Twelve Years to the Portal No to Orphanhood!: Happiness of Finding a Family

In December, the portal No to Orphanhood! marks its 12 years. It became part of the large-scale and unique same-name program of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.

‘Rinat Akhmetov for Children. No to Orphanhood! is a leader in the field of charitable programs that changed the attitude in society to the topic of child adoption, which contributed to an increase in the number of orphans placed in family-based forms of upbringing. The program and the portal have become leaders in national child adoption. Over the years of their work, their main idea remains unaltered – to help children find family happiness. They have become that invisible bridge that helps children and parents find each other,’ said Iryna Blazhan, Project and Program Chief Director of the Foundation.

The Foundation contributed to the establishment of 41 family-type orphanages, which took over 400 children across the country under their care. Thanks to the program and the portal Rinat Akhmetov for Children. No to Orphanhood! more than 10,000 children from boarding schools found happiness in new families. They made the once taboo topic of orphanhood popular in Ukrainian society. The breakthrough was provided by the portal Rinat Akhmetov for Children. No to Orphanhood!,' where the organizers began to post personal profiles of boys and girls who were in dire need of parents. Now more than 4,500 photo and video profiles of children who need loving mum and dad have been published here. 

In addition, within the framework of the program and the portal, the Foundation organizes training sessions for adoptive parents, supports boarding school children, helps family-type orphanages and promotes family-based forms of children’s upbringing in society. The Foundation’s specialists professionally help to cope with the challenges that arise during the adaptation period, both for “young” parents and for the child, as well as help to find answers to the most important questions that arise in the upbringing process.

‘We would like to express our gratitude to our teachers – the Foundation, its trainers and everyone involved in the “mystery of child adoption”. Please accept our deep gratitude for your invaluable work, thanks to which thousands of children and parents find each other and become truly happy! We wish you all health, happiness, strength, energy and success in your great cause, and let the happy smiles and eyes of children and their parents inspire you and bring you joy!’ shared their impressions adoptive parents Olha and Mykola Konoval from Kyiv, who are the participants of the Foundation’s training.

Trainer and psychologist Lyubov Loriashvili has been cooperating with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for more than 11 years. According to her, the portal became a real breakthrough in its time.

‘Back then there was still no idea in society that adopting a child was a common practice. On the contrary, it was taboo. A website that posted good-quality photos, indicated a region, had something written about a child, and eventually even a video... It was a revolution! At first, even I, a specialist, spent my time on the program’s website, looked through its pages and was delighted. It was a huge difference – what I saw in the personal profiles of children. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation lifted the taboo and began to show these children, and show them in a very tactful and careful way so as not to cause any harm. It resounded in a very effective way,’ says Lyubov Loriashvili. 

To date, the program and the portal of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation are second to none in Ukraine. You can also view the children’s profiles by following the link https://sirotstvy.net/ua/questionnaires-children/.