Bathroom renovation in Nikolaiev Baby House, funding needed!
Update as of March 1st, 2010
We are down to 3 bathrooms that need to be repaired.
We have ordered one bathroom to be renovated and work on this job has started today. 2 more need to be done and we are looking for sponsors to finish this project.
Cost is US$ 6,000.- (€ 4’000.- or CHF 6’000.-) for each remaining bathroom.
Please help finish this project 
Thank you very much for your kind support!
For your agenda!!!!
Please reserve Sunday, November 21st, 2010.
We at Les Amis de Svieta celebrates this year our 10th anniversary! We will let you know more details later.
For now, please mark this day in red in your agenda. We will organise a great party for you, that we can already promise.
Efficiency enhancement in heating system at NBH
Update as of February 23rd, 2010
Mission accomplished 
In spite of difficulties we managed to finish partial renovation of the heating system before beginning of winter. And, as you perhaps read it in the press, this winter was particularly hard and snowy in Ukraine.
Director Olga Ivanovna is extremely grateful to our sponsors for having made it possible to the orphans to live during winter time in a heated home!
Update as of October 15th
We managed to secure financing for the whole project. A big thanks goes to our generous donors! But this time there is a delay on the construction side of this project. Also the new heating is already in operation, not everything is finished and we are holding back payment until every last bit is finished to our satisfaction.
LAdS Newsletter 2009
We regularly inform our members on the way in which their donations are used by semi-annually publishing a short “Newsletter”. Or, to be more precise, after each trip to Ukraine.
The Newsletter July 2009 is online!
Subscribe to our Newsletter in electronic form:
At the bottom of right column, you will find a field to type your email address. We will use it to automatically send you LAdS Newsletter as new versions will come out.
Ukraine needs 127 years to repair roads
In order to make total reparation of all Ukrainian roads, under conditions of current financing, it will take at least 127 years.
This is bad news, as if the roads were not bad enough already 
Happy Easter
All Ukrainian children that were helped by Les Amis de Svieta and the committee of Les Amis de Svieta are wishing you Happy Easter. We send you this heart, in order to thank you for your generous support!
Flu vaccine for NBH
Winter season is not far. Chief doctor Olga of Nikolaiev Baby House (NBH) has asked to help them pay for flu vaccine this year again. At the moment there are 153 children at the orphanage who need to be vaccinated. Each dose costs 52 hrv. Injection has to be done twice with two weeks interval in between.
Total amount is 15,900hrv or US$ 2,650 (~ € 1’800 or ~ CHF 2’300).
Any help will be appreciated by Olga and the children.
Find out how you can make your donations here and if you live in the United States here!
or just click on the “PayPal Donate” button on the left column of this page!
Trip report fall 2008
Friday December 5th
Mission completed 
Pascal has been driving from Nikolaiev to Odessa airport from where he is now flying via Prag to Zurich.
Thursday December 4th
Weather today is better, no rain and no fog.
After visiting the Baby House of Kremenchuk, Pascal and Vika are heading back to Nikolaiev, from where Pascal will be flying home to Switzerland tomorrow afternoon.
Wednesday December 3rd
Today it was still overcast, but less fog.
First, Pascal and Vika visited potential suppliers for Vika’s shop in Nikolaiev. Then they were heading for Kremenchuk. Today, as a bonus, it was also raining 
3 new NBH children need a bailout
Nikolaiev Baby House (NBH) director and chief Doctor Olga Ivanovna has presented us Svetlana Igorievna, Svetlana Anatolievna and Olga.
All three arrived to Nikolaiev Baby House with a congenital heart disease diagnosis that needs to be operated.
All 3 travelled to Kiev Cardio Center (KCC) last October and had their diagnosis confirmed.
They all will need cardiac surgery very soon and we ask you for help and support in order to organize their next visit to KCC.
Considering girls actual health conditions, we foresee this operation for first quarter 2009.
Total amount required is US$ 3,600 (~ € 2’800 or ~ CHF 4’300).
Please help save the life of these three girls.
Find out how you can make your donations here and if you live in the United States here!
or just click on the “PayPal Donate” button on the left column of this page!
New pictures of Montessori outdoor playground
The children of Nikolaiev Baby House can now enjoy the fully equipped Montessori outdoor playground and enjoy the beautiful weather too.
Latest pictures can be found here.
Svieta USA officially registered as non-profit
Les Amis de Svieta USA, Inc. has officially been registered as a non-profit organization in the United States and has opened a bank account allowing sponsors to send their donation tax free.
Please read here how Les Amis de Svieta USA, Inc. was established.
Check to be made payable to:
Les Amis de Svieta USA, Inc.
Attn. Jim Smith
302 Orchard Lane
Clarkesville, GA 30523
Bank contact is:
Habersham Bank, in Clarkesville, GA
It’s also possible to wire money by contacting Jim Smith,
Svieta car success story
Les Amis de Svieta Ukraine has been motorized since April 2006!
The Peugeot was registered in Ukraine in the name of our local representative Vika.
In two years we traveled 35,774 km, we visited numerous orphanages, baby houses and boarding schools and we transported many children to hospitals, e.g. Nikolay, Vitaly, Irina, Natascha, Illona, Vika, Julia, Ekaterina and Olga.
Thanks to this car our association was much more mobile in Ukraine and we could reduce travel expenses while at the same time increase our efficiency by at least a factor of two. We simply couldn’t have done all the things we did.
Pictures of this success story can be seen here.
Due to changes in Ukrainian car registration law we couldn’t continue to drive and use this car and Vika had to sell it, which she managed successfully.
What do we do now without a car?
We are looking to purchase an other car, one that satisfies Ukrainian regulations, one that is big enough to travel savely with two nurses and two children, one that is reliable enough to cope with Ukrainian weather and road conditions, one that is save to drive, one that is clean and doesn’t use too much petrol to save money. In other words, we are looking for a rather costly car, considering Ukrainian used car prices.
Price surge in Ukraine
Ukraine’s consumer prices soared at their highest rate in eight years in March.
Read the full article from KYIV POST here (in English).
An economic adviser presents explanations and his suggestions in a second KYIV POST article (again in English).
New: sign up for Newsletter
How can I stay inform about activities of ‘Les Amis de Svieta’?
1. I visit this web site regularly
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3. New: I subscribe to the LAdS Newsletter and receive regularly information about activities and about needs in Ukraine directly delivered to my mailbox.
Trip report fall 2007
Friday October 12th
Pascal is back home in Switzerland.
Pictures and more detailed reports will follow, once Pascal has recovered from this trip.
