Grace to Ukraine brings hope, opportunities to children in conflicted country
Ukrainians of every age piled into public spaces. Greystone resident Suzette Davie watched as they carved pieces off a toppled statue of Russian leader Vladmir Lenin and sang the national anthem every hour. She saw barricades in the streets built from rubble, old tires and whatever else they could find.
But she also watched as people calmly filed through the narrow gaps on each side to continue on their way to work, home or daily errands. It looked like chaos, but somehow the streets seemed calm.
“At the time, I would never have imagined that they were about to overthrow the government,” Davie said. “Coming back through Kiev during the protests, they were so self-governing. I’m talking about thousands of people, and there were no policemen.”
Through her nonprofit organization Grace to Ukraine, Davie has made frequent trips to Kiev. She had grown accustomed to sober streets in the capital city. In December, however, she arrived to find it in a different state. She was there to finalize her adoption of three Ukrainian orphans, but she quickly recognized the beginning of a historic moment for the country.
How it would affect her plans — and the future of her organization — remained to be seen.
Building hope
Grace to Ukraine focuses on aiding orphans in the Lugansk region near the Russian border. Between 10 and 20 children from orphanages in the area come to the Davies’ house in Greystone for a few weeks each summer.
This program, Davie said, introduces children to opportunity. In Ukraine, education and job prospects for orphans are limited, and Davie has seen many of them take dangerous work in coalmines or turn to crime or prostitution. She hopes spending time in the U.S. will encourage these children to work toward a better future.
“It opens up a new perspective on life because we try to show them that there’s hope — that they can dream of these things because they’re not bound to what their culture tells them they are,” Davie said.
The road to Grace to Ukraine started small. Davie, her husband and three biological children began volunteering at the Adullam House in Wetumpka, which cares for children with incarcerated parents. From there, they began to help with the Hands and Feet Project in Haiti and a Birmingham foundation that hosted Ukrainian orphans for a few weeks each summer. Davie found herself increasingly invested in the plight of orphans around the world.
“Once you look into their eyes and hug them, then all of a sudden you realize how important it is to care for them,” Davie said.
In 2008, the Davies adopted two Ukrainian boys, Vitalik and Eli, whom they had met through the hosting organization. The following year, they adopted Vicka from Ukraine and Jay from the Adullam House. However, the hosting foundation they had worked with closed in 2010, and the Davies began to pursue a hosting program of their own.
The organization started in the summer of 2011 with 10 children who stayed in the Davies’ home. The charity has now expanded to include a summer Bible camp, support for a special needs orphanage and multiple trips to Ukraine each year to continue providing for the orphans they host.
But those trips could now be in jeopardy.
Making history
Protests in Ukraine began in November 2013 when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych announced that he would stop attempts to strengthen economic ties with the European Union, choosing instead to form a closer bond with Russia. With their hope for alliance with Western Europe dashed, Ukrainian residents took to the streets in what is now called the Euromaidan protests.
Davie was there only a month later. Her mission was to grow her family to 10 children with the adoption of siblings Lena, Shaun and Lewis. On their way out of the country, she and the children saw the main protest camps in Maidan Square, where protesters lived in makeshift shelters made of old tarps and wood, sharing their food and keeping warm by lighting fires in metal barrels. The square would later be subject to multiple police raids and a massive fire in February.
A planned Grace to Ukraine trip in March was canceled because of the country’s unrest, and continuing violence or political uncertainty could jeopardize the hosting and summer camp programs. Additionally, further incursions by the Russian military could cut off access to Lugansk entirely. Davie’s partners in Ukraine, however, are cautiously optimistic.
“All the people I know feel like it’s positive, that the new government is going to be better,” Davie said. “If the changes they’ve made can continue in a peaceful way, then I think everybody’s hopeful.”
While they are planning for a normal summer, Davie and her partners have no choice but to wait and watch the situation play out. The next few months will be critical in their decisions on the future of Grace to Ukraine.
“We’re going forward as if we’ll still be hosting this summer,” Davie said. “Chances are, the need is only going to increase.”
Staying active
Seeing the children’s positive reaction to visitors has influenced Davie’s fundraising efforts. Rather than hosting galas or other large fundraisers, supporters of Grace to Ukraine attend local markets throughout the year, such as the Junior League Market and the Mt Laurel Market. They sell key chains, Russian nesting dolls, postcards illustrated by the orphans and other things brought back from Ukraine, but their focus is to spread awareness of Grace to Ukraine and encourage people to get involved in any way they can.
“Obviously, the money is important to do what we do, but we want people involved,” Davie said. “If you come, the children will be blessed, but then you will be blessed. You will leave with a different perspective.”
For more on Grace to Ukraine and to learn how to support the organization, visit gracetoukraine.net.