By Birdie Knightly (IWCK* President)

IWCK's charity program has consistently funded organizations working with street children in Kiev. In October IWCK approved a grant for the Sunshine Centre, a rehabilitation centre for former street children, to replace the central heating system which has become dangerous and inefficient. The twelve children at the centre are aged from 8-16.

Up until now many people have focused on getting children off the street and settled into centres or foster families. A different problem is what will be the future for these children and how can they be helped to establish secure and independent adult lives. The Sunshine Centre is currently developing a new approach to this problem. They hope to be able to set up a small hostel in an adjacent building to the centre. Here young adult will be able to live independently but at the same time have secure accommodation close to the main centre.

To learn a little more about the dreams and hopes of adolescent street children, I went to talk to three teenage girls currently living at the centre. To protect their privacy, I shall call them Lena, Katia and Tatiana. All three were little different from normal teenage girls: a bit shy in the presence of strangers, giggly and concerned to look their best. It was hard to believe that all were from families that had collapsed because of alcoholism, domestic violence and destitution, thus forcing them onto the streets.

Katia, the oldest, has succeeded in catching up on her schoolwork and now at 16 is in 11th grade at school. This is a remarkable achievement for a girl who from first grade onwards has missed most of her schooling whilst living on the streets. Since coming to the centre, Katia has also enrolled in a part-time hairdressing course. This is her first love and she practices her skills on her friends at Sunshine. The day I visited, she had beautifully styled her friend Lena's hair by sweeping it up with pearl pins. Katia dreams of having a cat, setting up a beauty business and one day having her own flat.

Lena has also been at the centre for two years after having to leave her family because of the violence and abuse she suffered. She was very composed but couldn't help giggling when she admitted that her favorite pastimes are sleeping and dancing to music. She has also made up lost time at school and is now in 9th grade. She is talented artist and has recently joined art classes run by Namisto, an organization funded by IWCK for artistically talented children. The connection was made at last year's IWCK bazaar where both charities had information displays. This is a rare opportunity for a girl or boy at the centre to receive such training. Whilst at Sunshine, Lena has also learnt English and computer skills. She hopes to use both if she can manage to get to design school. Her ambition is to become an interior designed.

Tatiana lost contact with her brothers when her mother's alcoholism meant that the family had to be split up. Tatiana was the shyest of the three girls we interviewed but most proud when she showed us her handiwork. She has been working with a Swiss volunteer who has been teaching the girls sewing over the past six months. The children have the opportunity to learn important life skills such as sewing, cooking and house maintenance by spending a day shadowing an adult and helping them to complete tasks necessary for the running of the centre. Thus Tatiana had recently spent half the day working with the volunteer to make curtains for the centre and then another half day completing her own projects which were a handbag and skirt. It was these that she proudly showed us.

At the Swiss volunteer, Judith, is leaving shortly, the Sunshine Centre is looking for a volunteer who would be able to spend a day a week teaching sewing. If you are interested, please contact Natalie Wnuk at 574-58-87 (home) or 451-68-30 (Children Centre SUNSHINE)