Podolsk Orphanage

*This project is temporarily suspended due to lack of funds*
ROOF is seeking sponsorship of $500 (£330) per month to reopen classes for the children of Podolsk Orphanage.
Sponsor this project

Where? Ulitsa Sverdlova 45-a, Podol'sk
Who? Director Tatyana Vasilievna Ivanova, around 50 children from the ages of 6 to 16

History and Short Description

The orphanage was opened in 1996 because of the increasing number of social orphans in Russia. Before the orphanage existed, social orphans and orphans from Podol'sk were sent to orphanages in neighbouring towns.  When ROOF began working at Podol'sk in 1999, the orphanage was home to around 30 children. Now numbers are significantly higher on a consistent basis.

Like all orphans, what all these children are lacking is indivdual attention and parents' love, therefore the children at Podol'sk Orphanage are considered to be in a high risk group. ROOF's team at Podol'sk aim to establish long-term, trusting relationships with the children, as well as improving their general educational level, thinking skills and socialization. ROOF teachers concentrate on any school subjects where the children need help and support, and also place great emphasis on the individual interests of children, which has led to the addition of activities classes such as phys ed, music workshops, art lessons, sewing, home-ecomonics (skills for later independent life) and computer.

 

Report on ROOF’s Work in Podol'sk Orphanage, January 2008

 

In 2007-2008, work in the Podol'sk Orphanage became more difficult because of the large turnover in residents (33% turnover). Twenty new children were admitted to the orphanage and the majority of these are aged 13 to 16. Some are rather behind in their education: 15-year-old Sergei Stepanov is studying in the 7th grade and 14-year-old Ilya Starostin is only studying at the fourth grade level.

The children are difficult, have been education deprived in the past (leading to large knowledge gaps) and are inclined toward drink and drugs.

After one month of school at the beginning of the year, a medical commission determined that 6 of the children were slated for only individual lessons/study. The sixth-graders seemed to have no more than third-grade knowledge; therefore it is difficult and embarrassing for them in school which leads to aggressive behaviour.

With these children ROOF’s teachers are now working patiently, every day. At this point, after half-a-year’s work, they have learned how to do such things as parse a simple sentence and locate and check the proper spelling of non-stressed vowels (in Russian language class).

There are also 5 children who are studying at the fifth-grade level. Two of these enjoy their studies when tutors come to work with them, and generally do work to a 4 (good) or a 3 (pass) standard. The three other 5th graders (Igor Ivanov, Misha Mika, and Sergei Ilichev) are not able to keep up with their class level and do not work; as they fall behind they get nervous and sometimes rip up their school notebooks. One thing that we have found interesting is that when we work with the three of them as a group they do try hard and together complete an assignment. They actually work worse individually than when we put them together as a group. It seems that each is trying to prove himself to the others in group work. When we work together Misha Mika does the best, since he has reserve knowledge from primary school. Misha has begun to raise his hand in class and go up to the board to answer. The other two still need a teacher to work with them separately.

Our seventh-grader, Sergei Stepanov, is on an individual study programme. He knows the programme material at a 3 (pass) level, and when we work with him individually he completes all his assignments. He could easily work in class but doesn’t want to because he is older than his classmates.

Last year’s graduates have gone on to local training colleges and technical schools. Kolya Blashenkov was accepted at the Moscow Management Institute, Olga Mingazova was accepted at the Podolsk Cooperative Sports University, having previously completed a sports training college.

4 other graduates have gone on to training colleges and the technical school for construction. Anya Rassadina is studying at the sports college to become a “trainer for adaptive physical education”; she’s receiving 4’s (good) and 5’s (excellent). Anya Chichikina has entered her first ear at the Podolsk service college and is also getting 4’s and 5’s. It is good to see our former students excelling!

Our main aim as additional education providers for the children of Podolosk is to help our newly arrived pupils achieve a level of knowledge where they can feel comfortable studying in school alongside children who live at home. 

 

ROOF Programmes in Podol'sk
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Click here to see which teachers teach at Podol'sk

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Page last edited by Lena on 22nd July 2008. Page out of date? Do you have new information?  —

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