News from Kondopoga

Appeal to feed street children in Kondopoga

Each year, Kondopoga parish feeds a group of 30-40 street children every day during the summer holidays. The childrens' parents do not look after them, and during the holidays they cannot get free school meals. In addition to food, the children are also given new shoes, clothes and school stationery at the end of the summer. They also enjoying playing in the parish gardens and talking to adults that take an interest in their well-fare. We know of several who have gone on to further study, and one girl who had gone seriously off the rails but now has her own market stall. She still pops into parish house to talk to Ludmilla, the housekeeper, who she considers like a foster mother.

Pancake day in Kondopoga

15 very young children and about 60 older ones took part, in the annual parish pancake party, with dedicated activities for each group and one general activity: eating pancakes with jam and sour cream!

The eldest children organised and ran (with the help of adults) competitions and games for the older group; professionals ran the programme for the tinies – these professionals are parishioners, working at local kindergartens.

Some of the pancakes were purchased at bulk prices at the local bakery, some were brought by parents. The jam was homemade, using home grown berries gathered by some of the girls who are fed by the parish in summer.

Our thanks go to Jane Jones and the Chester fundraising group who held their own pancake party in aid of Kondopoga’s children’s work and the education work of Chester cathedral.

Dacha fully booked for the summer

St Gregory's Foundation helped our friends in Kondopoga build a "dacha" or holiday camp centre beside a beautiful lake at Munozero.  We are delighted that this year the dacha will be used through the summer by a range of children's and youth groups.  Given the shortage of suitable camp accommodation, this is a real benefit.  You may be interested to know how the schedule pans out:

• June 15-25 – Faith and Light summer camp for adults with learning difficulties, their families and volunteers (ten people in all staying in the main dacha 
• June 28- July 13 – Kondopoga Sunday School older group (15 people staying in the guest house) and the Brotherhood Sunday School from St Petersburg (25 people staying in the main dacha).
• July 15- August 7 – Kondopoga Sunday school younger and middle groups.  (35 people to stay in the guest house and the main dacha).
• August 10-21 – Girvas Sunday School (15 people to stay in the dacha)
• August 22-29 – Youth Group from St Petersburg (main dacha)