Photo Project “Cheer Up, Little Ones!”

This is a photo session dedicated to the children of an orphanage situated in Stankovo, Belarus. They were photographed in their playroom with their favourite toys.

The session aims to show that these children, that are social orphans, look like any other children living with their parents. The only difference that you can notice is the sadness in their eyes. They have seen and have experienced situations that are too big for their little worlds. Most of their parents are alcoholics and have lost their custody.

During the photo session I spoke with the little ones. They told me what they dreamed of, what they wanted to become when they grew up, what places they were excited to visit… As they are still children they don’t know yet how to express themselves well but you can clearly read it in their eyes that they understand perfectly well that they are left alone and nobody wants them. Their eyes reflect loneliness and hope. They hope that the adults will repent. They long for feeling loved and wanted again.

I also happened to speak to a girl who had spent most of her childhood at this orphanage. Now she is an adult and independent girl but a few years ago she was in the same situation as the little ones I photographed. Their stories are very similar. Here’s what she told me:

“My name is Alla. I was born in 1989. I was the youngest of the 5 children in the family. My first childhood memories are beautiful. My father worked hard and my mother took care of us. We were one big and happy family.  Then, at some point, something went wrong. I was too little to be able to understand what it was. Dad started spending nights away from home, and those rare days he came to visit us, he was drunk and argued with my mother, sometimes he beat her. Then he disappeared for good. One day I went to the supermarket and met him there. I was very happy to see him but he didn’t seem to notice or recognize me. Suddenly I heard: “Alla, choose whatever you want!” At first I thought he had said it to me but then I realized he was addressing another girl that was holding a lady by the hand. They were his new family. A few years later I heard rumours that he had died drunk drowned in the river. But I refused to believe it hoping to see him again. For my mom, those years as a single parent were really hard. She couldn’t find a stable job so she worked in various kolkhozes here and there. It exhausted and broke her and she left us to the care of our grandfather. She visited us occasionally. My brothers started skipping school. Our grandfather was unable to take care of us in the proper way and the neighbours called the authorities that took us to the orphanage. I spent 11 years of my life there. We were rarely allowed to visit our relatives and each time I looked forward to see my elder brothers… Unfortunately, over time, they became alcoholics too. In the end, they didn’t even let me into the house. I felt very hurt and alone. I also felt useless and my life seemed to make little sense without anyone caring about me by my side.

One day an American missionary organization visited us at the orphanage and invited us to church. It was a Protestant church founded by them in Minsk. There I have found true friends, people who have helped me to believe in myself and have supported me in everything. They have become my real family. Now I know well what I want to do with my life. I want to commit myself to supporting single mothers that see no way out of difficult situations. I hope that there will be no more orphaned children in Belarus in the future! It is my dream and my goal.”