This is the story of Nataliya R. (Ukraine), who used to be one of our sponsored children, and is now the beneficiary of a MWB Scholarship, in order to receive a higher education in one of Rivne’s universities … Nataliya’s father abandoned his pregnant fiancée before the baby was born, thus Nataliya was born with the status of “illegitimate” child, which followed her throughout childhood. She met her father only once, when in the 4th grade. It was a very upsetting, traumatic experience, and she does not like to think about that day. The man scolded Nataliya with curse words and did not want to talk to her mother. Since then, the scared child lost all desire to see her father. Nataliya knows that he has been married at least twice and has had relations with many other women out of wedlock. She may have some siblings, but does not have any information about them. Her mother – Halyna - is 44 years old, and suffers from serious mental disorders. Nataliya and her grandmother – Halyna’s mother – have suffered from Halyna’s antics and strange behaviour over the years. The burden of caring for Nataliya fell on the elderly woman’s shoulders. The girl says her granny is the dearest person in her life, and fears the day when she will no longer be there (the elderly woman is 81 years old). Halyna does not work and gets a child benefit as a single mother, which is roughly $23 (USD) a month. The grandmother’s meager pension is $85 (USD) a month, and this combined income is what they lived off of, in a shabby, 2-room home. For this reason, Nataliya was sent to a boarding home instead of attending regular secondary school. That way, they didn’t have to pay for books, stationery, etc. Moreover the girl would get three meals a day and could stay in the day care group after classes. At school, especially in the primary grades, Nataliya was constantly bullied by her classmates, because she was so poor and dressed badly. One of the worst memories from her childhood came out of her love for animals, and wanting to have some kind of pet, but her mother would not allow this. So she often played with street animals on her way home from school. Unfortunately, she contracted a very bad case of lice from some kittens, which resulted in a hospital stay that lasted a month. They cut her hair close to the skin and applied smelly ointment on her body. The worst thing about that was for the next 4 years, her mother kept her head shaved, and she had to wear a headscarf on her head at school. In high school, the girl dreamed about going to college or university. She believed that having a higher education would give her a good chance to get out of the poverty her family lives in. Nataliya wanted to become a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, as these were her favorite subjects. However, the competition for that specialty was too high and the girl’s score was not good enough; still, she scored high in another field, and is now a student of Rivne University of Economics and Humanities, where she is studying for primary and preschool education. Nataliya began her studies this past September, and in 4 years she will get a bachelor’s degree in pedagogy and a primary school teacher’s diploma. The difficulty for the girl at the moment is to get accustomed to a new system as studying at the university differs much from her boarding home. She has only been through a couple months of classes so far, but in general she is enjoying the challenge. Nataliya lives in the university dormitory, which costs $20 (USD) monthly, and shares a room with two other girls. She doesnt yet feel comfortable being absolutely alone in a strange and unfamiliar town, but is sure that she will be able to eventually adjust to this new reality. Neither her granny nor her mother have cell phones, and as she cant afford to go home for visits, she is not able to keep in touch with them. Of course, the girl worries about how they are doing. She hopes, in time, to find a job and to work several hours after classes in order to have some money to provide for herself and to be able to go home more often. The girl cannot imagine what she would have been doing if she hadnt been supported by the Mission. When she tries to express her gratitude, her eyes fill with tears of appreciation: “For a child like me, it is a very great present. I would say, it is the greatest gift ever! I would never be able to get any education without your help! You cannot imagine what it means for me, really! Thank you so, so much!” We hope that this new beginning in Nataliya’s life will become an absolutely new turn in her destiny. Go, Nataliya, and let God bless your every step. You have had enough sufferings in your childhood, and we expect that by God’s grace, you will turn from a scared little girl into a happy and successful young woman, and that our Scholarships project will also become one of the reasons for that!
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:48:26 +0000
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