"Raduga" is the Russian word for "rainbow" and is for us the symbol of a God who wants to create a safe place for his creation, including young children who are hungry and vulnerable. So also has it been our goal to bring color and love into these children's lives in the colorless and deprived city of Reni, Ukraine. 

We identified many small preschool children from poor families whose parents were unemployed and/or dependent on alcohol or drugs, growing up on the streets in our city.  Although the government does provide fee-paying nursery schools, this was not accessible to them.  We wanted to provide a place of hope and colour to these children. 

For the past 20 years, Raduga has provided the most vulnerable children in the city with free access to care, education, and three basic meals. Raduga Children's Center is a registered charity under Ukrainian law. Over the years, we also identified the need for services to children with special needs for which the public schools and kindergartens do not provide.  Since then, between 50-75 children have been cared for, including 8-10 children with special needs, at Raduga every year.

In addition to meeting the physical, social and emotional needs of these little children, we also seek to meet their spiritual needs by sowing seeds of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their and their parents' lives.  Raduga, therefore, functions integrally with the local Christian congregation "Light for the world" in Reni.