Orphanages | Rehabilitation Centers | Homeless Shelters | Educational Programs
Medical Projects | Family Assistance to Émigré Families | Natural Disasters & Emergencies

Programs in Russia
The Society provides assistance to organizations in Russia that support children in four program areas:  orphanages and homeless shelters, medical programs, rehabilitation centers for disabled or mentally challenged youngsters, and educational programs.  The Director of our office in Moscow reviews applications that fall within the Society's areas of interest and forwards the strongest candidates to our Board of Directors in New York for the selection and review process.

Orphanages
In 1998, Human Rights Watch published an expose entitled "Abandoned to the State: Cruelty and Neglect in Russian Orphanages." Their investigations revealed that an estimated 600,000 children are languishing in State-run institutions. The report offers a frank characterization of the fate of Russian orphans:

"Abandoned children in Russia's institutions frequently receive minimal or no health care, and scant attention to their basic needs, virtually ensuring they will achieve a debased standard of physical and mental development."

Many children now leave orphanages unprepared to take care of themselves or find a job, factors that greatly contribute to the high rates of suicide, homelessness, prostitution and crime among former orphans.

In response to the stark realities of orphan life, RCWS has helped a number of orphanages in Russia to purchase food, clothing and furniture for its residents. We also try to support orphanages that, in addition to meeting basic needs, also exert a positive influence on an orphan's growth and development. For example, the Uglich Orphanage in the Yaroslavl District has received our support. The Directors at this orphanage have created a nurturing environment, and act as true advocates for the children in their care. They are concerned with raising the children so that they are equipped with practical skills needed to succeed in life, and have developed several substantial vocational training programs in areas such as sewing, cooking, computer repair and computer applications. A grant from RCWS helped the orphanage to build a farm so that the children can learn about agriculture, and feel the therapeutic effect of working with the animals.

The Society welcomes contributions from those who would like to help orphans in Russia.

Treatment for children with mental or physical disabilities is limited in Russia, and societal prejudices do not allow for their integration into society. Parents are urged to give up disabled children at birth, and for those who keep their children, there is little outside support in the form of special schools or services. To help foster the type of services and protection available to disabled people in the United States, RCWS has supported several excellent programs that attend to children with special needs.

The "Inspiration" Rehabilitation Center outside of Moscow is one such organization that has received RCWS assistance. This facility offers a unique approach to treating children and teens with psychiatric and psychological problems. The Center's programs include art therapy sessions, educational activities, music lessons, and sports activities. The Center plans to help patients to further their education, secure housing and receive legal advice. Inspiration's goal is to help the youngsters to deal with their problems, and to develop positive behaviors that will help prepare them for independent living. Many of the children are orphans, or have escaped abusive home environments and need stability and treatment options beyond the medicating regimens of the local psychiatric hospital.

For hundreds of thousands of children in Russia's cities, homelessness is a way of life. International medical organizations estimate that there are 250,000 homeless children in Moscow alone. The Russian Children's Welfare Society has given grants to shelters and soup kitchens to help alleviate this serious problem. In 2001, RCWS was able to assist the "Way Home" shelter in Moscow thanks to the generous contribution of Raisa Scriabine. This facility is run by a top notch staff of professionals who attend to the physical, emotional and psychiatric needs of children rescued from life on the streets. The shelter's comprehensive services include medical care, therapy sessions for children, and training for foster parents and for biological parents who wish to be reunified with their children. RCWS will continue to help such organizations to battle homelessness.

The economic problems in Russia have left many schools in Russia in need of basic supplies and books. To promote education, RCWS has given grants to schools in need of funding. For example, we have helped the St. Alexis School and orphanage near Yaroslavl. This school offers a rigorous program in liberal arts, mathematics and science, giving orphans the preparation necessary to enroll in a university. Children who are not college bound have the opportunity to learn carpentry and farming, and receive mechanical training through apprenticeships. Disabled children also participate in classes specially designed to meet their needs. RCWS believes that investment in education and innovative educational projects will help build a healthy Russian society.

Arthritis Project

In 1998, the niece of one of our RCWS representatives in NY, Mrs. Nadia Lipsky, was suddenly stricken with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The initial attack left the little girl in excruciating pain, unable to walk or even crawl within a couple of days. Mrs. Lipsky and her husband, Dr. Richard Lipsky, brought the child to New York and entrusted her medical care to Dr. Thomas Lehman, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Cornell University, and Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Under Dr. Lehman's care, the child's condition showed steady improvement. Their niece's recovery inspired them to establish a program to help thousands in Russia who are stricken with JRA, but unable to come to the U.S. for treatment.

Learning of the abysmal healthcare system in Russia and the lack of progressively trained rheumatologists, Dr. Lehman fortunately decided to take an active role in our arthritis project. Dr. Lehman invited Dr. Liubov Medyntseva, Chief of the Pediatric Division at the Moscow Institute of Rheumatology, for a three-day training session at the end of May 2001. Soon after, Dr. Lehman set off for Moscow to share his expertise with doctors from all over Russia at the Third All-Russia Conference of Rheumatologists in Ryazan. His presentation addressed proper diagnosis techniques, medications and treatment options. After the conference, Dr. Lehman went on rounds with Russian doctors at the Moscow Institute of Rheumatology, examining patients and offering treatment recommendations.

Organizing these exchanges, where Russian doctors are trained in the latest medical procedures available in the West, is a simple and highly effective way to prevent the needless crippling of children. Dr. Medyntseva informed us that 45% of the patients in the children's ward have suffered with arthritis for a long period of time. Inadequate treatment during the earliest stages of the disease has left most of them with damaged motor capabilities. The Society intends to continue this program to help these children receive timely and up-to-date treatment. Dr. Thomas Lehman will continue to advise and guide RCWS on how best to direct our efforts as we expand and continue our work.

The Smile Train and RCWS program to eradicate cleft lip and palate deformities in Russia

In fall 2000, RCWS partnered with The Smile Train, an American non-profit organization whose mission is to provide assistance to children born with cleft lip and palate around the world. We brought two of the most prominent hospitals for facial reconstructive surgery for children in Russia on board: the Moscow Medical Stomatological Institute and the Moscow Center for Children's Maxillofacial Surgery. So far, the program has met with great success, covering surgery costs for over 140 children in 2001. We also purchased a fiberscope for the Moscow Medical Stomatological Institute through the Thayer Townsend Medical Fund.

Our eventual goal is to join more Russian hospitals in this initiative and perform up to 500 operations per year. In December 2002, RCWS and its partner hospitals will host a symposium in Moscow sponsored by The Smile Train and the Russian Ministry of Health. Over 300 cleft lip and palate specialists from Russia and around the world will be in attendance.

Family Assistance to Émigré Families
RCWS also provides some grants to children of impoverished Russian émigré families in South America and the U.S. This aid is meant to help these families meet the most basic of needs as they settle in a new country. Volunteer representatives in these countries visit these families and gather applications from them for final review by our New York office.

Natural Disasters & Emergencies
RCWS provides assistance to Russian children and their families in emergency situations by contributing to relief movements for victims of natural disasters and by granting families and organizations emergency financial aid.