In March, I joined a group of around 25 students to see the work of the Tikva charity in Odessa, Ukraine. As the video shows below, there is extreme poverty in the former communist region. In 1993, Rabbi Shlomo Baksht arrived in Odessa to revive Jewish life. While working towards that goal, Rabbi Baksht discovered the plight of hundreds of local Jewish children suffering abuse and neglect, living on the streets or confined to bleak and often cruel institutional settings. In response, he created the first ‘children’s home’, with only six children,the nucleus of what has come to be Tikva. What started as a small community outreach program has improved the lives of more than 3,000 men, women, and children through programs.

These children come to Tikva as young as newborns and stay until they are at least 16 years of age, emotionally and academically ready to begin life in Israel, or continue their studies at Tikva's University Program in Odessa. These bright and inquisitive children flourish in Tikva's care, despite the fact that most arrive with medical, psychological, developmental and social difficulties due to their traumatic early experiences. Seeing the incredible work of Tikva has inspired me to raise more money, and to continue to help give them the upbringing that they deserve. Tikva strives to ensure that each child's needs are met so that he or she can develop into a fully-functioning, self-sufficient adult who is then able to become a contributing member of society. Hopefully one day Tikva will not be needed in Odessa and it can run as a fully functioning community on its own. This can only happen with our help.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

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Thank you so much, Rachel x