My week in Cherkassy

I just finished my week in Ukraine, and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. So much that I plan on coming back for 5 weeks when I am done school this year. I had been looking forward to volunteering in Ukraine for a while now and my coordinator was very fast at answering any questions I had at least two months prior to my arrival. My week was very organized, I got to do so much for the time I had, see children from different orphanages, visit the area, enjoy plenty of the local food and plan activities for the children. Another aspect of this trip is that, other than my love for Ukraine as a country and its beautiful culture, I was amazed by the children's view of happiness and their profound respect for one another. They were caring, grateful, protective, always smiling and very loving. All they wanted was to play and enjoy their afternoons together. It was so precious and simple. I also got to teach English and, my Ukrainian/Russian grammar being far from perfect, my coordinator Alex acted as a translator and everyone was very helpful and understanding when he was not around. As there were different types of orphanages, children differed on mental levels or physical illnesses, but I could never tell, because you'd be surprised how much children can communicate simply with a smile or a laugh ! It is the most rewarding feeling. All together it was a truly touching experience and I plan on keeping in touch, sending toys, crafts and pictures during the year (they promised to show me pictures of their art) and am very excited to make new memories with them in 10 short months !!!

Karine Wlasichuk, Montreal, Canada
Autumn, 2015