LATVIA'S ABANDONED CHILDREN...

Hamilton couple calling for donations to help give Latvian children a late Christmas to remember
Two members of Hamilton's Salvation Army are looking for donations to help children living with alcoholic parents in a Latvian village, have a late Christmas

By Gillian Provan
05 January 2011 15:00 GMT

Latvia winter: Children in Sarkani will be waiting for their Christmas presents
A Hamilton couple will be giving deprived children in Latvia some late Christmas cheer when they visit this week.
The Salvation Army’s commanding officer Major Glad Ljungholm and her husband Dr Sven Ljungholm will be setting off on Thursday to deliver presents to youngsters from the village of Sakarni and the pair are calling on residents to help boost their funds.
Alcoholism is a massive problem in Latvia and in particularly Sakarni where most children have to encounter their drunken parents on a daily basis.
The couple, who first visited the village several years ago, are looking for donations from Hamiltonr residents so they can brighten up the winter months for children living in a poisonous environment.
No money for lunch
Dr Sven Ljungholm said: “Most of the children will play in the woods whatever the weather conditions because they don’t want to go home and cope with their drunk parents.
“When we first visited them four or five years ago the children did not have the correct clothes for the freezing winters and no money to pay for lunches.
“They would have to sit in a separate area of the dining room and watch other children eat their meals.
“Over the years we’ve managed to raise £7000 to £8000 through donations which has secured school lunches for the children and through a former officers initiative we were able to send 600 winter coats to the children and those in other villages for the winter.”
Donations to help children
Sven and Glad are looking for monetary donations in order to give the 25 children in Sarkani the Christmas their parents cannot.
They will be carrying out most of the toy and clothing shopping in Sweden and then travelling on to Sarkani.
In the last week, the Salvation Army commanding officer and her husband have been sent another list of children from the village of Seda who will be looking for some Christmas cheer.
Sven said: “We’ve been there three times, it’s a poor and abandoned village. All the men left the area seeking work. The Salvation Army conducts classes, distributes food and has a feeding program.
"Lovely people and the town has donated a building for Salvation Army use which we will renovate in July.”
Future
The couple will be spending a week in Sarkani in January and returning back during the summer where there will be a series of trips and excursions planned for the children.
The Salvation Army has a flat in Sarkani which helps children and gives them the support that they have not received from their parents.
Sven said: “It is sad to see a once proud man losing hope and without a future. Alcoholism is a disease which is just not recognised in Latvia, they receive no help from the Government and they have no alternative, nothing to motivate them to change.
“It’s a real problem and we’re trying to stop the vicious circle and give the youngsters a better future.”
“It is unlikely that young people will move way as they are so poor, and like in Russia a person’s passport tells where they live, and that is where you are supposed to be, there will be no escape from the village for many.
“With the Salvation Army in the village 24 hours a day, there is more stability for the children and they are the officers are the sober parents who help them with their homework and coach them.”
To make a donation or find out more about the communities of Sarkani and Seda in Latvia contact 01698 427408
Sven will be blogging about his trip to Latvia on STV Hamilton. Keep checking the site for the latest information.