The People Behind Interlink - Olya Cherevko

Posted by Olya Cherevko, Youth Impact Manager.

I work at Interlink as the Youth Impact Manager. However, I stared with Interlink as a receptionist in 2002 after finishing college with an undergraduate degree in English/Russian Translation. I always wanted to be a translator and from time to time I was asked to translate for orphanage delegations.

Soon I realized that translating at an orphanage is not like translating anywhere else. Seeing the children’s hopeless but smiling faces made me realize how deprived these children are of love, parents, and family. And I had all of that but these children didn't and that made me appreciate what I had even more. I enjoyed spending time with children and it was the older kids that I had a stronger connection with. I was especially touched by a story of one of the girls from Ulan orphanage who told me that she had no idea what would happen to her after she left the orphanage. I wanted to help her but did not know how and this is what was in my heart even after the delegation left. I could not help but think about the graduates.

I knew that I needed professional training to be able to help these graduates. In Kazakhstan there was no program that could give me that training. I found out about social work programs in the United States and knew it would be ideal training for my work with youth. I applied in 2004 and received a full scholarship to study at Columbia University in New York City and obtained a Master’s degree in Social Work specializing in youth.

After two years, I returned back to Taraz and re-joined Interlink and started the Youth Impact program. This program teaches youth that have graduated from orphanages basic life and employment skills. It is such a joy to work with youth and invest in their lives and see them learning and maturing with each day.