Left, 12-year-old Valya and her younger sister, 10-year-oldLuba, both from the Ukraine through the Frontier Horizons organization are hosted by a local family. The sisters enjoy Maplewood Camp in Easton.
Hopping into a car for a trip to the grocery store or Target may not be an exciting experience for most Americans, but for Luba, 12, and Valya, 10, it is a magical time that reveals bounties only dreamed about.
The sisters have lived in an orphanage in Ukraine for two years where their caregivers do the best they can with extremely limited resources.
Robin and Dave Howard of Norton brought the girls to the United States for a five-week visit through a non-profit hosting program called Frontier Horizons.
While the $4,000 price tag to sponsor the girls may seem high, Robin said it was worth it if only to give the girls an idea that there is something better to aim for when they are turned out of the orphanage when they turn 16.
Robin said the statistics for orphans leaving orphanages at sixteen reflect suicides, prostitution, and drinking problems.
Since the girls came with just the clothes on their backs, Robin said they have had shopping trips to buy summer clothes and shoes. They have spent two weeks at Maplewood Country Day Camp in Easton where they love to play basketball and learn gymnastics. Swimming in the Howard’s pool is also a favorite activity.
“They have been so unafraid and have wanted to experience everything,” Robin said.
One new experience is the quantity and variety of food the girls can sample and ice cream is at the top of their favorite list.
“They’ve gained seven pounds each. Their eyes are glowing. Their hair is shiny. You can tell it’s all from the nutrition,” Robin said.
The girls seem to be having the time of their lives, according to Robin, who said they communicate through the 300-400 Russian words she knows and friends who speak the language.
Two favorite words are “la machina” and “la magazina” which mean car and store. They have not really grasped the concept of working hard for money and choosing only one or two things but would prefer to put a whole shelf of items into the cart.
This is the third year the Howards have brought children to the United States. The first two visits through an organization called Bridge of Hope ended in failed international adoption attempts for the couple but Robin said they are hopeful that they may be able to adopt Luba and Valya.
“We get very little information about the children,” Robin said. “We think the girls are available but we’re not sure. We went into this just hosting.”
From what Robin has been able to gather the girls were with their parents until two years ago when their mother died from cancer.
The father is an alcoholic and was abusive towards the mother. Their maternal grandmother cared for them for a bit but could not keep it up and their father is now married to another woman.
The visits are always fun but when it is time for the children to return home it is bittersweet for the Howards.
“As hard as it is for my husband and I, we’re still living in the lap of luxury. These poor children,” Robin said.
She said they might be able to bring the girls back for three weeks at Christmas or possibly from June through August next summer.
“We found the experience to be just wonderful,” Robin said. “If you can afford it, it’s so worth it.”
Paula Vogler can be reached at 508-967-3510 or by email at writedesk84@comcast.net.
Copyright 2011 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
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