Katya is now 20 years old and has been living at house of Grace and Hope for the last 12 months.
Katya lived with her mother and brother her father died when she was 4. Katya was taken by the authorities into a refuge in 2005 and latter permanently into an orphanage because her mother was an alcoholic. Latter Katya’s mum had another baby and she now too is in the orphanages and sadly Katya is not allowed any contact with her.
We first came across with Katya with the KOI winter teams in 2005 and in 2006 she moved into the student dormitories to study hairdressing. Katya came to visit us with her friend on regular bases.
Last May/ June we noticed Katya was struggling and her friends came to us quiet concerned for her. It turned out that her mother had came home from a drinking binge (which is quiet common in Russia for people to disappear for periods of time sometimes the whole of summer, walking and drinking) and discovered the neighbours had broken their front door down because the plumbing had burst and the house was flooding. She then proceed to her neighbours house and stabbed him to death.
We felt it was best that Katya stay with us for at least the summer so we could give her some moral support over this time, and she agreed and moved in with us. Over the last 12 months we have been going through the court case, hearing the details and sadly Katya was forced to testify against her mother.
The court case is still continuing and we believe in the next few months she will be sent to mainland. She has not been able to have any contact with her mum but we have encouraged her to write to her mother and put together care packages. We have encouraged her to forgive her mother from past hurts for her own healing as well, but as with all things of such nature this is a process and doesn’t happen over night.
Katya is doing well, continuing her studies and become part of the “house of Grace and Hope” family.
