'The Way Home' Homeless People Rehabilitation and Social Adaptation Centre

 

	The entrance to ‘The Way Home'
	This is the main building. The dormitory for the children is situated on the top floor. Access is via the staircase to the right.

‘The Way Home' has been established in Odessa since 1997 and is directed towards giving assistance to the many homeless people and street children of Odessa City .

There is great weight placed on the ownership of correct paperwork (the internal passport and the tax I.D.) in Ukraine society. Without these documents it is impossible to obtain anything from the state. Street children and the homeless invariable have no paperwork. Any attempt to better themselves is therefore made impossible.

The Way Home' provides a refuge for street children whilst efforts are made to obtain paperwork by the Centre's staff on their behalf. This can take a considerable time. Children are transferred to the care of the orphanages where possible, creating a new ‘live-in' vacancy for another street child.

The new building is a recreation area for street kids. There are also classrooms where lectures are given on various subjects including drug abuse, STD's and HIV. This training is absolutely essential in helping to reduce the spread of AIDS.

The 25 beds provided by the refuge are clearly quite insufficient for the needs of the street children. Surprisingly it can take effort to persuade many of the children to give up their lives on the street. Many are used to a life of drugs and no responsibility and would prefer to stay as they are. Children are not held at the centre and can leave at any time.

The above is only a short appraisal of the excellent and important work carried out by the volunteers at ‘The Way Home'. For more information about ‘The Way Home' please check out their web site.

This young boy has just received his HIV test result carried out at the Way Home. Unfortunately it is positive.

These boys are sleeping in a sewer. This is their home.

This young boy is a resident of the streets. There are thousands more just like him. Children are the flower of a nation. Unless we act now to help children like these a significant part of the Ukraine garden will wither and die. Help us now.

This young boy has just injected himself with a home-made concoction of drugs. When you are hungry and have no hope this gives relief from a life of purgatory on the streets.

	This is the catering equipment currently at ‘The Way Home'. Food for the children (and those who call in at the centre on a casual basis) has to be brought in from outside suppliers.
	It is hoped that this building can be converted into a kitchen and dining area but is in poor condition and needs complete refurbishment. The wall heaters no longer work making the room impossible to use during the winter months.

It is hoped that this room will one day be converted into a dining area. The run down condition of the building is clear to see.

This building will need to be demolished to make way for the construction of a new two storey premises. The top floor will be used to house a further 24 street children. The lower floor will be used for vocational training. The cost for construction of this new building has been estimated at only $30,000 ( US ). The cost of fitting out will be in addition. Although this facility is desperately needed there is no funding to promote this project at the present time.