Aris Bogdaneris and Herbert Stepic pay a visit
In 2013, the H. Stepic CEE Charity opened, together with the joint efforts of its long term project partners, a new Day Care Centre for the neglected street-children of Fastiv, a small town ca. 40 km from Kiev. Since the personal approach to its beneficiaries is a core value of the Charity, Herbert Stepic and Aris Bogdaneris visited the Day Care Centre “St. Martin de Porres”. Since its official opening the centre has welcomed every child who has stepped in to find not only a warm place to stay for at least a couple of days but also new friends and devoted supervisors. The centre is of crucial importance for the local infrastructure of the small town, because it takes care of the forgotten, hungry and lonesome street-children, who have no other place to seek refuge from their miserable lives on the street.
The Charity recognizes the immense importance of the project and has decided to extend its scope by financing the yearly food costs of all children and adolescents, age 3 to 18, residing at the centre. Accordingly, they will receive not only psychological guidance, medical help, warmth and care, but also sustenance for themselves. Some of these children have suffered abuse in their families and haven’t had the chance to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere at home.
Aris Bogdaneris, former member of the RBI Board, has already adopted a Charity project in Ukraine, but seeks to further deepen his help in the region especially as a result of the escalation of the current situation. Thus, he joined the Chairman of the Charity this February in Fastiv, so that they could together gather further insight into the daily lives of the residents and better acknowledge the needs of the children.
“Due to the current situation in Ukraine I was unfortunately not able to visit the “Quo Vadis” Day Care Centre in Berdyansk. I am very grateful to contribute to the Charity’s initiatives – all my encounters with children beneficiaries enrich me immensely. Their glowing eyes and wide smiles are what make it worthwhile to overcome every bureaucratic hurdle along the way. So, when I was invited to join Herbert on this visit there was really no hesitation on my side. I will continue to support the initiatives of the Charity wherever I can.”, said Bogdaneris.
It is of high priority for the H. Stepic CEE Charity to have continuous contact with both ongoing and completed projects, to ensure the long term sustainability of its causes. Bogdaneris and Stepic were joined by local board members and staff of Raiffeisenbank AVAL, who also engage in the support of the centre and all were duly welcomed by Father Michail Romaniw, director of the centre, who has been devotedly taking care of the young residents. The centre enriches the lives of the children with warmth and affection.
