Ukrainian public figure, founder of the international charity foundation for the development of orphans Kado Foundation, Elena Kado, spoke about the children’s center to be opened in the village of Vorzel, Bucha district, Kyiv region. This is a global social project that has no analogues in Ukraine.
By 2026, there will be no orphanages left in Ukraine. For the seventh year in a row, the country has been implementing a national strategy to reform the system of children’s residential institutions. This means that orphanages are being reorganized into centers for medical rehabilitation and palliative care for children. Children from orphanages will be placed in foster families, family-type orphanages, and those who are lucky will be adopted or taken under guardianship. It would seem that as a result, a new system will emerge, and the family will be the main one. But today’s realities in the context of a full-scale war raise concerns: what really awaits tens of thousands of children in need of proper care and support?
Ukrainian Elena Kado knows firsthand what it is like to be raised in an orphanage. She went through the difficult path of a girl who was abandoned by her parents at the age of two. From an early age, she had to overcome the trauma of rejection, the emotional coldness of adults, and the feeling of being useless. She faced physical and emotional abuse, saw other children being bullied. Most likely, the Kado Foundation would not have existed without the story of the formation of one strong personality who, despite all the trials of fate, was able to maintain faith in goodness, humanity, sincerity and decided to devote herself to helping children in difficult life circumstances.
However, first things first.
– Olena, tell us about your childhood.
– “I was born in Lutsk, Ukraine,” says Olena. “By the will of fate, I was orphaned at the age of two and ended up in the Kivertsi Child Development Center ‘Sonechko’ in the Volyn region. My memories of the orphanage are different.
I remember a teacher who constantly insulted me and beat me with a slipper. And once she almost crippled me: she hit me on the leg with a stick because I was tossing and turning in bed and couldn’t sleep. Then they called an ambulance. It turned out to be a fracture, and I was put in a cast. The doctors asked me what happened, but I was very afraid to tell them what really happened and just said that I had a bad fall. The same teacher also stole my favorite doll, a special gift from a German family who wanted to adopt me.
But fortunately, there was another nanny, a person of incredible kindness, the embodiment of pure love. My dear Grandma Zina. She would gather us kids together and tell us about God. I listened to the stories about Jesus Christ and froze. Is there really something more? More than these walls of the boarding school? It was my faith that nourished me, gave me hope that everything could be overcome, that there were miracles in the world and that my dreams would certainly come true.
I remembered Grandma Zina and my heart was filled with endless gratitude and warmth. I also have pleasant memories of a married couple, Petra and Rainer. They were guests from Germany who came to the orphanage several times a year. They brought gifts and sweets, hugged us, took us in their arms, and took photos together. Only, as soon as the couple left the orphanage, the gifts were taken away from us. I even accidentally witnessed the teachers sharing toys in the assembly hall.
Petra and Rainer took a great liking to me and even hosted me at their home in Germany. In boarding schools, there is a practice where families take in children from orphanages for a while and take care of them. Those were the happiest days when my friend Nadia and I stayed with the Germans. I don’t know how we understood each other. Apparently, there is no language barrier for sincere human relationships. Every evening, Petra would run the bath, bathe us, comb our hair, and Rainer would come home from work and play with us. We rode bikes together, went to the mountains, and visited children’s amusement parks. I felt very free, relaxed, and joyful. What was so lacking in the walls of the orphanage…
– Since the Sonechko center where you grew up has preschool children, how did your fate develop further?
– When I was eight, I was adopted by a wonderful family. I was so happy that I was no longer alone, that I now had a mother, father, brothers and sisters. I was very well received. And soon Petra and Rainer appeared on our doorstep. It turned out that they also claimed the right to be my parents. I was so happy to see them. They sat me down at a round table and asked me who I wanted to stay with. My heart told me to choose a German couple, but I was afraid to offend my new family. So I answered that I would stay in Ukraine. Then I lived for a long time with a sense of guilt, as if I had betrayed Petra and Rainer. But I promised myself that when I became an adult, I would definitely find them and apologize.
– Did you manage to fulfill your promise?
– Yes, almost 30 years later. Unfortunately, Rainer was no longer alive. Petra recognized me immediately. We met in Germany, and I came to the house I used to visit as a child. We cried, hugged, and looked through photo albums. I prepared a letter expressing everything that was in my heart. And we are still in touch, like family.
