The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly increased global and national economic uncertainty, which has placed new emphasis on the subject of poverty. Child poverty is an issue that we have been actively involved in fighting for well over a decade through our own charity.

Russia has the highest child poverty rate in the world, with an estimated 1 in 4 children living below the poverty line. Many Russian children, who live in single parent families, or have been abandoned by their parents, struggle to thrive with Russia’s limited orphanage provisions and youth care systems.

Our staff became more aware of this by hearing about the plight of disadvantaged children who faced extreme poverty in the southern Russian city of Stavropol, through a colleague. They wanted to help. In 2008, a new charity – The Belaya Rosa Foundation – was set up with financial support from PHC Europe It aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in Stavropol, through educational and leisure activities. It achieves this through the hard work of a dedicated local team of volunteers, who are headed by Vladimir Makedonskiy.



Initially, the Foundation focused on helping young children from large families (with four or more children), the children of single mothers, alcoholic- or homeless parents, orphans, and street children. It provided opportunities and encouragement to these children to attend school and participate in recreational activities, such as dance.

Later on, the Foundation also began to focus on older children. In Russia, orphanages provide child care until the age of 16, but not after this age. It is simply assumed that the children will then be independent from this stage onwards. The children are often unprepared for this transition. The Belaya Rosa Foundation aims to help these children to become independent. In addition, the Foundation organizes holiday camps and day trips for disadvantaged children in the summer. Today, the Foundation provides support to around 2,400 disadvantaged children from Stavropol. Ongoing support from PHC Europe is used as directly as possible to make a difference in the children’s lives. Visit the Belaja Rosa Foundation website.

“The Belaja Rosa Foundation is part of our commitment to reach out to the wider global community”