The boarding school, originally designed for 300 children, has now only 81 students aged 6 through 18. This is due to the fact that in 2006, after several reforms, only orphans and children deprived of parental care could reside in the school. Prior to 2006, children from large and poor families could also reside there.

 

"Because of low enrollment in the school, 1st and 3rd graders have individual training sessions. High school students are in different situation, 10-11 graders attend Perechyn School in the city. We believe it helps children to socialize. More than 60% of the students of our boarding school are Roma children. It should be noted that the situation with the adoption of children has a positive dynamics. In 2015, 12 children were adopted by families from the US, Canada, Spain, Italy, and Sweden. And only one Ukrainian family took advantage of this right," noted the school's director Vasyl Koba.

 

The school's staff memebers pay much attention to motivation of children. The institution developed its own method called "Jerry." This is a kind of bonus money that anyone can "earn" for good behaviour, active participation in extracurricular activities, or creative achievements. Children shared that there is nothing worse than losing Jerry-money. Therefore, students work hard to eventually use these bonuses to buy clothes, sweets, and more.

 

Monitors noted that children were open for communication, telling eagerly about their achievements and dreams.

 

"Students are dressed neatly and accordingly to the season. All rooms are cosy, clean, and filled with toys. Bedding is changed twice a week. Each student is allocated over UAH 50 for meals, which is higher than in other institutions of this type. In addition to 12 beds, a room has its own dining and lounge zones," said the Ombudsperson's regional coordinator in Zakarpattia Oleh Hryhoriev.

 

The school's staff members prepare their students for adulthood: "Many of our students graduate from universities and work in the specialty. A pleasant fact is that our graduates work as our nurses, gym instructors, educators, and even as a head of a drama group," said Vasyl Koba.

 

Monitors found out that philanthropists from the Netherlands together with the school's employees built a dormitory that accommodates 15 people. Here children master their skills required to live independently. Thanks to donations, 6 houses and 13 flats have been bought and serve as homes for the school's graduates.

 

The boarding school has an 'Against AIDS' group. According to Oleh Hryhoriev, prevention is a great way to ward off any negative phenomena. The boarding school's sex education course, offered in the framework of the group, is an example for other educational institutions.

 

The event was held with the support of the Democratization, Human Rights and Civil Society Development Programme, implemented by UNDP Ukraine and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.