Dear Family and Friends,
Four years ago I took a trip to Ukraine that transformed
the way I perceive the world and my role within it. I
glimpsed the lives of children who had substance-abusing parents, children who
would never receive a credible education, and children who had seen little
kindness or mercy in their lives. These children are an afterthought to a country
consumed with corruption, substance abuse, and political turmoil, yet they
filled my waking thoughts. Over several years of language study and a number
of return service trips, I committed myself to serving this region and its
issues. My desire was to return not as a witness to these complex issues and
tragedies, but as an educated voice generating genuine, long-term solutions.
While there is still so much for me to learn about Eastern
Europe and its people, the time has come for me to abandon my comfortable
stateside life and live in Russia, amongst the people whose lives and culture
have so greatly influenced me. To be a true advocate and solution, I must be
there, in the trenches, daily serving.
In the New Year, close friend and global health advocate,
Natalie Flath and I will move to Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Together, we will intern with two outstanding non-profits, E.V.A. and
Sunergos International, who both seek to address issues faced by Russia’s most
vulnerable populations: homeless/orphaned youth and women.
E.V.A. is a small, grass-roots non-profit based in Saint
Petersburg, Russia that works on HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Despite
ties to the WHO and UNICEF, E.V.A. is in great need of on-the-ground support from
individuals ready to holistically tackle the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS. As
interns, we will provide resources and support for women already infected with
the virus, develop prevention curriculum for local youth, and spend time in the
city’s orphanage for HIV infected youth. Not only will this work
give much needed support to those already living with HIV/AIDS, but it will
also work to diminish rates of transmission and the spread of the disease.
Sunergos International is a Seattle-based non-profit that
Natalie and I both volunteered with while in Saint Petersburg. The
organization provides support to under-served youth populations in the city. As
interns, we will specifically work in the city’s HIV/AIDS orphanage for HIV infected
orphans under the age of five. We will also serve in Saint Petersburg’s Transit
Center for homeless and recently orphanage youth. At both
locations, we will spend time with the children providing emotional support and
also supplemental academic education and English language lessons. This
work is essential in breaking the cycle of poverty and substance abuse, which perpetuates
Russia’s severe orphan rates.
In order to make this work possible, I will be fundraising
through SunErgos International. All finances raised will be budgeted to meet my
monthly needs including housing, food, and transportation. All donations will
also be tax deductable through the organization. Donors
have the option to donate electronically or by mailing in a check.
Electronic
Donation Option
Online donations can be gifted either monthly or as a
one-time donation at http://sunergosint.org/donate/. Choose
the General Ministry Fund option. To ensure the funds will contribute directly
to my work in Saint Petersburg, please put my name in the Comments box at check
out.
Mail Donation Option
For those interested in mailing a donation, please send it
to the following address:
24 Roy St. Suite
191, Seattle, WA 98109.
For tax purposes, please write my name on a note included in
the letter rather than on the check. This will ensure that
your donation reaches me, and you receive a tax receipt for your donation.
I want to thank each of you for having already supported me
thus far in my journey. Without your encouragement or previous financial
support, I could not have come this far. As I take the final step in turning a
passion into a career, I appreciate your consideration in supporting me
financially and/or through prayer and words.
If you would like to follow our work with SunErgos, follow
the SunErgo’s blog. http://sunergosint.org/blog/
If you would like to follow my personal journey please
email me at giavanam@gmail.com or visit
my blog. http://pan-gia.blogspot.com/.
Thank you.
