Their Dreams, Our Mission 

Children of Sosnovaya Street is a non-profit, charitable and educational foundation formed by a group of diverse, dedicated people who share a common vision - a better life for the orphaned, abandoned and displaced children living in the detsky dom on Sosnovaya Street in Svir Stroi. The mission of CoSS is to see to the educational and health needs of the children residing in that detsky dom and to give them life skills training for when they leave.  Read more about our goals.

CoSS is committed to ensuring that each child in the detsky dom receives the support needed to acquire an education appropriate to his or her talents and desires as determined through a process of interviews with the child, the director of the detsky dom, the child's teachers and any of the child's family members that may be involved in the child's life on an ongoing basis.  Toward this end, CoSS will hire an educational advocate in Russia who will seek out schools and training for the students, hire tutors if needed and get them to their physical exams and entrance exams on time and prepared.

Keeping children engaged and involved in the education process often means providing them with access to outside activities that build self esteem. CoSS is committed to supporting those outside activities such as soccer teams, music lessons, art lessons and other activities as appropriate.

Detsky dom children often are the object of derision at the professional high schools where they spend the academic year and their clothing often is how this derision is started. CoSS is committed to supplying appropriate, stylish clothing and shoes as well as cold weather gear for the children who are away at school.

CoSS is committed to arranging for ongoing regular care by a physician, dentist and mental health worker either on site or through the polyclinic in Lodeina Polye or other nearby site as may be appropriate.

CoSS is further committed to arranging for triage and treatment of any existing or future medical needs that would involve surgery at a clinic like the American Clinic in St Petersburg or Moscow *or* in another country as may be necessary.

Poor nutrition is causing many health problems at the Svirstroiski Detsky Dom.  CoSS is committed to providing food and nutritional supplements for everyone at the detsky dom as needed.

The physical environment in which the children live is in need of repair. CoSS is committed to provide at least the minimum in terms of replacing broken window panes, repairing dangerous stairs, replacing broken doors, repairing or replacing broken beds and providing tools for regular upkeep of the grounds.

Detsky dom children currently are not prepared for life on their own. Typically, they are turned out some time after the age of 17 with little money and less guidance or resources. CoSS, besides being committed to appropriate education for the children, is committed to providing life skills training for the children as they leave the detsky dom.  Toward this end, CoSS will establish a transitional home in a large city such as St Petersburg or Petrosavodsk where the children from Svirstroiski Detsky Dom (and elsewhere as room is available) may stay and learn how to live on their own while they look for and begin jobs.

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Email to information@sosnovayakids.org