In Fastiv, a small town in the region of Kiev, the number of children living on the streets is rising continuously. 20 per cent of the homeless children are under seven years. The children are either orphans or also victims of physical and/or mental abuse, which forced them to escape home and seek food in dumpsters and shelter in abandoned buildings. Being aware of these horrible conditions, Father Michael Romanov, a Dominican, opened a day care centre for street children in 2005 with the capacity to take care of 20 children per day. Within time, this proved to be insufficient for the needs of the town and a second centre had to be built.
The H. Stepic CEE Charity, The Dominican Order, Caritas Spes, kleine herzen and ASAMER Holding united their efforts and financed the building of a new day care centre.
On 3. October Herbert Stepic together with his project partners opened the gates of “St. Martin de Porres” – the new day care centre with a capacity to accomodate more than 100 children from one to 15 years of age. Since then the street children of Fastiv, as well as the ones coming from socially deprived circumstances have a secure shelter, where their hygienic needs can be met. Furthermore, all children are provided with a daily substantial healthy meal. The stay at the centre aims at helping the children to overcome traumas from living on the street. Above that educational programs on personal hygiene and medical care are offered; after-school tutoring is available too.
Ultimately, the project seeks to reunite the children with their families and successfully integrate them into society.