– So you chose a Ukrainian family…
– There were many of us, about twenty children, all different but friendly. My mother, Janina, a choreographer by training and vocation, headed a large dance company with children from all over the city. And I fell in love with ballet and dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Later, thanks to hard work, I became a soloist in the Zoretzvit Dance Theater. We traveled to different European cities with concerts, won prizes at competitions and festivals. We decorated our stage costumes ourselves: embroidered patterns, sewed sequins.
From the age of 12, I was confidently standing on pointe shoes, and I was already training kids myself – I led preschool groups. Only because of ballet, my performance at school began to decline. And for me it was like death, because I wanted to be an excellent student in everything. I was ashamed to go to school because I was not the best there. At the same time, I have always loved learning. I especially liked the exact sciences. I adored physics, it seemed to me to explain the amazing laws in the world. But still, after school, I entered the choreography program.
– So your passion for ballet helped you find a personal way of self-discovery?
– Yes, instead of my internal suffering, worrying that something was wrong with me, I focused on work, self-development, mastered my fears, set goals, and rejoiced in my new achievements. I learned to express my personal feelings and emotions through art. And along the way, I became stronger as a person.
I really remember one performance in an orphanage. I went on stage wearing pointe shoes and a tutu with a miniature of The Dying Swan. And the children started laughing at me… I didn’t know how to react to it: I was ashamed and angry at the same time. And then I realized that these boys and girls simply do not know that this dance is art, because they have never seen a ballerina or ballet. And I felt sincerely sorry for them.
It was the first time I realized that orphanage children often do not have the opportunity to gain knowledge, develop, and discover their talents. And I began to appreciate my family even more.
Later, when I became a mother myself and gave birth to two sons, I wanted to give free choreography classes in an orphanage for little autistic children. In addition, I had long nurtured the idea of creating a general education program for boarding school students aimed at revealing their abilities. I believed that my experience in the orphanage would help me realize my project in the future. So, after the meeting with the director, no one called me back. This is a separate issue when adults are not interested in children’s development and do not see it as a priority. I know for myself that it is harder for a child to manifest in this world if he or she does not know what he or she is capable of.
– Tell us about your sons. Your philosophy of life must have influenced their upbringing.
– My eldest son, Georgiy, graduated with a gold medal and entered
To the Kyiv University of International Relations. The younger one, Oleksandr, started 9th grade. Both of them were born in April, according to their horoscopes, fiery Aries, and are very active, athletic, creative and curious. From the first years of my life, I paid a lot of attention to the development of my children in various fields. They learned English, played music, swam in the pool, went to sports. We traveled a lot together, and it broadened their horizons. And today I can say with confidence that constant development, learning, searching for something that brings pleasure and fulfillment shaped my boys.
– Did you decide to build your author’s project on the creative realization of children?
– I believe that this is the formula for becoming a happy person. In creativity, it is easier to survive loneliness and to know yourself.
My mission is to help orphans develop. And my own life and professional experience tells me how to take care of children in the best way.
It’s important to show a child what he or she is capable of, then he or she feels special and significant. This turns the knowledge about yourself upside down. You are capable of something, no matter where you were born or who you are now. You can achieve your goals and dreams through your own work, rather than expecting manna from heaven from others. Awakening faith in yourself is the most important thing. And also to make you realize that no one is to blame for your ending up in an orphanage. And my parents are not to blame for failing. If I blame them for my failures, I will simply remain weak and indecisive. And this will not help me in my life.
– I am interested to know how the charity center will be implemented. What is the concept?
– Actually, I have a big dream – to create a whole town for children, and maybe even an autonomous children’s country. We have a land plot in the village of Vorzel, in the Bucha district of Kyiv region, with an area of 2.3238 hectares. We plan to create a children’s center there and build 18 family-type houses and two administrative buildings. The children will have a gym, dining room, cinema, play areas and playgrounds where they can draw, sing, dance, practice martial arts or learn different languages. And all this is absolutely free for everyone. The center’s specialists will help the children receive proper care and support, overcome psychological trauma (foster parents can also attend free psychological counseling), and gain knowledge and skills that will help them find their way in life. The main goal is to make sure that children live a full life, feel happy and needed by society. We plan to introduce cultural, sports and educational activities, organize excursions, hikes and picnics. Our mission is to foster children’s interest in education, sports, and creativity in various fields and to help them realize their potential. In addition, we are developing strategic plans to address the issue of inclusion (integration into society): adding creative development workshops, helping children with communication adaptation, and special programs to prepare them for university entrance.
