A Home for Abandoned and Orphaned Children in Kazakhstan

In the town of Kapshagay, 60 or more children have found a new home in a center run by Catholic nuns. These are children who have no families of their own. All of them have experienced trauma and suffering at a very early age. For some, their mother died, or left with another man and abandoned them, while the father is often an alcoholic or works on a construction site, far from home, and no longer cares about his children. For others, the parents themselves are living on the streets as alcoholics or drug addicts, or else they are in prison.

In 2001, in order to help children like these, an Italian priest set up a Catholic center in Kapshagay. He built a church on the outskirts of this city of 57,000 people and managed to purchase a couple of houses. This is where the Sisters have come to live, taking in children facing all kinds of difficult circumstances. Gradually a Catholic community built up around the center. The number of people from the city now attending Mass is growing steadily.

Here at the center the children are able to experience a sense of loving care and security, often for the first time in their lives, within the framework of an ordered life, like in a real family. They play, learn and pray together, and from time to time are taken on nice outings. The center is close to a lake, and so these little ones are able to experience the beauty of nature practically outside of their own front door. This is a precious experience for children who have often know little else but poverty and disorder in their lives.

Many of these Sisters’ former charges have now themselves grown up and founded their own families. They continue to remain close to the center and the Catholic community here and themselves do what they can to help.

Now the Sisters have been able to open another house, and three more Sisters have come to join the community in Kapshagay and help care for the children there. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to give them $18,600 to buy furniture and electrical goods for the new house.

Now the Sisters have written to us, saying “We are most grateful for your help. We are making every effort to do everything possible for these children and young people.”

“May the Lord bless you and grant you His peace and joy!”

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Code: 351-05-19