NOTICE: The Safonovo Project was discontinued in October 2004.

What is Safonovo Boarding School?

The Safonovo Boarding School is a large orphanage in the Smolensk region of Russia that cares for 266 children between the ages of 3 and 18. Due to difficult social-economic times, the Russian government turned the complex into an agricultural boarding school. The idea was to teach children farming skills, while allowing them to grow enough food to support themselves, with enough left over to sell a small amount. This concept is much different than the normal orphanage where children are institutionalized and lack the life skills necessary to survive once they “age-out.”

The school is a large complex which covers more than 300 hectares (740+ acres), with 100 pigs and 30 cattle. They have 29km (18 miles) of networked water, heat and sewage systems. They have a four story educational building with sewing, metal-turning and joiner’s shops. They have a mechanics shop where they are taught how to repair automobiles. They have a heated greenhouse to start their own plants, and a mechanized laundry and a dining area that seats 350 people. See Project Galleries to view pictures of the school and the children.

Why This Project Was Important

1. It changes the FUTURE of the children by providing them with vocational training which will enable them to get a job in the future. We can help provide these kids hope for a brighter future.
    
2. Their budget has been cut back again and again. Now they are just EEKING out an existence. The director, Olga, agonized about closing the farm because they did not have the money needed for food and fertilizer (actually, they have the money budgeted, but they were forced to use it to replace everything that is falling apart!). Yet $12,000 provides 324,000 meals a year (at 4 cents a meal!). I was so impressed at the meals they were eating and the health of the children.
    
3. The Ministry of Education for ALL of Russia is looking at Safonovo as a MODEL for the rest of Russia. As we helped them succeed, they will help other regions develop the same type of schools. They know how critical it is to break the cycle that orphans find themselves in: abuse, neglect, abandonment, institutionalization, malnourishment, under-development, social stigma, no life skills, aged-out on to the street with no family to protect them, only crime to support themselves, illegitimate children and dysfunctional families. And then their kids wind up trapped in the same orphanage system.

What Christian World Has Done

In October 2003, Christian World hired an educated, honorable and proven servant, Viktor Shibaev, as project manager who will report to us. His salary was $400 a month plus travel expenses. We completed a needs and risk analysis of the project. We identified specific areas of need and ways to help. We developed an initial budget.

Christian World Foundation initially sent $15,000 to start covering several needs: new commercial kitchen equipment to streamline meal preparation; educational materials for agricultural, computer and mechanical training; cloth for 360 sets of sheets, pillow cases and blankets the girls will sew; video camera and travel expenses for Viktor; internet service; teacher’s salaries for English training and translation work; sewing machines and much, much more. Lastly, we have created a promotional video to provide you with a personal look at the school, the needs, and—above all—the children.

Thanks to many who prayed and your compassionate response to the needs these kids face. This was one of the greatest fund raising projects CWA/CWF ever tackled.

Blessings,

Tomilee Harding