2015/2016

E-mail: grasufonds@gmail.com www.grasufonds.lv

T h e C h i l d r e n ’ s V i l l a g e o f G r a š i n e w s – 2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6

www.grasilatvija.blogspot.com

2015/2016

THE CHILDREN’SVILLAGE OF GRAŠI

The children’s village of Graši turns

Warsaw

Vilnius

Minsk

Riga

Graši

Stockholmm

Copenhagen

Tallinn

Berlin

Lithuania

Latvia

Germany Poland

Denmark

Sweden

Estonia

Belarus

Russia

Foundation

Grašu pilsCesvaine LV-4871Latvia

grasufonds@gmail.comwww.grasufonds.lv

To provide good living conditions for children left without the care of their parents with good living conditions, and to ensure that teenagers and young adults acquire life skills and a way of earning their own living.

Christophe Alexandre, ChairmanAija Balode, Member of the BoardRihards Rasnacis, Member of the

of the Board

Editorial StaffEditor: Sandra StadeText: Sandra Stade,

Photographs: © Bénédicte Ghion, Sandra Stade, Cathy EtchemendyTranslation: Astra IkšePrinted by SIA Erante

Foundation „

The home of The Children's Village of Graši is in the heart of Vidzeme in the municipality of Cesvaine. We are happy that over a period of 20 years we have been able to restore the Graši Manor House and surrounding park, giving the children the opportunity to grow up in a beautiful and well-kept environment.

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READ ABOUT US

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GET IN TOUCHSandra Stade, DirectorTelephone: +371 6 485 2702 or +371 2 941 1312Email: grasufonds@gmail.com

Our website: www.grasufonds.lvOur blogs: www.grasilatvia.blogspot.lvwww.grasilatvija.blogspot.lv

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The Children’s Village of Graši is celebrating its twentieth anniversary. Over a hundred children from all over Latvia have lived here for longer or shorter periods of time. We are now in a position to evaluate the effects of our work. Generally, we try to focus on the positive results and tell our readers about those young people who have already achieved something in their lives. It’s important to do this in order to dispel the popular belief that growing up in an orphanage does not prepare a person for living independently. Unfortunately, it has not always been possible to help every child, and not everyone has made use of the opportunities given. One young man recently lost his apartment and is now living on the street, while another has been unable to resist alcohol. Someone else, now in jail, is in regular contact with our founder, Christophe. At their last meeting he asked, “You and Sandra did so much for me, but now I am in jail. Hasn’t that taken away all your hope?” To which he received

the reply that, “Yes, of course it is very diffi cult, but life is not over, and I know that you can change many things and that you will achieve something once you are free again.” We have to believe in these young people, because if we don’t, then who will?

This has been a year of change. For the fi rst time we have fi ve children going to school outside of Cesvaine, which means they are at home only for the weekends. They have to learn to be independent, plan their money matters, and get used to a new place as well as cook for themselves. On the whole they get on well with their new responsibilities, are happy in their new schools and with their choice of profession.

Another change – the sounds of eight preschool-aged children now fi ll our houses. Some are still adapting to preschool. When they get home in the afternoon, activities have already been planned for them, and we read books together and help them learn Latvian. The smaller children

look forward to the weekends, because they get to go to the farm and visit the sheep and Gretta, the goat. But most of all, these children want love. Even the more reserved ones soon ask to be picked up and cuddled.

We have fi rmly resolved to build the fourth house next year. The concrete foundations are already in place. At the moment we are looking at estimates, and plan to begin the second phase of building in the spring, with the goal of having it ready by the autumn so we can take in eight more small children in time for the beginning of the school year. We are hoping for enough support to come through so we can complete this project.

Many thanks to all those who have faithfully supported us!

