Abby and I were talking of things we can do as a club, and one great thing we thought of would be service. So, for our first act of service, we're thinking:
Maria's Children aka Дети Мари: A Moscow-based arts studio for children in state custody
http://www.mariaschildren.ru/
-click on English to the right to translate the page-
Our
studio is a place where boys and girls from state boarding schools come
to make art. They are all very different from one another, but there is
one thing that unites them: they are children who have been unlucky in
life - from the very beginning and due to circumstances beyond their
control. They are orphans. Some of these children belong to the group
now put into the general category of “social orphans,” that is children
whose parents are in fact alive, but have relinquished their parental
rights or had them revoked. At seven years of age, children leave their
baby house to enter an orphanage school, and if they cannot read or
write - or if they speak poorly, as often happens - they are diagnosed
as “debil”. From that point, their path is set: special school,
technical high school, unskilled work, a room in a communal apartment,
and the stigma of being “underdeveloped”.
The number of orphans in Russia is currently approaching one million. 
Lacking
life experience in a normal family, and faced with modern demands of
education and psychological stability, the majority of these children
are unable to fully integrate themselves into society. Their own
children end up in baby houses, and the cycle continues.
Although
there is a lot missing from the lives of orphans living in state homes,
these children nevertheless become accustomed to state support, which
often leads them to develop a possesive approach to society. We are
trying to change this situation.
Maria's
Children uses arts therapy to help in the social, psychological and
intellectual rehabilitation of orphans and special-needs children. In
this way, we seek to enable them to become fully-valued members of
society, sharing the same rights as everyone else. We would like there
to be the greatest number possible of happy and successful people in our
society.
- Just a little from the 'about' page -
Here is the list of donations they take:
- Art materials
(paint, brushes, paper, canvases, pencils, notebooks, fabric, acrylic
paint for our wall murals, felt, supplemental tools for lessons [sewing
machines, instruments, etc.] )
- Second-hand children's clothes still in good condition, --coats, boots/shoes included! --
- DIAPERS!!! That’s one thing that’s always in short supply, also, hygienic products (detergent, soap, shampoo)
- Second-hand furniture and home appliances for graduates of the boarding schools starting independent life,
- Second-hand computers and office equipment.
Now, I'm not sure if we can get together furniture or computers to ship, but we can certainly send art supplies, clothes, and diapers!!
What do you guys think? We can set up a table at the Memorial Union taking monetary donations and supplies as well as set up a box in the CSI to accept art supplies, clothes, and diapers :)
Ok, please let me know your thoughts by commenting here, facebook, or email :)
Have a great spring break, See you all at the Inner Bean on the 29th at 8pm!
До свази!
- Клара
