THE GIRLS OF “THE HATCH”

An underground heating chamber, called “Hatch” by the street children, is the sleeping place for many of them. “Dirty, sick, and hungry children gather in the nights around the warm pipe”, says our street patrol worker Maria Popova. “They start sniffing glue from little plastic bags, and soon the glue brings them a feeling of warmth and takes away the hunger. This is their only relief.”

Street children in the "hatch". Natasha on the right.

The Hatch served as a shelter also for three 13-year-old friends Katya, Natasha and Masha. Slava Vashenko and Maria Popova from the street patrol tell us how the girls found their way out of a situation that usually has no exit.

A door opens at the dead end

by Slava Vashenko

The events that led to a change in Katya’s and Natasha’s life began at New Year. Our son Dennis was just blowing at the seven candles on his birthday cake when the phone rang. It was the police. “We have arrested 14 children who gave your phone number.” I left rigth away for the railway station where the police released the children to me.

In this group were also Katya and Natasha. Having run away from their alcoholic families, the girls had joined the children of the hatch one month earlier.

It was clear that the girls would soon face the dangers of the street. We took them to our day center and had a serious discussion about street life. Katya came to live with my family for a couple of days. After only a couple of weeks on the street, she was in a terrible condition, filthy and had lice. We convinced her that in spite of all family difficulties, home would be a better place for her than the street.

Katya and Natasha with street patrol worker Marina

Katya returned home, but soon we again found her, Natasha and six other children in the Hatch intoxicated by glue... The street had once again shown to be more attractive than a home without food and care.

I took the girls to live with my family until a solution would be found. To our joy Logos International was able to house them in their shelter home. The girls are now well and their life is becoming normal.

A prayer at the police station

By Maria Popova

Masha, a teenager frustrated by her family’s alcoholism and other problems, ran to the streets. She collected bottles and begged and began to sniff glue.

One day last summer Masha, shy and in shabby clothes, appeared at our day center’s door with other children. Since then she came to our club every time, and always before the others in order to be able to talk with “uncle Slava”.

Masha returned home for some time, but when winter came she began to sleap in the Hatch. She wanted to help the new girls, Natasha and Katya, and to find glue for all the children of the Hatch. — for her new family.

However, the girl wondering on the streets soon was caught by the police. Masha was terrified when she found herself in jail and saw how roughly the dirty, drunken people were treated. “Will they beat me, too?” Masha began to pray for help as she had been taught at the day center. In the morning she was released and only got a small slap.

Shocked by the jail experience, Masha returned home. Her mother rebuked her badly when removing lice from her long hair, but compared to the police that was nothing. Masha returned to school and the day center where everybody had missed her. Something was happening in her life, it could be seen even from her singing. When Masha heard the testimonies of her age mates at the church youth meetings, she , too, wanted to give her life to Jesus.

Masha now assists us at the day center and prays for us — and we couldn’t hope for a better reward for our work than prayers of a child who has been saved from the streets!