Sandra StadeDirector

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NATA (27)

Can you tell us how you came to the Children's Village of Gra-ši, how old you were and whe-ther you understood why that happened? I came to Graši frome the Riga or-phanage “Pļavinieki”. That was in 1995, when I turned 7. I came in a small bus, together with two other girls – Liene and Sintija. My fi rst feeling was: “Now I have come to a big house!” I felt very small and I remember lifting my head to look at it. We were welcomed with hot chocolate and biscuits, but at fi rst

STORIES

I didn't know why. It was easy to get used to living there, because I loved being near nature, and I wanted to play with other children. It was harder to listen to the educa-tors, and to learn to read and write. I didn't particularly like sports, or weeding the garden. I spent 11 years at Graši.What opportunities did you have at the Children's Village, which your biological family could not have given? Did you discover any special talents or abilities?There was a friendly atmosphere in Graši – we shared everything. The

children I grew up with in Graši are now my closest friends. We are like brothers and sisters, and we stay in touch and meet each other. Of course there were times when we had arguments, because we are so different and have our own person-alities. We learned to ride a bicy-cle, we went on a pilgrimmage to Aglona, we prayed, we went swim-ming, sang, celebrated. We had the chance to learn French, and we spent our summers with our French families. That meant that we found out that the world is large and di-verse – Latvia is not the whole world. I really liked drawing, and when I was younger I also liked

EDGARS (24)On a peace mission in Bangui, Central African RepublicEdgars spent fourteen years at Graši, and joined the Latvian National Armed Forces in 2012. He went to the capital of the Central African Republic in 2014 as part of a peace mission. Since there were not many Latvian soldiers fl uent in French, Edgars was never short of work.What was the peace mission like?There were thirty-fi ve of us Latvi-ans and we were in Bangui for fi ve months. Thirteen units from other countries were there too, and we were the smallest. I spent more time with the French, Swedish and Spanish soldiers. We were sent to various parts of Bangui.What was your task?We had to do everything possible to prevent confl icts among the in-habitants, we did patrols. In poor countries there are often various inside confl icts and support is need-ed from foreign military personnel to provide for basic human needs (such as access to water, shelter

and health care) as well as peace-keeping.What were your responsibilities in the Latvian unit?I was sent as a driver, but since I speak French well, I soon started being an interpreter so that our per-sonnel could communicate with the higher command. That took up a lot of time and was very tiring at fi rst.What was the most diffi cult

thing during the mission?I wasn’t used to the climate in Ban-gui. It’s very humid and the day-time temperature is over 40 degrees and even at night it stays at about 25 degrees. The possibility of get-ting malaria from mosquitos was more frightening than the political situation.How did the local inhabitants react to your presence?They were very positive. One Af-rican mother came to hug me to thank us for being there. The peo-ple are very sociable, they gesticu-late a lot and talk loudly. What would you say if you had another chance to participate in a mission?I wouldn’t think twice about accept-ing.

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I can learn various life skills

here. We are like a big family, each of has different

interests (Santa, 16)

Graši is my family

(Maksis, 10)

STORIESthey have to be given the hope that they will be able to have their own families. If the parents drink and beat their children, then it is bet-ter for the children to grow up in small, family-type orphanages or be adopted by good families.

reading and writing. Some chil-dren learned to play musical instru-ments: the fl ute, the violin, some of them sang. Others took part in handcraft competitions and knew how to make things out of wood, etc. I liked skiing, outings and the theatre.What thoughts or questions were most often in your mind? Did you look for answers, or did the answers come on their own? As time passed, did you come to understand the cur-rent situation, that you are in one place, while your family is elsewhere...I remember that I was nicknamed a chatterbox because I talked a lot and was always asking why? Those were ques-tions we asked more often during adoles-cence. Accepting the fact that your parents are dead and that you have never had the chance to get to know them is hard. It takes time to be able to forgive your parents for eve-rything that has happened. When we started school and saw that the children had a mother and a father, we understood that our situation is different. We were told simply that our parents couldn't take care of us, and that was why we were in an orphanage.Can an orphanage as an insti-tution help children? Should institutions like this exist in the future?We had good educators at the Chil-dren's Village of Graši, and they tried to teach us everything we needed to know. We were made to understand that in life you have to struggle, and can't just give up. You have to go forward with your head held high, even if you are in a diffi cult situation. I think it is im-portant to explain to children why they have to live in an orphan-age. Children need to be allowed to understand that they are loved and valued; their talents and good qualities have to be discovered, and

