Vernon, British Columbia-based mission supports youth in Ukraine, Moldova
This year Mission Eurasia aims to raise $20,000 to hold two camps for both youth and teens in July 2019. Nick Tishenko, the Vernon-based Canadian executive director of Mission Eurasia, and board secretary Lydia Chirkoff have seen first-hand the impact charitable donations have on youth living in the former Soviet Bloc. The ongoing military conflict in the eastern reaches of Ukraine has fractured families, shot down planes, displaced more than three million people and claimed more than 10,500 lives in the War in Donbass alone.
This year Mission Eurasia aims to raise $20,000 to hold two camps for both youth and teens in July 2019. Nick Tishenko, the Vernon-based Canadian executive director of Mission Eurasia, and board secretary Lydia Chirkoff have seen first-hand the impact charitable donations have on youth living in the former Soviet Bloc. The ongoing military conflict in the eastern reaches of Ukraine has fractured families, shot down planes, displaced more than three million people and claimed more than 10,500 lives in the War in Donbass alone.
“We met a lot of children that have not seen their grandparents for three-to-four years. It’s torn quite a few families apart,” said Chirkoff, who went to eastern Ukraine with her granddaughter Jenna and a myriad of other Mission Eurasia volunteers last summer in support of the mission-run youth summer camps. “They wanted to be there because you give them a ray of sunshine.”
In support of the mission’s ongoing efforts in the former Soviet Bloc, a Ukrainian dinner banquet complete with a silent auction and raffle at Grace Bible Church Oct. 27 seeks to garner donations and volunteers. Funds raised from the banquet go towards the estimated $50 per child for the week-long camps. Children are provided with accommodation if they are travelling from outside the city as well as meals and activities.
“We would pray that people open their hearts and give to the cause,” said Tishenko, who has been with Mission Eurasia for three years. “When you raise up children with good morals and ethics, you have good building blocks.”
Over recent years, Mission Eurasia has built four playgrounds in Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova. Now, the Mission is raising funds to host youth camps in these same areas to promote quality of life.
“What was given last year was a huge amount to be able to build four playgrounds. It just worked out great,” Tishenko said. “We can report back to people with results from last year. They can see what they’re investing in.”
Chirkoff, a two-year veteran with Mission Eurasia, and her granddaughter participated in the English Camp last summer where Jenna was a hit with the local children.
“These children, some had to flee their homes leaving with virtually only the shirts off their backs. This is something that gives them the opportunity to forget,” Chirkoff said. “They also know that there is someone across the ocean thinking about them. Somehow (over time) focus changes. It’s good for them to know that they’re still not forgotten about. We’re thinking of them.”
This year Mission Eurasia aims to raise $20,000 to hold two camps for both youth and teens in July 2019. While volunteers join to run the camps, others will be present to help with renovations and building projects as needed. Chirkoff said all of the money is put towards those uses.
“We (volunteers) raise our own money. We don’t go for free,” she said. “Nothing was squandered.”
Mission Eurasia began as Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries (PDRM) in 1991, coinciding with the collapse of the Soviet Union and expanding to Canada in 1992. Changing its name to Mission Eurasia in 2014, it provides assistance in a number of areas, such as eyeglasses to those with visual impairment and building playgrounds next to churches to give children a place to play in safety.
Born in China to Russian refugee parents, raised in Australia and then moving to British Columbia, Tishenko and his wife, Ruth, have five children and nine grandchildren. He is now working to expand the work and support base of Mission Eurasia across Canada. The ministry works in all 14 former Soviet-bloc countries as well as Mongolia and Israel.
The exact location of this year’s summer camp is yet to be set. However, Tishenko said it will be within Ukraine or Moldova.
“What we want to focus on is raising funds so we can have children go to these camps and get away from everything. You want to help the underprivileged, no matter where they are. Wherever there is a need, we try to help,” Tishenko said. “To us, it’s really all about the children.”
Parker Crook
