Laptops by the first of September for the large Zaretskyi family
On the eve of the Day of Knowledge, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation employees visited a family based care home in Zaporizhzhia, where a large and friendly Zaretskyi family lives. They arrived not empty-handed: the children were given laptops, necessary for their study. The Foundation has been helping this extraordinary family for years now, maintaining a warm and friendly relationships with the Zaretskyis. Assistance is provided on the basis of "Say No to Orphanhood!" program, which has already been implemented for 9 years, giving thousands of children the opportunity to find a family and the love of their loved ones.
Just before the outbreak of hostilities, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation got a house for the Zaretskyis, which was located in the direct neighbourhood with the infamous Donetsk airport. For obvious reasons, the family had to be urgently evacuated. First the Zaretskyis was placed on the island of Khortytsia, where they spent the summer of 2014, and soon the family decided to stay in Zaporizhzhia. In that difficult time, the Foundation provided all the necessary support. The city authorities furnished the Zaretskyis with the part of a former kindergarten building, where they still live.
Oleksii and Valeriia Zaretskyi bring up ten children, eight of whom are adopted. They love their children and do their best for them.
"It is important that children live not in an orphanage, but in a family. At first, we had a small family, but eventually we grew into a family based care home, - says the head of the family Oleksii Zaretskyi. - 10 children are being brought up in our family. The youngest daughter is 8 years old. Just a month before the outbreak of hostilities, we adopted two sisters. The fate was hard on them – they have lost their mother."
The children who have seen the horror of the war begin to get used to a peaceful life, little by little they forget the terrible pictures of the past and are preparing for the beginning of the new academic year, additionally studying foreign languages.
"We already have two university students and a high school student. We are constantly in need of a computer to perform various training assignments and writing essays. We are grateful to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for the laptops, it will be much easier for us to study now," says 17-year-old Yelena, a foster-child of the Zaretskyis.
"The program of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation "Say No to Orphanhood!" has turned 9 years old this year. Throughout this time, we have done everything possible so that as many children as possible could find a family and the love of their loved ones. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has helped 8,755 children to find new parents," Oleksandr Vyshniakov, director of the Humanitarian Centre, pointed out.
