This year’s graduates!

Every year, friends of New Thing have the joy of providing Life Starter Kits for graduating orphans at the Children’s Village orphanage in Kobryn, Belarus, near the Polish border.

Here are the 14 youngsters preparing to leave home, photographed by our dear friend Oleg Yarovenko....

Veronika is a budding poet. She has Type 1 diabetes, and is heading toward a nursing degree.

Kristina, in a school program for students with learning difficulties, loves singing and dancing. She’s applying at the College of Technology and Design in Baranovichi as a hairdresser, tailor, or seamstress.

Nikita came to the orphanage at age 8. He's also in a learning-difficulties program. Science is his toughest subject, but at home he loves cooking, and he intends to become a chef with a degree in public catering from the College of Brest, Belarus.

Alexander is a lover of sports, a competitive boxer. He’s visually impaired due to an errant dart. He’s looking forward to construction college, aiming for a specialty in finishing work.

Maxim would only smile if his little sister could be in the picture with him! He’s a football and basketball fan, but ”not very good friends with his studies,” his houseparent chuckles. Still, he’s headed for the College of Finance and Economics in Grodno.

Dmitry excels at working with metal and wood, in spite of profound mental disability. The Children’s Village team is working on getting him situated in a woodworking specialty.

Rostislav has been at Children’s Village for 8 years. His older brother and sister both received Life Starter Kits, and they're successfully studying in colleges in Minsk. Rostislav plans to attend technological college and become a cook.

Alexandra arrived at the orphanage at age 7, with 4 older siblings. The sister just ahead of her received a Life Starter Kit and is studying and living independently. Alexandra is a serious student, has completed a choreography course at a school for the arts, and dreams of becoming a lawyer, starting at Polytechnic College in Brest.

Alexei, the oldest of 6, is the ”main assistant” in his house at Children’s Village, handling appliance repairs easily. He’s also expert with musical equipment: amplifiers, mixers, microphones, etc. He loves sports, tolerates his studies, and plans to become an electrician.

Ivan is a boxer, a bicyclist, and an equipment repairman. Cognitive disability won’t deter him from becoming a welder and a tractor-driver by way of an agrotechnical college.

Karolina has lived at Children’s Village since age 9 with her elder sister; they were abandoned by their adoptive parents. Karolina is an indispensable housekeeper; she loves to bake pies. She’s also an avid photographer/videographer, posting much of her work on social media.

Darya plans to enter medical college. Her goal is simple: ”to treat and help people.” She’s fond of making crafts and of cooking ”anything unusual and interesting.” She’s the eldest in her house at Children’s Village, and does very well helping with care of the younger ones.

Valeria graduated early and has already enrolled in a city college, learning to be a cook and seamstress. She’s a super helper with two very young orphans also living in her Children’s Village house. In her free time, she loves to draw — and to teach children to draw too.

Another Maxim was absent. His houseparent supplied this photo. He’s been at Children’s Village almost 13 years. He loves sports, especially football, but he also loves serving in the kitchen. At college, he’ll learn to be a professional cook.

We’d love to give each of these graduates a Life Starter Kit, complete with blanket, pillow, towels, linens, dishes, electric kettle, saucepan, frying pan, table lamp, iron, and more — plus a laptop with student software and basic accessories for those headed to university.

Average Kit cost: $498. If you’d like to help provide Life Starter Kits for these young people, we’ll be grateful for your donation. You can give online here, or make a check to New Thing, 403 Linebrook Rd., Ipswich MA 01938.

Thanks for journeying with New Thing!

Much love,

Doug Brendel