**IVAN REQUIRES BOTH REGULAR AND MEDICAL SPONSORSHIP**
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Ivan. I am five years old, and I live in a village. My dad is in the military, and my mom takes care of me and my little sister, Liza.
My mom is my best friend. We love playing hide‑and‑seek together, and at Christmas I spend time with my family. I don’t go to school yet. At home I like eating soup, and on holidays my mom buys me tangerines. I enjoy painting with my hands because using a paintbrush is hard for me.
I really like tractors, and when I grow up, I want to be a tractor driver.
Thank you very much for wanting to care for me and my family. I look forward to hearing from you.
With love,
Ivan
Caseworker’s comments:
Ivan is a loving little boy with a gentle heart. Even at five years old, he is known for the tenderness he shows toward his mother and baby sister. He loves routine, especially playing with LEGO, and he finds comfort in familiar activities. He adores his mother, enjoys playing with his sister, and lights up when he is surrounded by the people he loves.
But Ivan’s childhood has been shaped by deep hardship.
He is growing up in a single‑parent home. His father, a soldier, has been missing in action for more than two years. At the time of his disappearance, Ivan’s mother was pregnant with their second child. Since then, she has carried the full weight of raising two young children alone.
Ivan has significant developmental challenges. He has delayed speech, a confirmed diagnosis of autism, and struggles with communication and behavior. He speaks only a few words, is afraid of strangers, and can become overwhelmed easily. He cannot perform simple daily tasks on his own. He wears diapers, cannot use the toilet or potty, and must be washed and cared for like a much younger child. Because of this, his mother cannot work — she must be with him constantly.
Their living conditions are extremely deplorable. With the money her husband sent from the front before he went missing, Ivan’s mother bought a small, old house. It was in horrible condition — the ceiling was collapsing, the structure was damaged, and the home had no basic amenities. She removed debris herself, patched what she could, and covered the walls with wallpaper to make it livable for her children. But the house still has no running water, no bathroom, and no indoor toilet. The family washes in a basin, and the toilet is outside. Water must be carried from outdoors, making daily care for Ivan exhausting.
The home is heated by an old stove that barely warms the rooms, leaving the house cold and damp in winter. Before moving here, the family lived with the husband’s mother and stepfather, but because the stepfather treated Ivan poorly due to his autism, the mother had to leave to protect her children.
Despite everything, Ivan’s mother is kind, hardworking, and deeply devoted to her children. She does everything she can to make them feel safe and loved. Ivan, in turn, is a curious child who loves building with construction toys and caring for his guinea pigs. But he needs stability, specialized support, and opportunities to grow in a safe environment.
The family survives only on minimal social assistance, which is not enough for food, diapers, medicine, hygiene supplies, or the special nutrition Ivan requires. Their financial and emotional burden is overwhelming.
This family urgently needs help.
Sponsorship through HART’s Child Sponsorship Program would be life‑changing. It would provide Ivan with the care, nutrition, and developmental support he desperately needs. It would give his mother hope and relief, knowing she is not carrying this burden alone. And it would be a powerful expression of Christ’s love to a family who has suffered so much.
