Fun with the high school delegation

Posted by Vicki Charboneau, Kids Connection

At the end of July a delegation of high school students came to Kazakhstan from Indiana. During their time here they did many things including visiting the children of Ulan at their summer camp. To say the children were excited to see the team arrive is an understatement. They literally were bouncing with joy. The delegation was only there for several hours but in that time they went swimming, colored with the children, and had a carnival.

In America youth today are at times portrayed as selfish and destructive, but I watched a group of teenagers reach out with open hearts and kindness to the orphans who were so eager to touch and see a "real" American teenager. Each one of the youth who made up the team and the young adult leaders gave 120% of themselves to the children. They hiked down to the river and spent about an hour swimming and splashing with the kids. As they walked back up the hill they were walking hand in hand. Big smiles were on everyone's faces and the chatter of excited children filled the air like music.

The carnival was a huge hit with the kids also. There were games at seven different stations, from face painting to ring toss with small prizes or candy received by each child. Even the caretakers joined in after watching the kids have so much fun. When it was time to leave no one wanted the day to end.

Each one of the youth from America were shining examples of the good that is still in our youth today. They each gave of their time and energy to come halfway around the world to give a little happiness to children they didn't even know. We thank the high school delegation for touching the hearts of the many youth that you met while here in Kazakhstan.

Youth Delegation Update

Posted by Zach Matchett, delegate

Note:  The youth delegation, consisting of 8 high school students and two leaders, arrived in Kazakhstan today.  They will be working with several different groups of youth as they learn more about the Kazakh culture.

Hello all!  Our Kazakhstan team has made it safely to Taraz.  Everyone seems to be in good spirits after long flights/layovers on the way here, getting through customs in Almaty, and a rather “eventful” and exciting bus ride here with our first exposure to the first typical bathroom J  Naturally, we are all tired but now we are at our host home for the evening getting a shower (woo hoo!) and getting ready to go to dinner at Café Istanbul and spending some time at the Square (central part of town where many Kazakhs like to hang out).  We are hoping to make it to 10:00 before going to sleep, but we’ll see how that goes for all of us…ha ha!

Our time in Amsterdam was good and the weather was perfect for some sightseeing and our canal tour of the city.  However, the tour was so relaxing and so “informative,” Lauren and Rachel saw it as a prime opportunity for a nap.  Cheater cheater, pumpkin eaters!!  I can’t blame them…we have tried to grab our rest when we can while still trying to overcome our jet lag by staying up to get used to the new time zone.  Overall, we did get some sleep on the flights (while not an ideal amount) and made them go a little bit quicker.  Now that we are here, in spite of our drowsiness, we are so excited to be here and to get started!

First impression of Kazakhstan, you ask…I’ll be honest, it was just about what I expected: plenty of European cars, suspect bathrooms, and new foods to try.  I am excited to see how plans unfold and the Kazakhs we interact with.  Beth Turnock, the director of Interlink here in Kaz, briefed us on how to stay away from some cultural faux pas.

If you’ve been worried if we made it here or not, we are all safe and well. Tomorrow we will leave for three days at the Vanofka orphanage.  Expect more updates as our trip unfolds.  

Savva Delegation Update

Posted by Victoria Charbonneau

The American delegation arrived Tuesday after an exhausting two days of travel, but all were in good spirits.  The team of 15 people is made up of folks from Oregon, Indiana and Virginia.  Most of the team members have traveled numerous times to do English Camp for local orphanages but 3 team members are here to experience it for the first time.  It is always fun to see Kazakhstan through their eyes.  

After lunch and orientation each team member went to spend the night with a host family.  This is how to really experience life in Kazakhstan.   There is always an English speaker in each of the host homes and if it is an American's first trip they are paired with another American.  Kazakh's open their home and show hospitality unlike you ever experience in America.  It is humbling to see how they value relationships and genuinely want to get to know the American who is staying in their home.  

Wednesday morning all of the Americans arrived back to the office looking refreshed and rested.  All of the supplies were loaded onto the bus that would be driving them to Savva Orphanage about 3 hours away.  This team has planned and prepared for this 9 day camp for months.  The children start looking forward to the Americans arrival the day after camp finishes the previous year.  

