Project Spotlight: Tikva Children’s Home

The Fellowship  |  July 2, 2019

Fellowship-supported Tikva Children’s Home cares for hundreds of homeless, abandoned, and abused Jewish children in Ukraine and neighboring regions of the former Soviet Union. They provide loving care and a quality education that emphasizes Jewish faith. The goal is to empower the children to grow into self-sufficient individuals who give back to the community.

These children make inspiring recoveries, learning to grow, dream, and have fun. For the first time in their lives, they discover love, friendship, and stability; they begin to connect with others and find their talents. Children who were once withdrawn begin to open up and explore all that life has to offer.

Hope for a Better Future

When we found Veronika, she was living in a small, cramped, and dirty apartment. She didn’t have much food to eat. Her clothes were torn and stained. She learned from a young age that her parents were unreliable – her father abused alcohol and was violent towards Veronika and her mother, and her mother suffered from psychological issues, didn’t work, and couldn’t support her daughter. Veronika often missed school and had behavioral problems, stemming largely from her parents neglect.

Early childhood experiences like this aren’t easily forgotten, but thankfully Fellowship-supported Tikva has surrounded Veronika with caring adults who are helping her on a path to recovery. She meets with a psychologist and medical doctor for checkups – they know how to treat her abandonment issues and Veronika likes meeting with them.

Today, Veronika is in the 4th grade, and in addition to caring adults, she also has many school friends to help her overcome her challenges. She is now a part of a loving Jewish community and home.

Learn how you can help at-risk children and other needy populations in the former Soviet Union.