Subject: Ecologia Trust and Kitezh Children's Community in Russia
[email protected]
Date: Mon Aug 16 1999 - 18:38:29 EDT
ECOLOGIA TRUST promotes and fosters the process of creative change in
Russia in the fields of Sustainable Community Development , Youth Welfare
and Ecological Education.
Since 1993 Ecologia Trust has devoted most of its time and energy to
supporting Kitezh Children's Community. We have had over 10 years of
extensive experience, working in Russia in Ecological Education and
Business Development. We are staffed and equipped to understand and work
with the psychological, social and economic conditions which prevail in
Russia, and have been intimately involved in the growth of Kitezh since its
inception - developing a good, solid partnership based on mutual trust. As
a result of our excellent track record, we have also developed a
far-ranging network of volunteer supporters and others with wide skills and
experience who give their time and energy to Kitezh, including the Child
Protection Studies Centre at Leicester University.
KITEZH is a revolutionary eco-village community, providing a unique form of
family-based care for homeless and orphaned children in Russia. Here they
find a positive experience of family life which enables them to recover
from the trauma of earlier years to become open, loving, valuable and
contributing members of society. With the right kind of support, Kitezh is
becoming a real and inspiring alternative model to the present state-run
child-care institutions.
Despite harsh economic conditions, in 6 years this dedicated group has
built a thriving eco-village community in Kaluga Region, 300km south of
Moscow. On 90 hectares of land are 10 houses , a school, a church and an
organic farm. There are 20 permanent resident adults, who care for 30
children as foster parents and teachers. Their goal is to provide for 50
families with 200 children - with the long-term intention to create 50
Kitezh villages elsewhere in Russia.
Main activities centre on the children's education, psychological and
physical well-being. They are taught life-skills as well as academic
subjects. All work with computers, with their local financial system, on
the farm and on building projects. The school is officially recognised by
the state up to Class 8 (16 years old).
Each summer Kitezh hosts children from local orphanages. An advanced
course for talented young scientists from all over the CIS is run at Kitezh
by one of the Trustees, a professor from Moscow State University.
Visitors are welcome at any time, to add their energy to the building of
Kitezh. There is plenty of work to be done - building, gardening, cooking,
teaching English. Several young people from Britain and the USA are
spending their vacations there this summer as part of the community,
teaching English to the children. This Spring Kitezh hosted a group of 10
American students from Concordia University, Wisconsin, which was a great
experience for everyone... If you'd like to visit, please get in touch
with us.
Families who wish to live in Kitezh have a 6 month probationary period
there, after which all members of the Partnership of Foster Families must
agree by consensus that they can join. Only after that may they adopt
children - so ensuring security and stability.
Children are referred to Kitezh by the local authority, either from
orphanages or temporary shelters. They then live with a family for 2-6
weeks. Each child has the right to choose to live there - and to choose
their own adoptive parents.
It is the responsibility of the Kitezh Management Council to find the funds
for their basic needs, including food, clothing, etc. They should receive a
basic monthly stipend equivalent to $40 US for each child and $20 US for
each qualified teacher from the state - but actual payment is very erratic.
They produce much of their own food, and raise funds in cash and kind
within a wide circle of supporters from Moscow and other parts of Russia,
covering the balance of what is needed to sustain them - a shortfall of
some $10,000 per year.
Our function is to support this developing community, enabling them to
become self-sufficient by providing skilled training for adoption officers,
foster parents, social workers and accountants. We co-ordinate and provide
funding to facilitate these developments, bring in volunteers to help with
training and building work, provide expertise in Eco-Village development
and Community building techniques........ and to do all this we need help!
Ecologia Trust
The Park, Forres
Moray IV36 3TZ Scotland
tel/Fax: +44-(0)1309-690995
Reply To: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/ecoliza
*********************
Ecologia Trust is a Scottish Charity reg.no SC023976 working with Russian
NGOs in youth, ecology and education since 1988
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