When I was in Texas I had the opportunity to hear from two children (ages 15 and 13 years) who participated in several of these camps.  I know sometimes people wonder what difference in a child's life a 9 or 10 day camp can have.  I got to hear first hand from these two children that were adopted two years ago.  It was a ray of sunshine coming into their lives.  Like Christmas morning with all the joy and anticipation.  They shared the hope that began to bloom in their hearts that someone cared for them and loved them.  It was hard to comprehend that strangers from so far away would come and love them, but it also touched their hearts igniting a hope that maybe they were of some value.  They shared how all the children talked about all the fun they had over and over and over again.  

Sometimes I think these short term trips are just as much for the Americans who come as they are for the children.  To get out of your comfort zone, experience something so different, and become like a little child again totally dependent on others for all of your basic needs opens your heart to learn more about what is really real.  

The Americans are now in their 3rd day of camp and we will post more pictures and adventures from their time there soon. 

Time with Savva youth

Posted by Olya Cherevko, Youth Impact Manager

Once a month we go to Savva orphanage to meet with the graduates and talk about something that may help them after they leave the orphanage. Last month we talked about good manners, listening skills, bullying, and how to deal with boredom and loneliness.

This month we held a seminar about trust with graduates. We asked Tursynai, one of the orphanage graduates, to help conduct the seminar. We started with trust building activities and had a discussion. Some kids overcame their fear and showed trust, others found this more challenging- explaining that it depended on a person and situation.

Tursynay led another activity that required team work. It was a very difficult activity since it required organization, leadership and energy. One team won because they were well organized and some were really ambitious who helped those who were tired and together they reached their goal.

This activity helped youth realize that a person sometimes is not able to reach the goal alone, it requires a team effort of people who can help and support. Tursynay also shared about her life when she left the orphanage and the difficulties she went through and how she overcame them. She told about her strong and weak points, failures and successes in her study and life. She explained that anyone can reach their goal with or without parents if they work hard and believe it is possible. One child asked Tursynay, “How did you stay strong going through all the difficulties?” Tursynay replied, “What kept me from giving up is God and my persistence.”

Veterans’ Day

Posted by Olya Cherevko, Youth Impact Manager

In Kazakhstan, May 9^th is Victory Day of the Great Patriotic War (war fought by the Soviet Union as part of World War II).

To honor the veterans of that war Interlink staff and some orphanage graduates who participate in Youth Impact program visited 14 veterans and brought them food packages.

It was a touching moment to see youth presenting gifts, saying good wishes with love and respect to veterans. One of the veterans, an old lady, met us with tears in her eyes. When we asked her why she was crying she said that she had fallen recently. It grieved her that she was so old and weak and could not do many things any longer. It hurt to see her crying. One of the girls began crying too. All the girls surrounded her with their hugs just to share her sadness. The old lady hugged them and didn’t want them to leave.

Another veteran showed us his portrait where he was young. What surprised us was that he was still active and cheerful. He was so hospitable and wanted us to take a photo with us.

Container Work Day

Posted by Bethany Planton, Kids Connection Stateside Coordinator

On Saturday, May 2, we had a packing day for the shipping container (more info).  Approximately 25 people came to help us organize and pack the donated items. It was a HUGE success! Thank you to all the volunteers that gave of your time and helped us. We could not have done it without you.

Some of the wonderful people who helped:

Everyone working:




Trailer with all the packed boxes:

If you would like more information about this project and how you can help, please email Bethany.

Men’s Day in Kazakhstan

Posted by Ken

One of the nice things about Kazakhstan is they celebrate Men’s Day. Not “Fathers Day” which only applies to dads.

Because there are so many orphans we support we can not do a lot in the way of gifting but try to get them something they’ll all enjoy. So this year we decided to get sunglasses. This is an adventure in and of itself as purchasing 230 sunglasses can be challenging, however Kiikzhan and I found a vendor who gave us really good prices.

The guys loved the sunglasses and had fun choosing a size that fit them. They wore them instantly, even in the evenings while in doors. They are also kind enough to lend them to the girls to wear for a time. The picture of young children are from Saramoldaeva and the older children are from the Savva orphanage in Merke.

Friday we will treat the Saramoldaeva guys to a dinner and a movie. Since we only sponsor 3 groups at Saramoldaeva we like to do something a little special with them.

Thanks again for all your support. Even a small gift like sunglasses bring a little joy in the lives of our children here and they greatly appreciate it.