Dear sponsor,
My name is Veronika, and I am 8 years old. My dad is 60 years old, and my mom is 54 years old, they are retired. My mom keeps three goats, and my dad loves to drink their milk. My sisters and I add milk to some dishes, like muffins or pancakes. I have two best friends, their names are Ivanka and Oleksandra. Most of all we like to play with goats and dogs. Ivanka and I are in the 2nd grade. I don’t want to go to school because the teachers are very demanding. My favorite classes are math and computer science. When I grow up, I dream of becoming a nurse because I like taking care of people. Thank you for wanting to help me. I would ask you to write me a letter in return.
Yours,
Veronika
Caseworker Comments:
Veronika is a radiant girl, known for her infectious cheerfulness and boundless energy. Her warmth extends to all she encounters, welcoming new friendships with open arms. Outgoing, intelligent, and fiercely independent, she thrives in the company of her beloved sisters, cherishing moments spent cooking and baking together, weaving bonds strengthened by laughter and shared recipes. Her kinship for the natural world blossoms as she tends to the garden alongside her mother, Valentyna, cultivating flowers and vegetables. Animals hold a special place in her heart, and the rhythm of gymnastics at school echoes her vibrant passion for movement and joy. In the classroom, Veronika’s mind soars in the realms of Mathematics and Computer Science, her curiosity sparking a journey of discovery and growth.
Yet, within the whirlwind of academic pursuits and familial joys, shadows linger. The family’s financial struggles cast a heavy burden upon their shoulders, a weight compounded by the father’s battle with alcoholism, which has sparked many a storm within their home. Recently, the tides of fate dealt a harsh blow as his health faltered, revealing the presence of diabetes, a silent adversary further complicating their already difficult journey. Their faith, a light in the darkness, guides them to the seats of the local church each Sunday, where prayers mingle with whispered hopes for a brighter tomorrow. Yet, the harsh realities of their circumstances remain stark, their need for sustenance echoed in every empty cupboard and threadbare corner of their overcrowded home.
Veronika’s father, a survivor of a devastating car accident, relies on a meager disability pension, a mere trickle in the vast ocean of their needs. Valentyna, her mother, bears her own burdens with her health issues due to polyarthritis and the cruel twists of fate that have left her unable to work. The children, left to navigate the tumultuous waters of adulthood before their time, find themselves adrift in a sea of neglect and want. Their once-haven, now a dilapidated shell, bears the scars of neglect, its once-welcoming embrace now a testament to the harsh realities of poverty. The roof cracking and caving in, while the kitchen and halls are filthy and dirty, the floors are just cement, indicates their surfaces marred by the passage of time and hardship. Clothes spill from lack of space, a tangible reminder of the struggle.
In this house of shattered dreams, every creak of the old, worn doors speaks of resilience tested and hopes deferred. Their cries for help, silent yet deafening, echo through the barren halls, pleading for a reprieve from the harsh hand of fate. For Veronika and her family, each day is a battle, fought not with swords and shields, but with the quiet determination to persevere in the face of adversity.
