The Volunteering Experience at Kitezh Children's Community
STRENGTH – ADVENTURE – CHANGE & SERVICE
What is Kitezh? It is a community of committed people who are foster parents, teachers, psychologist and supporting staff who fill every day with creativity, active work and scientific research. Each family is a part of a friendly teaching community who create the cultural environment which supports our education and development of children.
We live in the real world and every day we encounter difficulties from which we learn and gain more experience. We have a simple aim: to develop and raise orphaned children. We are building a society that supports their growth to be stronger and wiser and independent. For the past 18 years since the creation of the community we have been developing our traditions, our system of values, our 'way of life'.
Our life is a constant training, our work with children requires us to be aware, self controlled and professional. In our community we don't use aggression, but the wise laws of fair democracy. In an atmosphere of mutual support and cooperation we educate our children in school and out, in a holistic environment.
This environment maximizes the possibility for all of us, children and adults, to develop our talents and aptitudes. [Building, creative work, scientific work, teaching, art, theatre, sport … what ever.]
We invite you to participate in our community life and our activities and programmes. Your life experience and professional experience can contribute to our children's understanding of different ways of life and the diversity of possibilities for their own lives. We need English speakers who are ready to help our children to learn English and are willing to join in with our creative and friendly society. For you there is the chance to participate in the life of a Russian community and to embrace this opportunity for personal development though active work and interaction with the children and adults of Kitezh.
Life for each of us is a challenge, service, a process of personal development. Come and try it for yourself. Who knows what new strengths and power you will find you have? How will Kitezh change your life?
Maybe for you this new Russian culture will be an unexpected discovery; an introduction to the mysterious Russian soul. And maybe this will enable you to better understand yourself.
You will have the opportunity to communicate with small children; to have heart to heart talks with teenagers; to understand different value systems; to participate in our traditional crafts creativity, theatre, concerts art; to experience Russian food and learn how to cook it; to work in the gardens, the farm, the workshop, to build and dig. We will introduce you to our therapies and our training seminars. We invite you to contribute your own skills to our community; music, crafts, sports what ever you are into.
For volunteers used to an urban life, the rural isolation of Kitezh can be challenging, but it is spectacularly beautiful both in summer and in winter.
Reviews:
Kitezh helped me to be stronger and have belief in myself and a wish to help others.
Honesty Pern (Volunteer at Kitezh 2007 &2009)
Kitezh is a unique organization making a serious contribution to the rehabilitation of orphans. For eighteen years Kitezh has become well known throughout the whole of Russia as an example of innovation and an informal approach to the preparation of orphans for adult life.
Antonina Belkina (Minister of Family, Demography and Social Policy in Kaluga region.)
Kitezh is something I have never stopped thinking about since I left after the summer of 2009. It's a place where I felt like people were caring and loving, and I want to come back to be a part of that. I also have worked with cows and learned a bit about farming, and I think these skills can be useful to you.
Joshua Meyer (Volunteer at Orion, summer 2009)
Kitezh has done such a huge amount for me and I have come to treat the people there as my family away from England. I can honestly say that staying there through my university years as one of the best decisions I ever made.
Ben Duncan (Volunteer at Orion 2008 & 2010)
Kitezh: is a non-commercial partnership of foster families living as a community on communal land, some forested and some agricultural. The community was started in 1992 by Dmitry Morozov, a Moscow radio journalist and historian. There are currently 14 houses, a schoolhouse and a church, all built by the community. They aim to live as ecologically as possible and currently grow some of their own food and have their own cows, goats, hens and turkeys. Each family has their own home with fostered children and in some families also their own. At the moment there are seven families and 24 children of all ages (at last count!). Many of the 'graduates' now live and work elsewhere, or are students who still regard it as their home. There are also some single people and Russian volunteers at Kitezh.
Orion: was begun by Kitezhans in 2004. Dmitry Morozov spearheaded the new sister community with an inspired group of pioneers. It's an exciting project, still in the development stage, with about 10 adults permanently living there and around 13 children. There are also many exchanges of groups of children and adults between Kitezh and Orion. If you are interested in volunteering in a new, expanding community, mention it on your Introduction Questionnaire. They are very keen to have English speaking volunteers.
Summer Programme: School is closed in June, July and August so there are no formal English lessons then. For summer volunteers it's better if you speak reasonably good Russian in order to integrate more easily. Be prepared to do all sorts of different activities, not only those connected with the children. Kitezh runs 2 long and wonderful summer camps for their own children and others, in July and August, for up to 60 children. Also families and groups go away on holiday trips. If you want to be in Kitezh or Orion over the summer, it's best to arrive in June before the camps, to get to know the place.
The Russian Language Course: in the summer in Orion offers excellent opportunities to improve your language skills. And volunteers are always welcome; there's lots of building work, and Russian volunteers and visitors.
We recommend that you go to the Ecologia Youth Trust website www.ecologia.org.uk for more details and assistance.