LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – With the war still raging on in Ukraine, a Lincoln nonprofit is looking to help out orphaned kids near the country’s Capital.
At a fundraiser on Friday, advocates with Child of Light said they’ve been working to build an orphanage in a rural area about 20 miles west of Kyiv.
Construction started in 2020, but was put on pause when the war started in 2021. Since then the project has slowly started up again, and right now it’s about 60% complete.
Ewon Gusanu, Child of Light’s director, said the building will house 30 orphans between three and 18 years old who are considered “unadoptable.”
That happens when a child still has living relatives but their family doesn’t take care of them or isn’t able to, leaving them either out on the street or in the state run system. Gusanu said there’s around 40,000 kids who don’t have an adoption status in Ukraine.
“These kids get pushed around into these state institutions that have really bad living conditions,” Gusanu said. “The idea is to not just provide a home for them, but to provide them a place where they can feel loved, they can be nurtured, and where they can be mentored and become successful individuals in life.”
Child of Light has raised about $55,000 in the last four months, but needs around $200,000 more to finish construction on water filtration, a septic system, fire safety and other furnishings for the building.
Once complete, Gusanu said the 3-level home will be about 8,000 square feet with 10 bedrooms and an outdoor playground. There’s also a public school nearby that the kids can go to.
Gusanu adds that once construction is finished, the nonprofits will need around 300 people who can regularly donate $25 a month to fund operating expenses.
Gusanu is hoping those donors can be Ukrainians who will potentially visit the kids and provide mentorship, but said U.S. donors would also be welcome to visit the orphanage as well.
“We’re investing in these children’s lives, making a difference,” Gusanu said. “Teach them the right things, the right values in life. This is not just a home, not just a building. This is a place where kids will find meaning, and this will give them a meaningful life.”
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