Returned like faulty goods
In a society still getting to grips with orphan prejudice, children can be returned like faulty goods...
In our last email we spoke about Andrei and Yana affected by years of neglect who were new to group 6… a family group of orphanage children. Today and we’re introducing Dimitry, also new to group 6. This young man’s story is sadly not uncommon and reflects the worrying attitudes that still prevent orphans from being fully accepted into 'normal' society.
At age 3 Dimitry was adopted from an orphanage and lived his childhood with a family. But at age 15, when behaviour became a challenging, they returned him to the orphanage. Dimitry had begun hanging around with people his adoptive parents didn't approve of and he had experimented with smoking. They attributed this behaviour to Dimitry having been an orphan and not that he was simply pushing boundaries like so many teenagers do. Instead of dealing with these behaviours that are prevalent among teens, orphaned or not, they felt he would benefit from being taught a lesson; that being removed from their family was the consequence of his behaviour. Dimitry doesn’t remember ever living in an orphanage as a toddler. When he arrived 2 months ago he told his carer it felt 'like a prison'. However, he is settling in and getting used to his new situation. Like Andrei and Yana, who we wrote about last time, Dimitry's adoptive mum hasn’t visited. Dimitry shared with his carer that he dreams of going home and talks about one day working as a car mechanic at his adoptive dad's garage.... we hope his dreams are not in vain 🙏 . The fact that neither Andrei and Yana's mother nor Dimitry's adoptive family have maintained good contact is usually a strong indicator they are unlikely to ever return home. Their ages mean they are highly unlikely to be considered for adoption/further adoption and will therefore live in an institution until they are of age. But, we are thankful they have Lena as their carer and when they are of age, they'll have a Love Russia mentor who can help them on the road to independence.
Young people like Dimitry are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to adjusting to adult life after being branded 'an orphan'. Our Genesis project aims to equip orphan and destitute young people to approach adult independence through 3 key areas... self-worth, skills for life and security because having confidence, the guidance of a mentor and a small bursary is proven to help.
This Christmas you can help with a one-off bursary gift. We'll send you a certificate and magnet for you to forward to your friend or loved one letting them know a gift for a vulnerable young person has been bought in their honour. Take a look at all our gifts here...