Streetkids

Where are you from and how did you find yourself in Odessa?
I`m from Rostov-on-Don. My mother`s sister, my aunt worked in Odessa steamship line, she invited us to Odessa. First, everything was normal, we lived in the apartment in the settlement Kotovskogo, then mother decided to sell it, but she fell on the apartment scams, which have fooled her – took the papers, but they did not give her money, and police did not investigate the case. So we run out of the apartment. After that we went to my grandfather, he lived in the Luhansk region, in Anthracit. Really, there weren’t conditions for living; we lived in an abandoned house, at the market, at the telegraph office. I was 10 years old when we returned to Odessa.
How did it turn out, that you were left without documents?
Documents and money were stolen at the railway station, it was 2004. Thereafter mother brought me to the Way Home, because someone had to look after me while she had been working. At the Way Home I was placed to the evening school 25, the leaders of the Children Center arranged that I became an auditor, because I didn’t have documents. I was moved up into the next forms in spite of the fact that I could finish school only with a certificate about “attending a program for several years”. Everything depended on receiving a passport.
As far as I remember, initially your mother has renewed documents. By the way, what relations do you have with her now?
We have nice relations, but we seldom see each other for the last time – mother is working, I had exams. Mother has renewed her passport through the consulate. My documents were renewing for two years, the request was submitted to Rostov-on-Don, and active correspondence was carried out. First I have received birth certificate and this spring I have received passport finally. They have phoned us from the consulate and reported that we can come and take my passport. We came, paid some due and now I have documents.
You have received the documents opportunely, right before final examinations. It`s not a secret, that you planned to enter the university.
I plan to submit documents to the Christian Humanist university to the specialty “children`s psychologist”. They don`t require to pass external tests, this is not a governmental university, they have only contract study, and in my situation this is the only possible alternative, because I`m not a citizen of Ukraine. But it`s not that simple to enter the university; I need to pass tests, they will check my education level.
Please tell about your graduation party and preparation to it. Who helped you with the evening dress?
To be honest, I didn`t want to say that I needed a dress. Our psychologist Olga Alekseevna did that instead of me. Director of our Children Center Svetlana Georgievna contacted with Galina Andreeva, Miss Odessa – 2006, she is a volunteer at our foundation for several years. Galina gathered a team, which was working with my style. Her friend, vice-miss of the world, gave me her dress; girls chose the accessories to the dress. In the morning of the graduation day girls came with the makeup artist of the Odessa TV-channel “OK”, where Galina works at, and the make-up artist made me make-up and hairstyle.

At the graduation party Maryam was standing out against her classmates not only due to her dress and make-up. She overcame very difficult way to that evening. Initially she continued studying at school without documents and accommodation, and was dreaming about graduation party and entering the university. Maryam became first inmate of the Way Home who has received a school leaving certificate, and we hope that she will become first inmate of the foundation who will enter the university. Usually dreams come true for those who sought them.