Personally, I will be interested in watching the success of our subordinates, supporting them, and providing timely guidance. It is important to convey that children do not need pity, but attention to their personality. By the way, the children will study at secondary schools in the neighborhood and communicate with different peers. That is, their lives will not be confined to the center. Moreover, other children will be able to freely come to the center, play with our children, do art or play football.
– It’s a powerful idea, with a very important mission and goals. How will the personnel policy be formed?
– In addition to the professional abilities of our future specialists, we will assess the psychological profile of each candidate, empathy, the ability to recognize what children feel, and build the curriculum accordingly.
Video surveillance will be conducted in each classroom and classroom – not only to monitor the staff, but also to observe the children – their reactions, mood, and behavior.
There are already worthy people who have responded as soon as they heard about the charity foundation and the project’s mission. In addition to the idea, we are ready to offer a high level of salary and terms of cooperation.
– Obviously, the creation of a children’s center requires significant financial investments. Who will be the main investors?
– At our request, a Ukrainian construction company developed a project and prepared an estimate. According to preliminary calculations, it was a considerable amount. We are talking about more than one million dollars. For each house for the families, and let me remind you that there are 18 of them, they asked for 200 thousand dollars. Of course, this is a huge amount of money, and we are looking for ways to minimize costs. The cost of a modular house in China is $50 thousand. I have a contact with a philanthropist from New York who purchased ten such modular structures at his own expense and donated them to Odesa for the benefit of family-type orphanages. At the same time, we are engaging other American investors and philanthropists. That is, we are now at the concept stage. The realistic timeframe for the installation of ready-made modular homes and the construction of administrative buildings is 2025-2026.
– Whose support did you get in Ukraine?
– First, we got the approval of the city authorities to establish the center. This is a separate difficult path. And it is important that the modular houses belong to a charitable foundation and not be considered the property of the village. Because the house where I grew up in a foster family was taken away by officials for other needs. Children should be sure that they always have a roof over their heads. Believe me, there are families who live in very difficult conditions, in remote areas where there is no kindergarten or school. In a conversation with Oksana Voloshina, deputy head of the Lysychansk military administration in Luhansk Oblast, who is in charge of orphanages, I learned that there are dozens of families waiting in line to improve their living conditions. So we can offer them to settle in the charity center.
Iryna Suslova, MP and Representative of the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, also agreed to support our initiative in every way possible.
Earlier, I contacted Mykola Kuleba, one of the founders of the movement for children’s rights in Ukraine, the initiator of the modern system of child protection. I have received feedback and am looking forward to constructive steps forward.
There is a lot of work ahead. And I have the determination to go all the way.
– And finally, what do you know about your parents and the family you grew up in?
– My own mother died when I was in a foster home. I never saw her again… My blood father suffered a stroke and is now in a nursing home in Ukraine. He did not forget about me, and visited me in the orphanage and in the foster family. I take care of him and also help my mother Janina, who raised me. She suffered two strokes and now does not recognize me or her grandchildren. It is very painful to watch this. Her only daughter Marichka is with her. The government took away the big house where we all lived together.
My foster father died in 2010 from stomach cancer. My half-siblings have their own destiny. Sometimes we communicate on social media.
This report is not to complain. If I hadn’t had the faith that Grandma Zina once sowed in me, the desire to understand who I am and what I am worth, I would never have dared to open my heart to a big dream and take the risk of changing the world.
Elena Kado, 36 years – is a public figure, founder of the Kado Foundation, a charity fund for the development of orphans, philanthropist, blogger.
Lives in: Chicago – Miami – Kyiv
Specialization: choreographer, psychologist
Married, has two sons: George (17) and Alexander (14).
Practices Kundalini yoga.
When the full-scale war in Ukraine began, she moved to the United States, where she lives with her husband, Oleksandr.
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