Scott Collins is blogging about his experiences in Russia as part of the 2008 ‘Shoes for Orphan Souls’ mission trip. This is Scott’s first trip to Russia with Buckner since 1999. He is vice president of External Affairs.ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – One works for the multi-national company DeLoitte and Touche. Another is training for the 2012 Olympics and the third is looking to launch his career in filmmaking.
All three are orphans and all three readily admit they have Buckner to thank for where they are today.
Yana KarpovichShe is 23 and graduated with honors from her university last summer after she and her younger brother spent five years living with a Buckner foster care family.
Yana is shy, but her shyness belies a determination that is evident when you talk to her. Ask about her dreams and she will tell you in very specific terms what she wanted.
First, she wanted to enter the university and study international management. Once in the university, she wanted to “graduate well.” And having accomplished her first two dreams, her third was to find a job that would allow her opportunities for advancement.
And while Yana knows what she wants, she also knows what she doesn’t want. She doesn’t want to repeat the lives her parents lived. Her mother died when Yana was just 15 and her father was nowhere in sight.
She knows the Buckner foster care program gave her brother and her each a chance; a chance they are both making the most of. Her brother in the university now studying to be a counselor so he help kids who are going through traumas he knows all too well.
And that’s Yana’s next dream – for her brother to graduate well and get a good job.
For children who are where she once was, Yana offers this: “Never give up and never lose faith in people. Don’t be angry and set high goals. And don’t stop.”
Ekaterina BankerovaShe is 19 and has been an orphan since she was 3. Ekaterina spent 13 years in two different orphanages and eventually ended up in a Buckner program at Orphanage No. 9 under the watchful eye of Anatoly Ulyanov.
It was when she was connected with No. 9 that her teachers and caregivers realized that Ekaterina was an athlete.
“I had a dream as a child, but I thought it was impossible for me to accomplish it,” she said.
That dream was to ride a bicycle on a world-class level. When she was 15, she started competing and winning. She was invited to the All-Russia Championship and won the bronze medal for her age group.
Buckner helped get her moved to Orphanage No. 9 and has provided scholarships for her, enabling her to continue her training uninterrupted.
“I could not have made it without Buckner,” she said.
When she is riding her bicycle, Ekaterina said it’s important to “clear your mind and go for the finish and avoid any distractions.”
Her daily regiment of training includes riding between 70 and 120 kilometers a day. And her competitions have taken Ekaterina all over Russia and to Italy, France and Germany.
Her advice: “Life is very long and in spite of your background, if you have a desire and goals you can succeed. You need to believe in yourself.”
Edward ZholninTo be honest, I’m not sure where to start in describing Edward. He’s 22 and I’ve never had a conversation with anyone that wore me out more than my talk with Edward.
He is the most intense young man I’ve ever met. For one thing, unlike most people who are talking through a translator, Edward looks right at you rather than at the translator.
He is an actor and his long-term goal is to become a filmmaker. But don’t think Hollywood here. Edward may well become Puskin with a film camera. Don’t ask him about his favorite film because you won’t know any of the ones he mentions. His tastes are more of the film festival variety.
Edward’s mother left him at the hospital where he was born. He has three brothers, all from different fathers.
He was placed in a babies home in Puskin just outside St. Petersburg and started performing in kindergarten. “I have always had a great love for the arts,” he said.
When he arrived at Orphanage No. 60, a teacher discovered his talents and helped nurture Edward.
“An actor must act with his heart,” Edward said. But for Edward the orphan, that hard because his heart was broken.
Like the others, Edward made his way to Orphanage No. 9 where the possibilities began to open up for him. Along with his acting, he is also a poet.
Today, Edward lives in the Buckner Transitional Home in St. Petersburg and attends the Academy of Theatrical Arts. He was one of 30 accepted in his class out of 700 applicants.
His goal is make it to the Institute of Cinematography in Moscow and become a director or producer of films. Edward is very clear about the purpose of movies. “They are not just entertainment. They are a testimony – a metaphor that really touches me.”
Reflecting on his life, Edward said his philosophy is that while there may be “a thousand unhappy days, one second of happiness makes up for a thousand bad days.”
He said he’s grateful that living in the transitional home and receiving a Buckner scholarship enable him to concentrate on his studies without working.
I walked away from my evening with these three orphans drained, but gratified knowing what we do does make a difference and I had just seen it.
Nov. 8, 2006 – The little boys surrounded Amy as she mixed oil, water, eggs and cake mix into a larger silver bowl. She didn't have a cup measurer, so she did her best to estimate the ingredients. I have never seen little boys more intrigued with chocolate cake mix in my life! I'm guessing they have never stood in the kitchen with anyone before, baking a cake or making rice krispie treats. They have never cooked with their mom or watched their grandmother makes them cookies. That's why Amy wanted to bake cupcakes with the children for Yanet's going-away party, instead of purchasing a store-bought cake. She wanted to give them some memories.
As the kids helped Amy in the kitchen – eating pizza and drinking Merinda – David and Yanet stayed together in the living room at the Baby Home. Tegist, one of the caregivers (who I think is especially close with Yanet), prepared a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony for the adults. The entire day was a celebration for the newly-joined McDurham family, and a celebration of the home where Yanet spent the first year of her life. It is more than evident that Yanet has been loved at this home. Extremely loved. Each of the caregivers had their own special relationship with this beautiful little girl.
After everyone ate cupcakes and drank coffee, David and Amy asked all the caregivers to come downstairs so they could tell them how much they meant to them. David could barely get a single sentence out before the entire room was in tears. He told them, "I am so thankful for you for loving Yanet so much." It was bitter sweet. The caregivers are so happy to see Yanet go with an American family – for her to have hope for a better future in the United States than she would ever have in Ethiopia. And yet, they are so sad to say goodbye.
I understand how they feel. I had to say goodbye to some special kids tonight. I have grown so attached to each and every child in this home, and I've only known them a week! I do not know when I will see them again, but God does. Whether it's on earth or in heaven, I know we will meet again. I pray that each child will find a family and experience the love that only a mother and father can provide. I pray that Yanet will always know how much she was loved in Ethiopia by her first family. And I pray that you, too, might experience the joy that I have experienced this week as I have watched God's perfect plan in action.
