People and Destinies: Orphan Share, or the World is not Without Good People

Yana, an orphan from birth, had many collectives to replace her family. Her mother left her in the maternity home. She lived in the Grodno orphanage until she was 4 years old. Then 13 years she was in the Porech boarding school, two more years  in the Volkovysk orphanage and two years in the Grodno vocational college of consumer services. She studied the technology of shoe making. Now her family are specialists and visitors of the day care department of the UTSSON  Warm House.

According to Inna Rautenko, the head of the center's department, Yana graduated from college this year. She comes from the Smorgon district and after her studies she returned to her small motherland. The social service from Grodno brought the girl to the Warm House. The staff of the department of social adaptation and rehabilitation assigned her to a ‘crisis’ room, where Yana lived for two weeks. After that she spent a month in Lyloyty, in a branch of the UTSSON Warm House. After that she came to Smorgon, to the department of day care for people with disabilities.

‘We took a closer look at Yana and decided that the young, active, open-minded girl, despite her second group of disability, could live independently,’ says Inna Rautenko. – ‘Moreover, she has her own place to live. Three years ago being an orphan the state gave her a one-room studio apartment in Smorgon in a new ten-story building in Gagarin Street.’

‘ My parents are not alive. My father died four years ago and my mother  burned in a fire a long time ago,’ the girl specifies. ‘ I know that my elder sister lives in Minsk and my another elder siblings live in Smorgon. I do not know yet where my younger brother is. I don't keep in touch with any of my relatives, but I really want to meet, to communicate...

 I'm glad I have many friends in Smorgon. And everyone supports me so much!’

‘ We helped Yana buy everything she needed. She had money on the card as she got a good allowance to improve her living conditions. The apartment has been renovated and an electric stove installed. Yana has new furniture: a bed, a wardrobe, a dining area, a dresser. Everything for a kitchen will soon be brought. Only a microwave, a large sofa and a refrigerator  have been in use. Nevertheless they are in good condition. It remains to buy a TV and a washing machine, ’says Inna Yurievna.

Yana names Zhenya Shmatin as one of her main helpers. He is a day care specialist at the Warm House UTSSON and the chairman of the Life Without Borders NGO for people with disabilities. Despite the fact that the guy moves around in a wheelchair Zhenya helps others to overcome life's obstacles. Like no one else he knows what the Helping Hand means.

For several evenings in a row Zhenya together with his father, nephew and visitors from the department ( young men with disabilities)  assembled furniture in Yana's apartment. The guys also hung lamps. At the time of our arrival they were fixing roller blinds on the windows. 

And the women ( the beautiful half of the day care center for people with disabilities) conduct cooking master classes for Yana. Few of the orphans can boast that they know how to cook. Yana recalls that even in college she cooked everything ready-made, and in the evenings when she wanted something homemade she chewed instant pasta( so called Rollton). In Smorgon she learned how to cook meatballs, pasta and dumplings. She treated all of us with coffee which she also made herself. The girl has already learned the first rule of hospitality. ‘I don't know how to make pancakes like Inna Yurievna does. She’s made such pancakes! I'll learn too. And tomorrow (Saturday - auth.) Katya will come and we'll try to make semolina’, - the girl smiles.

Inna Rautenko said: ‘We do not leave her even for a weekend. We take turns coming, and this time Ekaterina Horuzhik is going to visit her’.

I invited Yana and her friends to take a photo. A beautiful large sofa barely put everyone on. ‘ I'm the hostess!’ the girl says with pride. Everyone smiles in response.

Yana's life is now just beginning. She knows that for sure.

Galina ANTONOVA.

Photo by the author.

Yana's apartment with such a balcony.

Yana OKUSHKO (fourth from left) and her support group.