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Christiana ShubinProfessor Mark SchwartzPrinciples of writing IIResearch Paper Draft #73 April 2007Orphans in Ukraine“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father isthis: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (James 1:27 NKJV). Today in Ukraine, there are currently over 120,000children living in orphanages with at least another 100,000 instate care, such as semi-orphanages and other forms of care(Operation Ukraine). That is approximately five percent of the population. In addition, in Ukraine and Russia combined, thereare over four million homeless and orphaned children living onthe streets (Ukrainian Orphanages). As orphans pass through thesystem, living conditions deteriorate and life becomes morehopeless for them, being forced out of the orphanages sometimesas young as the age of fourteen, with a majority of them turningto crime, prostitution, or suicide (“Orphan Statistics”). Aswell, hope for the children who are homeless without any care or
 
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adult guidance is even more grim. As I was researching what topic I was going to use for my paper, I found this story online of an eleven-year-old orphangirl from Ukraine. The girl’s name is Kristina, and she islooking at a brighter future, a future set apart from mostorphans her age, and a future that she only could have imagined;that is, before the Landrum’s, her American family, came into herlife.Leslie Landrum, who started a website called Kristina’sHope, and her family are currently raising money in hopes of soon bringing Kristina home to them. On the website, I found thisstory which I believe illustrates the problem that orphans inUkraine are facing, as well as the sense of hope that can befound when one person reaches out to help.There is such an overwhelming need in our worldthat it’s often difficult to know how to help. We arereminded of the Starfish Story as we reflect on oursense of helplessness. A couple was walking on the beach, on a beautifulcloudless day when they came upon a stretch of beach
 
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that was littered with literally thousands of starfishthat had washed up on the beach during a storm thenight before. They couldn't believe how many were lyinghelplessly on the beach starting to dry out and die inthe sun. As they walked, they ran into a little boy whowas picking up starfish, one by one, and tossing them  back into the ocean. They stopped and asked him what hewas doing. "Rescuing starfish," he replied. "There arethousands of them," they said, "you can't possibly savethem all. You’re not going to make any difference."Undaunted, he picked up another starfish and tossed itinto the ocean. "I made a difference to that one," hesaid
 
(Landrum).There is a growing problem that orphans in Ukraine arefacing. As part of the body of Christ, we have a mandate to dosomething about these problems happening around the world. Wehave a responsibility to take care of those who cannot take careof themselves, those who are the least of these, and those whohave been orphaned. This is made clear in the book of James whenit says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God…is to visit
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Doug Grimsted

Awesome paper! Used this for research on my Ukraine paper! Thanks for the help! :)

reply04 / 17 / 2012
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