Founded in 1998 (Irish Registered charity CHY13203), To Russia with Love has helped over 5,000 abandoned and orphaned children in the Bryansk region of Western Russia & further across the Russian Federation through education and development programs. Its first project was to change the quality of life and care for children in Hortolova Orphanage, the first Orphanage Debbie Deegan (Founder & Managing Director) visited in 1998.  Hortolova Orphanage has no semblance of the bleak place it was when Debbie (who had just adopted a 7 year old girl from there) first visited it in 1998; buildings have been rebuilt, a new education block along with a new medical block has been provided, a dedicated play-room has been developed and staffed, a life skills centre has been developed and a number of superb programs have been implemented.   

These programs include the Life Skills Program, the Sibling Visit Program (bringing children around to other orphanages and/or nearby towns to visit with the brothers & sisters they have been separated from), the Sponsorship Program, the Challenger Program (provides additional supports for children who may be struggling in specific areas of their education and provides extra classes to these children aged 6-19 years to better prepare them for higher education) and our increasingly successful Final Steps Program.

We are very proud to say that 100% of the young people leaving the Orphanage since 2007 went to or accessed College/University and are living in flats/hostels supported by To Russia With Love where they are doing extremely well.  To Russia With Love’s first Lawyer has graduated this year and two fabulous young women have now entered Medical School since 2008.  We also have 100% of the children leaving Hortolova Orphanage this year accepted into Higher Education programs.  While we have 100% accessing higher education we are maintaining a graduation rate of 67%, which compares very favorably with the national rate of just 2.5%.‘Debbie’s tireless drive to bring love and decent living conditions to these abandoned children of Russia has brought her back and forth to Russia over 135 times over the last 12 years.

The children’s well-being and sense of self has improved immensely due to individual care and development programs put in place.  

These withdrawn forgotten children are beginning to come into their own. The ‘To Russia With Love’ vision of a better life has brought a glimmering light of hope to their empty eyes and broad smiles to their beautiful faces.
There is still much to be done but with bulletproof determination, co-operation and cohesion of the Russian authorities,  it is the aim of ‘To Russia With Love’ to ensure that those smiles only continue to grow and shine on into a  brighter future.

You can help us to create a brighter future for each one of these children...