What did the Children's Village of Graši give you?How did the Children's Village of Graši help you?This is my ninth year of living in Paris, France. At the beginning my French host family helped me. I studied to become an assistant pre-school teacher. I got the necessary certifi cation, and now I am work-ing in my chosen profession in Par-is. Studying wasn't easy because everything was in French. When I was a teenager my French fam-ily got me involved in the scout and guide organisation. In France it's a very well-developed movement. Thanks to that, I have been in India in Mother Theresa's house, where I discovered a completely new world and culture. I've been in Senegal and Portugal with my French fam-

ily, and I've walked the Camino de Santiago [Way of St. James]. I love travelling and really value having had this opportunity. Last summer I was in Rome and the Vatican with friends. We went to Pisa, too.When I started life on my own I discovered that I didn't know how to cook. It was funny – at fi rst I burned everything. I am still learn-ing to cook. When I started to earn my own living, I spent a lot of money on clothes and other unim-portant things. Now I understand that I could have saved up and, for example, got a driving license. It took a while to understand the French. Even their sense of hu-mour is very different from ours. I have only made real friends in the last few years when we started to participate in the life of the Chris-

tian community Chemin Neuf, where there were special communal prayer weekends for young peo-ple; and this summer I took part in a festival where we did various sports.What are your wishes for Graši?Faith, Hope and Love is the

Graši motto. What I would say to the children who are at Graši now, as well as to other young people, is – Listen to the educators and other grownups. They are on your side, they want to help and support you. Spend your time with those young people who think for themselves and who believe in God. The main thing in life is not to give up, and to believe in a better life. What kind of life we choose is up to us alone. You have to have the courage to say no to whatever is bad for you. Be happy, because life is beautiful!

IN A FEW WORDSThis year one young woman

who turned 18 has started living on her own, and 4 children have found new, loving families. Thanks to the internet, we can be in touch with their new parents, and give advice from time to time, or tell about their childhood at Graši. We can keep up with the children's new lives.

There are 6 new children at Gra-ši, aged 2 to 12.

Again we have 4 children from one family, but their youngest sister will join us next spring. At the mo-ment she is still very small and ne-eds special care. Our job is to give these children back their childhood. The oldest child, even though he is only 5, has taken on the role of parent with regard to the younger ones. We try to give him a sense of security and regularly remind him that we, the adults, will take care of his younger brothers and sisters.The 3-year-old sister of the boys has serious problems with her vis-ion. She had become so accustom-ed to this situation that she no lon-ger felt it to be an obstacle. It was fantastic to be there when she got her fi rst glasses. She was amazed to rediscover the world around her.

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Children:110 children altogether of which:28 are currently living in Graši30 have left, having reached the age of 1822 have been adopted17 have returned to their own families13 have gone to foster homes or other child care centres72 children have come to us from the Riga children's authorities; 38 children have come from various municipalities in Latvia – Salaspils, Grobiņa, Olaine, Līvāni, Gulbene, Preiļi, Limbaži, Madona and Cesvaine.

Staff:Educators (9), social worker, psychologist, educators' assistants, administration (3), technical personnel (3)

Accomplished:Renovation of the Graši manor house, the fi rst home and primary school of the Children's Village – now a hotelEstablishment of 3 children's housesConstruction of a playground and skateboard rampDevelopment of a working farm with 150 sheep

Project:Construction of a fourth house in 2016

The children’s village of Graši turns 20!

