Stepping out into the “real world” can be a daunting experience for any teen or young adult. For those who graduate from orphanages, it can be especially overwhelming. Their childhood years, usually marred by parental neglect and poor living conditions, have not afforded them the opportunity to develop the appropriate skills to meet the challenges of adulthood.

A recent visit by Allies volunteers focused on programs that could help prepare graduates for life outside the center. The volunteer team was led by Victoriya, a psychologist, who talked about an interesting self-assessment training process for the children. The mood during the session was light and comfortable, with the participants and volunteers sharing tea and talking about pressing issues. The graduates spoke openly about their struggles, allowing the volunteers to gain a better understanding of the situation.

"I was given an apartment and have been living there for a while already, but I am so lonely and bored there,” Zhenya, 18, told the group. “It was so far for me to walk to the school, and I ended up dropping out. Now I regret it. No one has employed me, and my pension is only enough to pay for the apartment and simple food. And there are a lot of things I still need for the apartment.”

Despite the issues she’s facing now, Zhenya remains hopeful, having found comfort in her newfound friendship with Allies volunteers.

“It’s good to have become friends with the volunteers,” she added. “Now, I will visit the church more often. They are good and kind people.”

Vika, one of the volunteers, said that her experience with the children is quite different from her work with the Salvation Army, but that she was able to use her knowledge through the training to help the children.

“Meeting and having conversations with the graduates of the orphanage is new and interesting to me, but I was able to use my training to help the children find out more about themselves and better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their personalities,” she said.

The hardships that orphans and graduates face on a day-to-day basis may not be solved overnight, but with your partnership and investment into these children’s lives, together we can help them gain the necessary tools to succeed!