Rotarians donate to orphanage in Russian city

Responding to a fundraising campaign by a weekly newspaper in Vladivostok City, the Rotary Club of Saipan has become one of the first international donors to a children’s orphanage in a century-old hospital in one of Russia’s coldest regions.

Elly Stoilova, the Russian market manager at the Pacific Islands Club and who is also Rotary’s Director for Services, said the donation is intended to fix the windows at the hospital, to benefit over 105 kids.

Stoilova said that parents stricken with AIDS have abandoned some of these children, who range from 3 months to 4 years old.

Since the hospital is old, the large windows, including almost all the rooms where the kids are housed, are broken. The government-owned hospital, however, does not have enough funds to fix the dilapidated building.

Stoilova said that it is extremely cold now in Vladivostok and the children are vulnerable to possible illnesses.

Konkurent, one of the largest publications in Vladivostok, spearheaded the fundraiser to fix the windows.

Rotarians on Saipan came into the picture mainly because Stoilova is in close contact with the editor-in-chief of Konkurent.

There are about 36 large broken warm windows that need to be repaired.

About 10-12 kids are housed in each room.

“The installation of the windows would keep them from freezing,” Stoilova said.

In just two week since Konkurent started the fundraiser at the end of April, a total of 18 windows are ready to be installed.

Each window costs $550, excluding the installation expenses.

But Stoilova said a construction company has agreed to do the installation free of charge except for the payment of the windows.

Rotarians on Saipan have committed to subsidize four windows.

PIC also donated one window, one of the first private companies to respond to the fundraising campaign.

“The Rotary is not only helping the local community but it is also trying to help international projects,” she said.

She said the club will be included in a new website that Konkurent is currently developing.

“It would be a good exposure not only for the Rotary but also for Saipan,” she said.

Saipan Rotary is on the way to forging a sister club relation with the Rotary Club of Vladivostok, whose members have already visited the CNMI twice.

For PIC, Stoilova said the resort is just giving back to the Russian market, which is one of the most promising markets for Saipan.

She said this is also a chance for a bigger publicity for the CNMI in Russia.

The next move will be for PIC to donate some toys (PIC mascots) to the children at the orphanage.

“This small of gesture would create a good image of Saipan in the Russian market,” she said.