Yegor (March 2007)
Our History
The beginning of this home started in the heart of Lena Pardue. Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, she was very familiar with the orphan situation: how they were treated and what kind of future lay ahead. The heart’s desire became a reality after she and her husband Ralph saw a street child hit by a car. The driver paid a little money to the police and just drove off as if he had hit someone’s dog. They purchased a home in Sokuluk and began receiving children. In 2006 Ralph met two other Americans, Allen and his wife Cheryl, who took over the orphanage in 2007. With God’s help they were able to buy the property a few doors down from the existing home. On this new property, again with God’s help, they were able to build a facility that would house 12 girls and a night staff, as well as have a wonderful kitchen and a family\dining room.
What We Do
Tolik (LT) taking a leap of Faith
August 2007
The Friend of Children Orphanage operates like a family. Simply providing children with food and shelter is not enough. Children need love, attention, spiritual guidance, encouragement, and support to start their journey in this life. We plan activities and do our best to give these children, who already have plenty of bad memories, a fun-filled childhood that they can remember their entire lives.
Beyond fun and games, the children need a good education to increase their chances in this competitive life that we live. We recently moved the children out of the public schools, into a private school to provide them with a better education. The private school costs us around $650 a year per child. If you’d like to help with the tuition of a child, click here.
Most orphanages in Kyrgyzstan only allow children to stay until they are 17 years old, after that they are given around $80 and told to start their lives on their own. Without family or relatives to support them or provide them with work, most of these teens end up in a life of crime or prostitution. (Statistics shows that this is about 85%) In our home after a child finishes high school, we help them enroll in a college or we help them find work, get established, and help them move out when they are ready. As long as a child is studying or working, we allow them to stay in our home, just like a family would. If a child does not want to study or work after finishing high school, they are not permitted to stay and bum off of the family/orphanage.
Our Goals
Every child deserves a family with a mother and a father.
“Humans rely heavily on learning for child development. Because we are not born knowing how to behave in society, we have to learn many of the behaviors from the environment around us. For most of us, this learning starts with the family at home.”
People learn values and skills as children while in a family. Our goal for the orphanage is not only to provide shelter, clothing, and food; but to provide the children with a home. A home consisting of parents that love and comfort the children, and teach values and living skills. We believe that these children need to grow in knowledge so they will not be dependent on governmental programs, and the best way to accomplish this independence is through education. We want the children to finish the 11th grade, and to have the opportunity {not required} for further education either through a vocational school or through a university. The children need a father or mother that they can go to for comfort and advice. Childhood is a great time in life and our goal is that we can provide a joyful childhood. We take the children to play parks, on picnics, camping, and bicycling. We schedule game times and craft times, as well as quiet time.