House of Joy in Kahovka, Ukraine

In the fall of 2004 officials from the city of Kahovka, Ukraine contacted us requesting help establishing an orphanage in their city. None existed. After prayer we felt we were to take this project on. House of Joy in Kahovka opened September 2005. What a wonderful experience it is proving to be!

This photo reveals the building we renovated and new soccer field we built. The government has asked that this orphanage be a regional orphanage serving an entire oblast (state), not just one city. The former head of the Kahovka Department of Education, Lubov Terentievna, is our director. This project has opened doors of opportunity in Kahovka and the surrounding area.

House of Joy exists to give these children hope and a bright future. (Jer. 29:11) Today, House of Joy is a home filled with 50 beautiful and happy children. They are cared for by a loving staff of 32 dedicated people.

Did You Know? Over 100,000 children are orphaned in Ukraine. If you would like to donate toward this project you may do so at the online donation page

Other Statistics

•The older an orphan gets, the chances of his/her adoption drastically decrease.
•According to surveys, 75% of children living in orphanages would like to live in families.
•Historically, orphans have left the orphanages lacking basic life skills such as cooking and shopping, and most of these youth have no one to turn to for help. In 2011 we launched our Transition Homes project. This program involves buying apartments for the kids to live in after trade school while they are learning to live on their own.
•In Soviet times, about 10% will commit suicide after leaving the orphanage, before their eighteenth birthday.
•In Soviet times 60% of the girls end up in prostitution, and 70% of the boys in crime. Only 27% of these youth will find work.

Click here to learn how you can assist us in reaching out to these children