Zaporozhye, Ukraine has been flooded by refugees forced to leave their homes by the fighting in the nearby war zone. Refugee camps have been set up and in March, a Tomorrow Club leader saw a Facebook post about one of these camps that read: “There are many children there who just wander around – can…
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One’s first impression when entering a Roma community is shock at the poor living conditions. Shelters seem to be constructed of anything readily at hand, and multiple families with children may share a single room. Most of the people do not read or write well. The vast majority are unemployed. With little food, one wonders…
For many years, Tomorrow Clubs have worked in orphanages across Ukraine and Russia. In past newsletters, you may have read some of the stories of these children. Despite some improvement in the government child welfare systems, there are still hundreds of thousands of children living in orphanages. These children either have no parents, or their…
The little city of Békés, Hungary, is similar to many other small towns in eastern Europe. High crime rates, alcoholism, poverty and unemployment contribute to discouragement and despair in much of the population. The widespread social and economic issues are huge stressors for families, and as a result many children are living in single-parent households.…
In Eastern Europe, the Roma people (formerly called Gypsies, a term now considered disrespectful) are often treated as outcasts. They are typically stereotyped as fortunetellers, thieves and beggars. Historically, they have been forced into slavery, denied housing, employment, healthcare, education, and have been targets of discriminatory laws. Under Nazi Germany, Roma people were interred and…