Project Spotlight: Helping Families in the FSU

The Fellowship  |  November 23, 2021

By partnering with various organizations, The Fellowship helps tens of thousands of needy Jews throughout the former Soviet Union (FSU). This includes children, impoverished families, the disabled, and the elderly who are trying to survive on little to no income. In order to survive, they receive assistance such as food and medicine as well as homecare visits and therapy. All of this is made possible by The Fellowship’s friends and supporters.

‘The Fellowship Saved My Mother’s Life’

Oksana worked hard as a single mother to care for her two boys — Nikita (14) and the baby — in the FSU. While they didn’t have much money, she still had a decent job and small home that protected her family. Even if the home wasn’t always full of food or new clothing, it was always filled with their mother’s love.

But when Oksana suddenly was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed. She was no longer able to care for her children and this left them scared and alone. “I thought my mother was going to die and leave me and my little brother behind as homeless orphans,” says Nikita.

There seemed to be nothing – no time, no money, no food, no love – left for Nikita or his baby brother.

But then Fellowship friends arrived with the care the family needs, providing food, clothing, and medical assistance. “The Fellowship saved my mother’s life, and they saved my brother and I as well,” says Nikita.

Today Oksana is in remission and is starting to earn some of her own money by sewing women’s clothing. Mainly she is still trying to manage her life that changed so drastically, and help her children find some stability.

Thanks to The Fellowship, both of the boys attend a Jewish school and have started to make friends. Nikita hopes that when things get better, he can join a wrestling club, which has been a dream and passion of his for several years. There is still a long path until they are financially and emotionally stable, but Oksana and her sons now look forward to a better future thanks to Fellowship friends.

With The Fellowship, you can provide care to a Jewish family like Oksana’s.