Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
The development of a diaconal network, working out standards of diaconal ministry (ethical norms and approaches to diaconal work), continuing education as a necessary part of diaconal ministry – these were the wishes voiced on the final day of the “Effective Action Based on Exchange and Study” seminar which was held in Dnepropetrovsk from April 28 to May 2, 2014, with the support of the International Academy of Diaconal and Social Ministry -“Interdiac.” Over 4 days participants from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Russia discussed their experience, motivation and opportunities for continued cooperative efforts, hosted by the friendly and hospitable congregation of St. Catherine in Dnepropetrovsk.
One of the participants speaks of her experiences:
Everyone is valuable
"For me this meeting was, first and foremost, an opportunity to gain new, unforgettable experience. The experience of communication, of accepting others and entering into a community where everyone is valued, an experience of sharing one's feelings with others, of questioning one's assumptions and of openness.
In order to change your life.
The green island, a small territory enclosed by a fence, a building with a separate summer kitchen, rows of vegetables... We went into the building which was separated into various rooms. Bunk beds stand so close to one another that there is basically no room left. This is the women's room. A few young women, some with children, were laying or sitting around. I am confused. I remember my visit to one homeless shelter. At the time I coordinated a project of assistance for the homeless and went to see how a sleeping place for a homeless person is organized. I remember that one of the homeless men was upset and said to me that this wasn't a zoo and we were here to stare at them; at the time, though, I was more interested in practical questions. I remembered that event, and I felt uncomfortable. We had, after all, come to the territory as if on an field trip. I was so surprised, then, when the women themselves start tells us their stories – in one sense very similar and in another very unlike one another. And then I began to understand that for them our visit was an opportunity to witness. They told us what they usually say to one another, endlessly repeating different versions of the story about how they took drugs and how their life was ruined and how then they came to the rehab center, began to believe, and God healed them.
To pacify and to subdue
The orphanage for handicapped children was typical, like many in our country, too. Adults, concerned about practical matters – sterile, empty bedrooms, clean sheets... yet, at the same time, kids with various diagnoses all together in one, rather crowded game room. We went in to that room and one after another the children began to press against one or another of us. They wanted to touch our bags, our cloths, to ask that we pick them up in our arms. Some in our group, overwhelmed by emotions - left the room. It really was difficult. Someone began to put puzzles together with kids. I went up to a girl who was sitting quietly on the floor. “She doesn't speak,” one of the helpers of the center warned. But that doesn't mean, does it, that I can't speak with her? It doesn't prohibit me from putting blocks on top of one another with her, does it? To put it briefly during this short visit the staff tried to pacify the kids, to block them from contact with the guests, to subdue them. And I understood that once again that the children are prisoners not as much of their illnesses as of the systems into which they've been placed. Autistic children together with Down's Syndrome kids and kids with other issues, more difficult for me as an amateur to diagnosis. They're in a tight space with helpers who do not know and don't want to known their diagnosis, even though this information is simply essential for rehabilitation. So what can we say about dignity? About participation in decision making?
Pluses and minuses, risks and opportunities
Having returned to the church, we began to think about the pluses and minuses of each of these social projects. The orphanage is located in a rural area – this is a plus and a minus. The rural lifestyle offers the opportunity not only to get fresh groceries, but also to find work for those children and adults who live here, but the orphanage is a long ways from the city and this makes it hard for volunteers to get there. If volunteers are organized for the orphanage, then it is important to guarantee some stable contact (the same people over a long period of time) and an individual approach to each child.
Many of those living in the rehab center go there as if to a monastery; they majority of them are not
ready and do not plan to go out to live independently. That is, even when they are living beyond the walls of the rehab center, the ties with the center are very strong, control over their life continues. In the end they exchange one addiction for another, though this new addiction, at least, does not destroy their body. They really do stop using drugs.
Their “method” made a big impression on me – I don't think it is possible to get well that way – no personal space, not for one minute is a person left alone. There is almost no physical activity, only constant conversation. The opportunities are few but there is missionary activity. Such a form of rehabilitation doesn't fit everyone, but one of its pluses is its accessibility.
So, for each of these projects there are limitations but there are also resources. One of the main conclusions of the seminar was as follows – it is necessary to notice the resources that are nearby. Sometimes simple things can bring not only joy, but also income. But even those resources which don't seem to be profit-making can be useful for the organization of social projects. And openness, experience, values, unity, diversity, rethinking, hope bring one to a new vision which helps us develop ourselves and develop diaconal activity in the church.
The development of a diaconal network, working out standards of diaconal ministry (ethical norms and approaches to diaconal work), continuing education as a necessary part of diaconal ministry – these were the wishes voiced on the final day of the “Effective Action Based on Exchange and Study” seminar which was held in Dnepropetrovsk from April 28 to May 2, 2014, with the support of the International Academy of Diaconal and Social Ministry -“Interdiac.” Over 4 days participants from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Russia discussed their experience, motivation and opportunities for continued cooperative efforts, hosted by the friendly and hospitable congregation of St. Catherine in Dnepropetrovsk.
