The Tsaruk Family
The Tsaruk family are very poor and do not have a faith in God. Both Serhiy and Tetyana are unemployed and the only income they receive is a Child benefit from the State of 1250 uah/m ($AU152). There are six children ranging in age from 11 to 3 yrs old, 3 boys (2 are twins) and 3 girls. They all live in an old 1 bedroom house which is heated by wood. There is an inside kitchen and cooking is done on a wood stove. The floors are made of wood and are not covered. The toilet is outside and there is no bathroom. Serhiy, the father, has stomach problems but has gone away looking for work to support his family. The eldest daughter, Maryna, has ear problems. All members of the family need encouragement and support. Pray for the conversations the co-ordinator has with Serhiy as he is encouraged to change some of his ways and to seek a healthier lifestyle for his family’s benefit.
Community: Sarny UKRAINE - The population of the actual town of Sarny is less than 39,000 people, but there are about 100,000 people who live in the whole district. The town of Sarny was established in 1885 and is named after the wild goats “Serna” because they were so plentiful in this area. It is about 100 kms northwest of Rivne, in a forest-swamp area full of water and mosquitoes. During the 100 year history of Sarny it has been occupied by Eastern Poland, the Soviets and the Germans. Both World Wars have left devastating footprints on the district, one of the worst being the staggering amount of fouteen thousand Jews, who lost their lives in Sarny on 27th & 28th August 1942. Today, Sarny has a large railway station and is a major hub for 4 railway lines. It is also a border town between Zone 2 and Zone 3 that were polluted by the Chornobyl disaster.
The main industries in this area are agriculture, timber cutting and collecting, and stone quarries. Most of the people in this community survive by planting some vegetables on small pieces of land. People who live in villages go to the forest to pick and sell mushrooms and berries. Some residents are fortunate enough to own their own food and clothing stores while the state also owns some retail outlets in the city. It is estimated that 8.8% of the workforce is now unemployed as the employment figures rose sharply due to the Global Financial Crisis.
The community has a State run hospital clinic and a maternity home. Examination are free but treatment is given only when the patient provides their own medicine and medical supplies. MWB operates a free Mothercare clinic for some mothers of poor family. There is a good water supply for the families living in this Community. In villages it is normally a well-spring that people use to get water. In the town of Sarny the water supply is centralized. 85% of families use outside toilets and 70% of families do not have bath/showers and the majority of villagers do not have laundry rooms and wash clothes by hand. There are public preschools, primary and high schools and a few special schools in Sarny. Two of the special schools are for slow learners.
The biggest problems for people in this town and surrounding area is unemployment; expensive or inaccessible medical care; no proper equipment to work on the land; environmental problems (ongoing air & water pollution due to Chornobyl catastrophe).
