Charitable works:

 

Women's Support Center of Nakhodka

 

The Women's Support Center of Nakhodka is an organization dedicated to assisting women with a crisis pregnancy by providing information, material and moral support and care for the young mothers and their new-born babies and also educating young people through the “Teen-Star” Program so that they do not experience a crisis pregnancy.

 

Background:

Here in Russia there is a great need for centers to help women through a  crisis pregnancy.

 

·         The USSR was the first country in the world to officially legalize abortion. For many years in the Soviet Union abortions were free. After the collapse of Soviet Union the situation with abortions remains abysmal. Abortions are no longer free, but giving birth costs more money than having an abortion. According to official statistical information, about 1.6 million abortions are performed in Russia annually. (Officials say that many abortions are not reported in this figure.) In contrast there are only 1,500,000 live births in Russia each year. In 2004 Russia had the highest rate of abortions in the world (according to independent data by Wm. Robert Johnston, 2004).

 

                   

·         Since the fall of Communism in 1991 artificial contraception is considered the only means to prevent abortions and so contraception is actively promoted by the Russian Association of Gynecologists and Endocrinologists as well as the Russian Association of Family Planning with support from America's Planned Parenthood.  (During Communist times, 1917-1991, there was very little artificial contraception paraphernalia available, so abortion became the primary method of limiting births.)

·         Most Russian women are suffering from post-abortion syndrome. The average Russian woman will have 8 abortions, and many have had more than 30.

·         Russian women suffer an increased level of cancer, especially breast cancer, kidney failure, and other health problems as a result of long- term use of oral contraceptives and the harm of abortion.

·         A very high divorce rate (90%) means few fathers in families to teach and protect their daughters and sons with the result that there is rampant promiscuity with resulting epidemic levels of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV and AIDS, which are common diseases in Russian cities from Kaliningrad to Nakhodka (and also because Nakhodka is a port city)

·         Alcoholism among men is the number one social problem in Russia. Women face the economic strain of feeding themselves and their children, housed in small apartments in poor economic situations where many do not receive welfare benefits for their children or child support payments from the fathers of their children.

 

With a reproduction rate of one child per woman, it is clear that the population in decreasing at a dangerous rate which is already resulting in depopulation, failure of the government pension system, economic depression and huge changes in Russian society as immigrants take over jobs. For every 1,000 Russians there are 16 deaths and just 10.6 births, a gap that isn’t being filled by immigrants, leading to a population decline of about 750,000 to 800,000 a year.

Women's Support Center activities in the State of Primorye, Russia:

 

·         Seven Women Support Centers in the state, which geographically is the size of  Wisconsin:  (Arseniev, Lesozavodsk, Nakhodka, Ussurisk and three in Vladivostok.). The fourth Women's Support Center in our state of Primorye was opened in Nakhodka. The main purpose of the centers is moral and material support for pregnant women who might otherwise consider abortion. It offers free pregnancy testing, free ultrasound testing, information and emotional support to encourage women to give birth.  We also assist our beneficiaries with baby food, diapers, medications, baby clothes, etc.

·         Counseling about Natural Family Planning (NFP) including the Billings Method, STDs, chastity, and family values. Referrals to medical personnel.

·         Educational programs in schools, including classes and programs related to family values in society, NFP, chastity, the truth about abortion, post-abortion syndrome, contraception and STDs.

·         Publications including the newsletter “Receive Life” for WSC volunteers and other interested persons, "LOVE and PERSON, a magazine for youth about life issues, as well as a great number of brochures on the above-mentioned topics.

·          “Adopt –a– Birth” program  ( it costs $ 20.00 to delivery a medication package for a mother and baby that includes hygienic products such as baby lotion and creams, diapers, antibiotics) and “Adopt –a– Mom” program ($40 of medical help for women who have special needs in giving birth)

·         Free second hand children’s and women clothing, and other items are available in WSCs