for a year already. Earlier in his life a boy lived in a village Mirny with his mum. His mum had problems with alcohol addiction so Artem spent his free time wandering on the streets, being all too himself and having no appropriate care. When the war in East Ukraine started, a situation in a boys’ family didn’t change much – he was seen on the streets even while there were bombings!

Former orphans and kids  from children’s rehabilitation center «Republic Pilgrim» are preparing to finish a round-the-world bike tour called «World Without Orphans» and on the first days of May this year they will go to North America. Starting from Los Angeles, California and ending in Miami, Florida state, they will overcome few thousands kilometres on their bikes, proclaiming their wildest dream, telling people about the value of the family for every single child in this world. Participants of this tour hope to prove the society that a Global Orphans Crisis – is just a myth that can be overcome by providing support for adoptive families, promoting adopting orphans or directly taking children to their families.

Mariupol Charity fund «Pilgrim» realizes the biggest rehability project in Ukraine for children and teenagers who got into difficult situations in life, does work in a sphere of adult rehabilitation, helps elderly people who have no place to live and no facilities to survive. Because of the military situation in Eastern Ukraine it also doe some work with those who were forced to move away as refugees, and helps peaceful citizens in a war zone.

Robbery, burglary, car thefts and drugs are not just crimes but also a reason to get acquainted with policemen. The majority of the kids in the center “Republic Pilgrim” at their early age have already had the negative experience of meeting the police as a result of the offences they committed.

How can 11-year-old child adjust to severe circumstances his own mother condemned him. What does Daniel think and dream about after experiencing much more struggles than many adults?

The most bright, dreamy and loved holidays for children are definitely Christmas holidays! At this time you can feel this good festive mood, kids receive many presents, surprises and gather around the table to have a good meal and have lots of fun. All of these things build an atmosphere of a holiday, that is something new in lives for most of the citizens of the State of Former Homeless, and what they have never felt before.

The main event of the year for the State of former street kids is the elections of government. It is always a frustrating moment since not everyone can nominate for the elections. There are a whole lot of demands to a candidate. Those who nominate are best of the best. This year there was an innovation that let the elections be even more exciting.

The final part of the fall this year was marked by a special event in the “Republic Pilgrim” – by the Autumn Ball. Each citizen of the Republic took part in it and showed his or her multiple talents.

The children of the “Republic Pilgrim” always take part in the events of the city this is why the  Rescuer’s day was not an exception.

On July 16 th the group of the former street kids and of their adoptive parents from Ukraine continued their worldwide bike tour “The World without orphans” with the vision about the world where there are no lonely children. Having ridden within the last 5 stages across the entire Ukraine, Russia and a part of Europe, the former street kids show by their own example how a life of an abandoned kid may change when he or she is taken to a loving family and they plead on behalf of other kids who need caring parents. This year the team will complete the fifth stage of the worldwide bike action across the Eurasian continent, on riding across Germany, Switzerland and France.