Staff Profiles

Over the past 10 years, Universal Aid for Children has assembled a talented program staff.

Ludmilla (Luda) Serbina - The Ukrainian Program Administrative Director, Ms. Serbina covers the needs of the following institutions:

Oblast Pediatric Hospital (abandoned infants)
Clinical Hospital #3, TB Orphanage (Laschtoka)
Blind Children's School, Shelter#2
Sychavka Shelter
Institution for Mentally Challenged Women, and the Women's Prison
Luda's budget averages $1800 monthly.

Igor Shepyeta - Igor organizes all construction, remodeling, and continuing improvements made to all the institutions we help support. Igor has grown with the program since 1995. Igor monitors the needs of 8 institutions:

Belgorod Orphanage #1, Belgorod Orphanage #2, Orphanage #1, Orphanage #3, Orphanage #9, Slobadka (mental hospital #I), Alexandrovka (mental hospital #2) and Fontanka (the boys home facility.) His budget averages $1300 monthly.

Igor works hard to help these children with food, nutrition, diapers, medicines, furniture, and a host of other daily changing needs. He drives sick children to clinics and hospitals, for medical treatment.

Irina Tishchenko - Irina is the Director of the Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program. She coordinates the needs of the students with help from the UAC support staff of Psychologists, Tutors, Teachers, a Doctor and a Lawyer.

The UAC Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program, serves young adults from Orphanage's #4 and #5. Irina helps to provide the children with books, clothes, food, and a large list of constantly changing needs. The Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program averages $6500 monthly (includes scholarship students monthly stipend.) Irina also monitors Orphanage #34 (special needs children).

Peter Panin is vice Director of the UAC Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program. He addresses the legal needs of the scholarship students. His duties may vary from school registrations, dorm or housing possibilities, educational documents, and the students various legal rights. Peter helps the students negotiate with school heads for financial opportunities that might me available to them from the local government. Peter also works individually with the students. He also teaches the 11th grade English.

Irina and Peter assist each child through the complete college or vocational process, as a close parent or guardian would. They have to ensure the students retain a healthy balance between their schoolwork and their part-time work for UAC in the orphanage.

Support Staff at Orphanage #4

Psychologists

Yekaterina Mikhailova - Yakaterina counsels the 10th and 11t h grades.

Yevgeney Viguzov - Yevgeney counsels the 8th and 9th grades.

Taicia Tadyka and Alla Pverenova - Both Taicia and Alla counsel those teens entering college or vocational schools. They are there to build their confidence and help them with fears and anxieties about the future.

The Psychologists show them how to establish trust, overcome difficulties, and using proper dialogue to avoid conflicts. The psychologists prepare them for life outside the orphanage, peer pressures, and gaining responsibility for their futures. All offer one on one, individual psychological counseling sessions as well as group therapy.

Father Sergey Cherba teaches Religion Class at the Boy's Home Facility. The success of his work compelled the administration of the facility to make his class part of the academic curriculum. Pastor Sergey is a local scholar who teaches at The Odessa Seminary. Pastor Sergey attends all the UAC Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program meetings to offer his guidance if the teens so desire.

Tatiana Taraschanmskaya is the lawyer and legal Representative of the UAC Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program. She defends the rights of the orphan. Tatiana preserves and protects their housing rights. Ms. Taraschanmskaya also fights for the rights of those who have been discriminated or violated against.

Vera Orlova - English teacher, Alexander Khomichkov, computer teacher, Maxim Kondritsky, Staff driver and assistant to Irina Tischenko and Dr. Gennady Gladkiy, Emergency doctor.

Vladimir Voznyuk and assistant Vera Holostenko work at the Children's Tuberculosis Hospital, and Shelter 2. They teach bible classes, offer psychological support and orchestrate art and music projects.

Helena Shepylta teaches in the children's ward at Alexandrovka, a large psychiatric hospital. There is no education whatsoever offered by the state. UAC built a classroom (see page 9) where Helena teaches basic skills such as reading and writing with Christian materials. Arts and crafts are also used to minister to these sensitive children. Compassion and individual attention profoundly affect everyday life in this otherwise dismal environment.

Tanya Shepyeta is the music teacher. Tanya plays the piano and teaches the children praise and worship through song. Tanya works at Alexandrovka and the Institution for Mentally Challenged Girls.

Oksana Puzanova gives crucial attention to the toddlers at Orphanage #3. Oksana offers individual loving care to each child. She offers art and music projects to the delight of the littlest orphans!

Olya Terenko, Luda Gikovenko, Sveta Gikovenko, and Evgenia Logvinenko, work at the Oblast Pediatric Hospital with the abandoned infants. These women work daily to give care and tactile comfort throughout the night. These babies were previously left to scream alone.