I spent my childhood in Graši. This is my home, and I will always

want to come back (Vitolds, 17)

This is my home. I have the

chance to get an education (Endija, 15)

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Thanks to donations and volunte-ers, we have been able to make several home and garden improve-ments. The children’s house Ozoliņi now has a brightly painted exterior. A group of scouts from Belgium built a new bridge across the brook Lāčupīte. Both the fi rst and second storeys of the children’s house Kļa-vas have been insulated. No more

fears of being cold in the winter! Also, the installation of a fi lter sol-ved our drinking water problems. The tap water is now potable.

The angels of GIVE visited Graši

This is a very cheerful charity pro-ject! The idea is to give great bir-thday parties for children in orp-hanages. Not just a long dreamed of present, but warm words and wishes, happy thoughts and smi-les. What you give, you receive. To apply for the project, write to arta.maure@gmail.com, and become a Birthday Angel to a child or teena-ger in an orphanage!

Atis came to us in the middle of winter and started skiing on his fi rst day here. He got used to his new home and made friends very quickly. Last summer he visited his French family for the fi rst time, and when he got home he already spo-ke some French. In the autumn, Atis started attending classes with the improvisation theatre together with some of our older girls.

Tom is 5 and is always asking questions. We can't ever take a break, because he expects serious answers. He needs physiotherapy, and this work will start at the be-ginning of winter. He realises that his parents don't need him, and the main “medicine” he needs is love. Now we have to break the big bubb-le he has built up around himself to avoid the pain those closest to him have infl icted. He always cheers us up with his smile.

The skateboard ramp

At the beginning of the year the Children’s Village of Graši applied for funding for a skateboard ramp. Ziedot.lv, a charitable organisation had received a donation for social projects from Latvija’s State Fo-rests. Altogether 201 applications were received, of which 84, inclu-ding ours, were successful. As a result, a skateboard area was set up at the beginning of last sum-mer with the help of the older youngsters and some volunteers, and the new ramp arrived in ear-ly autumn. Thanks to the project, we could also buy skateboarding inventory (skateboards, BMX bi-cycles, rollerskates, helmets and protective gear).

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T h e C h i l d r e n ’ s V i l l a g e o f G r a š i n e w s – 2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6

IN A FEW WORDSSkis

Thanks to our annual supporters at SIA Grandus, we got new skis and boots in the middle of last winter. Together with our sports instructor, we went to try them out on a real ski hill. Now we just have to hope for lots of snow this winter so the fun can continue.

Picnic

Our end of summer picnic has become a tradition. This year we headed for Lubāna, looked at the church, and visited Vilnis in Vaida-vas, where we saw his idiosyncra-tic collection of rocks and mugs. Afterwards we had an outdoor ri-verbank meal of soup, and went canoeing.

Communication

We continue to post our news on our internet diary at

www.grasilatvija.blogspot.com.In the near future we will be launching our website www.grasufonds.lv in English.

SUPPORT THE CHILDREN’S VILLAGE OF GRAŠI!

You can help to organize excursions for the children.

You can give children a chance to participate in a summer camp.

You can become a host family, or a Friend of the Children's Village of Graši by visiting the children during vacations, spending time with them, and sharing your experiences.

You can share your talent in music, art, cooking, sports, dance or photography, and enrich the children's lives by teaching various skills.

You can donate equipement or money to the Children's Village.

You can become a mentor to someone who is still searching for a path to take in life.

To make a donationNodibinājums “Fonds Grašu bērnu ciemats”

Registration number: 40003270213Address: Grašu pils, Cesvaines pagasts, Cesvaines novads, LV-4871, Latvia

Bank:Nordea Bank Finland PLCBIC: NDEALV2XIBAN: LV37NDEA0000080021588

“Fonds Grašu bērnu ciemats” is a registered charitable organisation.

Contact us by email: grasufonds@gmail.com

Lots of ideas and plans!

(Vitolds, 17)

Lots of patience and love to give the new

children of Graši! (Roberts, 27)

May many more children come here!

(Līga, 16)

Lots of love! (Kristīne, 28)

At Graši we can live in a warm place, and have good

food and clothing. We have the chance to go to school and nursery school

(Rūdolfs, 12)