An English camp held in the town of Step Sochi was an event that proved meaningful to the entire local community. Step Sochi is a village of about 2,000 residents, whose economy is based primarily on agriculture. Most people work at several large farms, while some grow grapes. The town is located along one of…
More than 25 Tomorrow Clubs operate in Ukrainian orphanages. Some of the children in these orphanages don’t have parents, but the majority have been removed from their homes because of abandonment, alcoholism, drug abuse, or imprisonment of their parents. Olena, pictured above with one of the Tomorrow Club leaders, is one of about 200 children…
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…
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…
This summer, Tomorrow Clubs in Romania will celebrate their first birthday! There are now 15 clubs up and running in this new frontier and right now, the Romanian Tomorrow Clubs are preparing for their national holidays and fairs. These are times when the children invite their parents and grandparents to a special event where they…
Although Tomorrow Clubs in Ukraine have been established for quite a few years, we have been concerned about what impact the continuing miiltary conflict would have on the ministry. Sadly, many Tomorrow Clubs in Donetsk and Lugansk were closed as thousands of Christians had to flee their homes to safer parts of Ukraine. These difficulties…
Despite the recent Minsk agreements, the war in Eastern Ukraine is still ongoing. The conflict has taken thousands of lives, and made refugees of tens of thousands. Many displaced people have relocated to Zaporozhye because of its proximity to the war-torn Donetsk area. Currently, some 10,000 refugees from the Donbas region reside in Zaporozhye and…