Following her experience of adopting a young Russian child in 1998, Dublin woman Debbie Deegan was so moved by the bleak conditions that she founded the charity ‘To Russia With Love.’ Since then the charity has enabled thousands of Russia’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable children to become equal members of society.
A huge amount of work has been carried out with the support of the Irish public over 17 years in Russia and the children have benefited from not only improved living conditions, healthcare and education, but they have also been given the opportunity to forge a future that breaks negative cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse.
Debbie said: “The majority of our children come from backgrounds stricken by poverty, addiction and abuse. What we do in Russia is just as important in 2015 as it was in 1998 when we first visited there. We place the principal of our work before the politics because our love for the beautiful and precious children who have nobody is far greater than any obstacles we face. Thousands of children who needed us have passed through our doors, and sadly there are thousands who have yet to enter.”
Misha Serdyukov, one of ‘To Russia With Love’s’ greatest success stories has shared his experience with the charity. His story starts in an orphanage in The Hortolova Orphange in Bryansk, Western Russia:
“I remember so well the day that Debbie arrived. Her arrival made that an unusual day, it became colourful because we usually didn’t get visits. At that time in Hortolova there was no good food given to us and we were always hungry. So we crowded around Debbie trying to take the sweets she brought with her.
That was our first real meeting. I understand now more than ever what she saw – the way we looked, the way we were, what she thought when she saw us and the way we lived. She knew it needed to be changed and from that moment on, she began to do everything she could.
To Russia With Love started to rebuild the orphanage and it became unrecognisable. First the canteen, which was a terrible place. It looked and felt like a prison. When the work was completed the canteen became bigger, more colourful, more interesting to be in. There was even a special room where we could celebrate birthdays. Before To Russia With Love, we never had birthdays.
During that first year, I remember a big truck came to the orphanage with clothes, toys, books and games. Debbie found us sponsor families in Ireland who would send us letters, cards, gifts and photos. For all the kids like me who never met their families it was so good to know there was somebody, somewhere who thought about us. The idea that somebody wants to make you happy, to let you have something normal children living with a family have, but you don’t, is a wonderful feeling..
Once everything was rebuilt in the orphanage, Debbie turned her attention to education. Debbie organised for me to attend a new school where only the cleverest children succeeded in getting in and staying there. To Russia With Love bought me a suit and the first six months there were hard. But the teachers began to believe that I could do it, and slowly, I did too. To Russia With Love helped me a lot, with copybooks, clothes, sports gear and my confidence! There was always someone from TRWL to check on me, talk to me, help in any way they could.
I finished school with the highest possible score. I went to Bryansk State Technical University where I studied maths and computing. This is the flagship course of the university and I was immensely proud of myself, that I did it. I was proud of the people who cared about me, that made me happy. I know that if I had of stayed in the orphanage school, this would not have happened.
TRWL helped me find a place to live, an apartment in a lady’s house who would cook one meal a day for me. Practise for living on my own. After that, I moved some of the other leavers from Hortolova who were going to university and technical college. We were all back together again, helping each other, working out how to do things, how to get used to our new world.
Once a week someone from TRWL came to visit us, to see how were getting on, what we needed. They helped us constantly. We knew there were people to support us and help us and that was a very good feeling. There are so many orphans, after they leave the institutions where they have brought up who live in a very bad way.
After five years I finished university. Most of the time I worked as well as studied and at one job waiting tables, I met a girl who I now married to. I have my own family now with my wife, and together we will make our own lives work.”
Misha now works as a successful translator for a private business client in Russia.
Misha said: “The good things that have happened for me, they are not just because of me – it was the support from Debbie and the Irish carers who came and gave us hope.”
If you’re interested in taking a life-changing trip to Russia with ‘To Russia With Love’, email [email protected] for more information or visit the charity’s Facebook page.
