Far-reaching distribution to
children’s homes

Sonia Dahlgaard, a representative of the Danish Bible Society, shows hearing-impaired children at Boarding School No 13 the illustrations in the “Bible Stories” book which were drawn by Danish artist Esben Hanefelt Kristensen. Minsk, Belarus. Photo: Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus (BYE02DJ-3)

MINSK, Belarus — Growth in the number of children being committed to children’s homes because their families can no longer look after them has prompted the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus (BSRB) to undertake to provide spiritual literature to every children’s home and orphanage in the country.

The level of family break-up stems from a decline in morality and an irresponsible attitude on the part of many parents to bringing up their children in a secure family home, according to BSRB Charity Projects Officer, Anatoly Greben.

Difficulty

These factors are aggravated by low levels of income and the genuine difficulty which many parents have in providing “a decent life” for their family, he says.

Alcoholism, drug addiction, ‘sponging’ and a general indifference to life are the visible symptoms of the problem. With a large number of parents being deprived of parental rights, their children are brought up in children’s homes and boarding schools in increasing numbers. Statistics show that there are more young children in this category in Belarus today than in the period following the Second World War – a total of more than 10,000 children. And the problem does not end there.

“Due to their lack of firm moral direction,” says Mr Greben, “most of these children cannot adapt to ordinary adult life and end up being sent to prison.”

In response to the situation, the BSRB is running a new project called Let the Children Come to Me. Drawing its name from Mark 10:14, its aim is to provide every children’s home and boarding school with spiritual literature.

Keep from failing

“It is essential that the Word of God should help children find hope for the future and keep them from failing when they enter independent life,” says Mr Greben.

To start the project, earlier this year staff duly rang all eight children’s homes and all 13 boarding schools in the capital, Minsk, to ascertain the numbers and ages of the children so that they could make provision accordingly. Distribution then got under way.

Parental rights

Dima, who lives in Children’s Home No 5, Dima, who lives in Children`s Home No 5, was delighted with the copy of “Bible Stories” he received from representatives of the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus. Although his parents have stopped visiting him, Dima still dreams of going home. Minsk, Belarus. Photo: BSR Belarus (BYE02DJ-5)

In one particular institution, which is called Children’s Home No. 5, there are 91 children, aged from two to 18. In 75 per cent of their cases, their parents have been deprived of parental rights.

During our visit to take books to the children, a little boy called Dima looked at a picture book of Bible Stories we had brought. His parents do not visit him these days, we were told, but he still dreams of going home and the stories about Christ and his love for people will help him cope with his homesickness.

Among those who do visit the home, though, are the children from the Sunday School of a cathedral in nearby Vesnyanka, and the literature that the Society has given will help in running Christian lessons they give the children.

Next we went to Children’s Home No. 7, on the outskirts of Minsk, home to 103 children. After we had unloaded the books in the hall, two girls, Nastia and Tania, asked for something to read, as their lessons had finished, but they are not allowed to go out without permission.

They wanted to look at one called Opening the Bible, because they had never had one like it before. Nastia used to live nearby but her father died and then her mother started drinking, and eventually Nastia was sent to the home.

Nastia and Tania, who live in Children`s Home No 7 on the outskirts of Minsk, read “Opening the Bible” which they requested from representatives of the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus. Minsk, Belarus. Photo: BSR Belarus (BYE02DJ-4)

Her friend Tania is there with her brothers, Serguey and Jura, because their family was declared unfit to care for them. Before they were put in the home, Serguey and Jura used to play truant from school and sniff glue.

Psycho-physical difficulties

BSRB staff also visited Boarding School No. 13 for hearing-impaired children, many of whom have psycho-physical difficulties due to their partial lack of hearing. With them on that occasion was Sonia Dahlgaard, a representative of the Danish Bible Society. She showed the children the illustrations in the Bible Stories book done by the Danish artist Esben Hanefelt Kristensen, and the children were delighted.

Galina Gurbo, the Boarding School Director, said that the colouring books, God’s World Around Us, would be most useful. They not only showed Biblical subjects, she said, but would also develop their creative work.