Meet Alina!

This is Alina! We met her on our most recent trip to Ukraine. Our good friend Anya introduced us to a ministry for Orphans that is wide open and that we had not even considered before.

Alina is 19 and pregnant. I'm ashamed to admit, when Anya first introduced us, in my mind i judged Alina. I thought, "you did this", "you made a decision to have sex and now you want someone to bail you out". After about 5 minutes with her I started to feel how scared she was. As i heard her story i began to understand that many people let her down along the way and that she made decisions with what little knowledge about life that she had. By the end of our first meeting my heart was absolutely breaking for this scared little girl.

When Alina was about 11 her mother died. Because there was no one who could care for them, her and her brother were sent to an orphanage. Alina's brother is still in the orphanage.

Before Alina became pregnant she was given a room in the dorm at her trade school. She can not have or raise a baby in a dorm. When her mother passed away there was a flat that was left to Alina and her brother. The neighbors noticed over time that the place was vacant. First they broke in and helped themselves to everything! Later, they found it a good place to discard all of their junk.

Alina saved for 6 months to buy new windows and a front door for the place. But time is running out. Alina is due in September and we'd like to be able to have her flat finished so she can bring her baby home to thier own home. Alina would also like to bring her brother home from the orphanage. If not permanently, at least during vacation times.

The living room.

The bedroom. Alina put that wallpaper up with a little money she saved.

The new front door that she saved for.

The shower stall.

The toilet stall.

Alina, Alexi and Anya. Alina looks so worried in this picture.

When i asked Alina how much it will cost to get her flat ready to live in she said she figured it would cost her about $3000. That would include putting down flooring, wall papering and furniture. I did notice that she didn't figure in a stove, refrigrator or kitchen sink. And i'm sure there is plumbing work to be done. I sent a plumber to her flat the other day to give an estimate, but i haven't received a report back yet. I think Alina is being humble in her estimate.

In all, i think we need to raise $4000 to have her flat ready for September. Sometimes orphans need just a little help up to be able to make it through life. Will you help Alina?