One of the participants speaks of her experiences:
Everyone is valuable
"For me this meeting was, first and foremost, an opportunity to gain new, unforgettable experience. The experience of communication, of accepting others and entering into a community where everyone is valued, an experience of sharing one's feelings with others, of questioning one's assumptions and of openness.
All of us participants were very different from one another. We arrived from various countries; we had different personalities, education and life experience; we have various responsibilities – from coordinating fellowship between congregations and ministries to financial work to work with children with special needs, and we were from various churches. This is what made our group so lively and fruitful. When everyone in the team is valuable, when there is a sense of mutual understanding and unity, the opportunity arises for cooperation and understanding the values of others beyond the group. When you yourself are valuable, every other person in need becomes valuable for you, too, whether he is a former addict, a child with Down's syndrome, a staff member at an orphanage.... During this 4-day visit in Dnepropetrovsk we visited two social projects -an orphanage for children with disabilities and a rehabilitation center for former drug users organized by one of the charismatic churches. The seminar's organizers suggested that we pay attention to the question of who works in the centers, whether or not there are volunteers, how the project engages the target group in planning and in making decisions, how the project protects human dignity and justice, how space for an alternative decisions and points of view is made. These are good questions which are useful to ask yourself as you analyze any social projects.
In order to change your life.
The green island, a small territory enclosed by a fence, a building with a separate summer kitchen, rows of vegetables... We went into the building which was separated into various rooms. Bunk beds stand so close to one another that there is basically no room left. This is the women's room. A few young women, some with children, were laying or sitting around. I am confused. I remember my visit to one homeless shelter. At the time I coordinated a project of assistance for the homeless and went to see how a sleeping place for a homeless person is organized. I remember that one of the homeless men was upset and said to me that this wasn't a zoo and we were here to stare at them; at the time, though, I was more interested in practical questions. I remembered that event, and I felt uncomfortable. We had, after all, come to the territory as if on an field trip. I was so surprised, then, when the women themselves start tells us their stories – in one sense very similar and in another very unlike one another. And then I began to understand that for them our visit was an opportunity to witness. They told us what they usually say to one another, endlessly repeating different versions of the story about how they took drugs and how their life was ruined and how then they came to the rehab center, began to believe, and God healed them.
To pacify and to subdue
The orphanage for handicapped children was typical, like many in our country, too. Adults, concerned about practical matters – sterile, empty bedrooms, clean sheets... yet, at the same time, kids with various diagnoses all together in one, rather crowded game room. We went in to that room and one after another the children began to press against one or another of us. They wanted to touch our bags, our cloths, to ask that we pick them up in our arms. Some in our group, overwhelmed by emotions - left the room. It really was difficult. Someone began to put puzzles together with kids. I went up to a girl who was sitting quietly on the floor. “She doesn't speak,” one of the helpers of the center warned. But that doesn't mean, does it, that I can't speak with her? It doesn't prohibit me from putting blocks on top of one another with her, does it? To put it briefly during this short visit the staff tried to pacify the kids, to block them from contact with the guests, to subdue them. And I understood that once again that the children are prisoners not as much of their illnesses as of the systems into which they've been placed. Autistic children together with Down's Syndrome kids and kids with other issues, more difficult for me as an amateur to diagnosis. They're in a tight space with helpers who do not know and don't want to known their diagnosis, even though this information is simply essential for rehabilitation. So what can we say about dignity? About participation in decision making?
Pluses and minuses, risks and opportunities
Having returned to the church, we began to think about the pluses and minuses of each of these social projects. The orphanage is located in a rural area – this is a plus and a minus. The rural lifestyle offers the opportunity not only to get fresh groceries, but also to find work for those children and adults who live here, but the orphanage is a long ways from the city and this makes it hard for volunteers to get there. If volunteers are organized for the orphanage, then it is important to guarantee some stable contact (the same people over a long period of time) and an individual approach to each child.
Many of those living in the rehab center go there as if to a monastery; they majority of them are not
ready and do not plan to go out to live independently. That is, even when they are living beyond the walls of the rehab center, the ties with the center are very strong, control over their life continues. In the end they exchange one addiction for another, though this new addiction, at least, does not destroy their body. They really do stop using drugs.
So, for each of these projects there are limitations but there are also resources. One of the main conclusions of the seminar was as follows – it is necessary to notice the resources that are nearby. Sometimes simple things can bring not only joy, but also income. But even those resources which don't seem to be profit-making can be useful for the organization of social projects. And openness, experience, values, unity, diversity, rethinking, hope bring one to a new vision which helps us develop ourselves and develop diaconal activity in the church.
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