Makeevka "Snowdrops" Orphanage - Ukraine

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Makeevka Snowdrops is a public orphanage located in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. It is home to approximately 70 children between the ages of 2-12. Forty-eight caregivers provide for their needs. Most of these children will remain in Snowdrops until being transferred to boarding schools at the age of 12. Until the age of 12 they attend a local public school.

In 2001, the current director decided to open this orphanage because their city had many abandoned kids and many people lost their parental rights. Children were being removed to other places, but the director thought it was better to care for them in their native city. She named the orphanage "Snowdrops" after the first flowers that appear in spring. They are small and beautiful, but most importantly they are loved by everyone just as all children should be.

Before becoming an orphanage the building was a kindergarten. The kindergarten had been closed for several years and out of use when permission was granted to open the orphanage. Basic changes and repairs were made. There are now 2 bedrooms and a play room for older children on the upper floor. The youngest children have a separate bedroom and playroom on the same floor. On the first floor there is a gym and musical room, a medical room, a kitchen and a dining room, and 3 administrative offices.

This orphanage is quite poor because the local budget is quite small and the local government is not supportive. The city itself is very poor, people don't get their payments in time, and the so the poverty of the region is reflected in the conditions of the orphanage. Additionally, the presence of many industrial plants in the city contributes to a severe problem with pollution.