Housing and Educating Orphans

Unfortunately, more than 6 children become Orphans in the Ukraine daily! During the last few years, the problem of homelessness of children has grown into a national catastrophe. According to official statistics, there are as many as 126,000 children trying to survive on the streets in urban areas of the Ukraine. We have been supporting the Father's House charity in Kiev for some years now. Their work involves taking children off the streets and placing them in family environments - teaching basic social skills, family values and other essential skills that allow them to resume or even being a 'normal' life.

Feeding and Clothing Children

Jireh Trust's main focus to date has been to provide food and clothing to the street children of Kiev. It is estimated that out of a population of three million, there are approximately twenty five thousand children who live on the street in Kiev. Many of these children survive the winter by living in the sewers or in the basements of tower blocks, near where the heating pipes run. The photograph shown here gives a typical example of conditions that some children endure. Through links with a number of people and charities in Ukraine, Jireh Trust provides food and clothing to a small number of these children. Our help and support touches such a tiny proportion of the children, who need these basic provisions. We hope that the work will expand and so will the number that we can positively affect. Pictured here is part of the final preparation for one of the charity’s first projects, when 5 people from Market Harborough drove out to Kiev at the start of Winter, with 1.75 Tonnes of clothes, shoes and blankets.

Relieving Suffering

Clearly, feeding and clothing children relieves suffering. However, Jireh Trust has been able to provide the resources to affect a small number of lives in a more direct way. This includes providing for a family to afford a vital operation for their child. Although sensitivity and caution must be applied to these situations, we believe that once we are sure of the circumstances, it is right to help, as funds allow. To find out about current Jireh Trust projects and events, please click here. To find out more about how Jireh Trust started, please click here.