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Visiting children deprived of parents’ care is always uneasy at first, for you worry if you are doing anything wrong, afraid to hurt their feelings that have already been hurt enough. And when the child is somehow “special” for either physical or psychic disability, the visitors worry even more. The worries, however, must not deprive those children of care and attention!

Sure of that, volunteers from Kharkiv Islamic Cultural Centre “Al-Manar” visited the Zeleny Gay Boarding School for orphans and children left without parental support, with mental health problems, and also for such children from poor families who are on rehabilitation.

Several buildings are situated in the campus, for both little children and teenagers. The houseparent was happy to see the guests and took them through a short excursion through the campus. The pupils  are involved in modeling, shop-floor cutting, embroidery and sewing and many other activities (their works were on display), and often became prize-winners of different contests.

And finally, the long-awaited encounter with the junior kids, who worried as well as the volunteers. The little ones, however, had a lot of determination, so they introduced themselves and their friends, and were proud to show their handcrafted items they made for the 8 of March. The volunteers, on their part, eagerly gave them their care and attention, as well as small presents, which included fruit, colouring books, colour pencils and albums.

Unfortunately, the guests couldn’t see everyone, as the nap time is observed carefully. However, not the volunteers feel more responsible for those kids, for they have the natural need for affection and attention and all those elementary things we don’t even notice we have in our everyday life. The houseparent thanked the guests and asked them to come again.