MOSCOW

VALENTINA ROTENKO Mother of the shelter home

The new kids of the Moscow home:
We don't have to be afraid any more!

In our Moscow shelter home, where Valentina and Sasha Rotenko are the parents, there are over 20 children. Some have lived there for several years. The smallest ones are the children of the parents who are in the rehabilitation. We have been able to take in 6-9 new children, who come from the streets or are abandoned, like little Nikolai, who is one of the most recent newcomers in the home:

Nikita, the little boy who doesn't speak In April, the government officials came to our door with a blond, scared little boy. We had been asked to take in the 3-year-old Nikita. The child couldn't speak. He was afraid of all adults and ran to hide. It is no wonder that he is afraid after all that he had had to experience in his young life. He is a fatherless boy, whose mother is a prostitute. According to the neighbors, the child had to spend much of the time alone from early on.

When he learned to walk, his mother tied him to bed when she went out – sometimes for days at a time. The neighbors heard the child cry and tried to help him. As the unbearable situation continued, they called the police who then brought the child to us.

After having spent some time with us, he started to trust our staff. He understands speech, although he himself doesn't speak.

Nikita has learned to clean up the toys and collect the bowls after the meal. When we go outside, he knows to hand the right pair of shoes to everybody! He is our favorite!

Zlata – in a safe environment for the first time Zlata, 14, came to our home before Christmas. Her story is that of a typical street child: Alcohol broke her home, the new stepfather was violent. Losing the apartment sent Zlata and her mother to the streets. They stayed at the railway and metro stations. That is where our street patrol found the girl. Zlata is well-behaved girl and eager to learn. She is open among the other children, but she was afraid of the grown-ups at first.

During these months, Zlata has changed a lot, her health has improved, and we get to hear her laughter more and more often. She has perhaps experienced for the first time, what it feels like to live without fear.

Translated by Jari Vesterinen, Jamtrex Language Services