Valeriya G, Zaporozhye

A path towards Israel has opened
in front of a Jewish orphan child from Zaporozhye, Ukraine.

A year and a half ago, among many orphan children in Zaporozhye, the fund PWC found a Jewish orphan child Valeriya Granovskaya. In November 2009 Valeriya is going to celebrate her 15th birthday but 7 years ago a dramatic car crash took her mother’s life. Lera’s father got divorced from her mother when Lera was 1; now he has got a new family. He was deprived of parental rights (Lera’s Jewish origin is from her father). Lera’s maternal granny Galina became her guardian. Galina is 70, her husband – Lera’s grandpa – is 75. This family’s income is only 245 euro per month! for the three of them and this sum includes Lera’s pension of 45 euro per month.
Lera’s granny brings her up in a very stern way, in a system of incredible taboos and prohibitions: she does not allow the girl make friends with neighbours’ children because she does not like them, forbids Lera to make friends at school as well because the children are not to the granny’s liking. Lera’s granny is a typical representative of a Soviet epoch when taboos and bans were the main weapon in bringing children up. That is why Lera is turned to a zombie by various bans; she is very uncommunicative, shy, afraid of free and ingenious communication and speaking out her mind. Lera does everything her granny tells, after her granny’s approval and under her strict control. Before she met us, Lera knew nothing about her historical motherland.

That is why our fund had several tasks:
1. To show Lera history, culture and traditions of the Jewish people.
2. To make the child curious, to stir up her love for her motherland.
3. To liberate the child if it is possible from her reticence and complexes.
4. To make the child want to study and live in Israel.
5. To show her the way she needs to walk home, to Israel, where she would have a chance for a better life than the one she had in Ukraine.

The fund PWC could not complete those tasks without financial help from the UK.

To start with, we invited Lera to each Jewish holiday we made for Jewish orphan children. Lera visited our Purim, Chanukah, Pesakh Seder and birthday parties for all the orphan children.
For the first time Lera was reserved, alert and unsmiling.

It was the first time she appeared at such a “family-like” party for the children, in the atmosphere of a holiday and free communication. Then she became more active at our parties and began to smile. Valeriya felt more at ease, got out of her shell; she showed her happiness caused by gifts, games and delicious meals with other children and even played a role of Esther at Purim.

Lera grew interested in history, culture and customs of the Jewish people. We tried to let her know more about this.
The fund’s employees gave her interesting books.

After all, each our holiday party with orphan children is an excursus to Jewish history and traditions. The things Lera heard, learnt and saw in the fund PWC regarding her historical motherland, caught her attention.

Besides that, we realised that in our office Valeriya felt like home, among people close to her. The orphan child wants to be loved not only by her grandparents. She wants to be surrounded by kind and caring people and the atmosphere of love. She could feel this all in the office of the fund PWC on her birthday.

On November, 3rd, when Valeriya was 14, we felt that it was high time to have a serious talk with Valeriya and her granny.

At our tea table, after a very careful question: “Has Valeriya ever thought about studying in Israel?” there followed an answer which made us happy: “I would like to. How can this be made possible?”
Her guardian added: “I am almost 70. I would be happy if somebody cared for Valeriya’s education and future”.
It was a happy chance that our donors from the UK, anxious about the Jewish orphan’s fate, gave her and her guardian funds for preparation of necessary documents and a test trip to the school Yemin Orde near Haifa.

The child was just happy! It was the first time the girl left Zaporozhye. First, she and her granny travelled to Kiev. There she had an interview with the First Secretary of the Embassy of Israel Feliks Mindel. The interview was attended by also the president of the fund PWC Igor Levenshtein and the fund’s consultant Marina Tuler.

Marina Tuler prepared all the necessary documents which could give the Jewish child a chance for studying in Israel. Preparation of documents took more than a month and cost about 600 euro. Thanks to English donors!

The Embassy of Israel actively assisted Lera’s trip to Israel. This was not a regular trip. Lera visited Israel as a special guest. Feliks Mindel coordinated Lera’s visiting Israel with the Ministry of education of Israel as a special visit. A lot of people in England, Israel and Ukraine helped this Jewish orphan child visit her historical motherland. All those efforts resulted amazingly.

On Pesakh, Lera received tickets to Israel.
Her trip was funded by donors from the UK.

And though Lera stayed in Israel for only four days, this was a wonderful gift for an orphan child, and she could not even dream about it! Lera described her feelings in a thank you letter addressed at English donors, employees of the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine and all those who prepared her visit to Israel.

Lera told us about her impressions at the office of PWC.

Besides her impressions, Lera brought from Israel pictures of her with children who have lived and studied at Yemin Orde, with tutors and employees of the Ministry of education of Israel.

Lera also took a picture of a cottage where she lived in Yemin Orde

also of Bahai temple in Haifa where she had an excursion.

Employees of Yemin Orde liked our girl very much, and they expressed readiness to accept her as a student.
Our donors from the UK, the fund PWC and the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine did a lot in order for the Jewish orphan child to love her historical motherland and want to live in Israel.
Lera is going to make her future steps towards Israel with the help of JAFI. This will be JAFI who would prepare Lera for her departure to Israel and pay for her flight.
JAFI employees would pick a program for Lera and arrange her being in Israel. It is possible that next year Lera will leave after a special psychological preparation.

The fund PWC actively cooperates in these issues with JAFI. That is why there was a meeting arranged for Lera, her granny Galina and the director of Zaporozhye JAFI Aleksandr Mitnik.

In order to prepare Lera for an independent life and studying in Israel, Aleksandr Mitnik suggested Lera a trip to a JAFI summer camp in July. There Lera would learn in details about JAFI programs in Israel and meet children who study in Israel.
A psychologist would work with Lera in this camp. This will help her get rid of her hand-ups and adapt to life among children away from home and family.
A great cause, pleasing to the Lord, was started with joint efforts: a fragile, shy girl with her soul burnt by a deep sorrow has started her way home, to Israel. A way towards liberation and revival.

May the Lord help her! May be blessed all our donors whose financial aid open the way towards Israel for Jewish orphan children.