Russia's Orphans - Haunting Memories

Five years ago, I received an unexpected invitation from the Department of Education in the Far East of Russia. They wanted me to come for a visit so that we could talk about using distance-learning technology in their remote orphanages.

As background, the DOE in Russia is responsible for the 3,000,000 orphans that live in their many orphanages. Unfortunately, the reason they were considering the distance-learning project turned out to be quite a sad story. They were hoping that by providing more education to the orphans, it would help break a continuing cycle that seemed to plague the orphanages. Former orphans, who were now young married adults, were abandoning their own children when they found themselves unable to earn enough money to support their families. They were just not prepared for the harsh realities of life. Moreover, without family members around to help them, their babies were now appearing on the orphanages doorsteps, in hopes that the kids would have a better chance for survival. As crazy as this might sound, these impoverished adult orphans are the lucky ones. An even sadder reality is that less than 50 of these kids do and turn to crime, prostitution and the Russian Mafia?

Would I fall victim to some fanatical terrorist group who offered me food and work in exchange for some day having to blow myself up for their God? Maybe this was the best I could hope for - if I were in their shoes.

So who should solve this horrible problem? According to the estimates of the adoption world, there are over 500 million children without homes. When will we give these children their lives back? A good friend answered those questions for me. He simply said, very slowly, If not now, then when? If not you, then who?

So now, my life begins anew. Five years later, Tatiana and I have just celebrated our 4-year wedding anniversary. Seeing her love and focus has truly changed everything in my life. I can no longer care about "bottom lines" Instead, I think about how to send "lifelines" to those children that we left behind.

Now the hard work really begins. As a Christmas present for Tatiana last year, I formed a nonprofit called The Orphan Foundation. We invested in 400 donation boxes, and we started putting them out in gas stations and convenience stores to raise money for adopting families. With domestic adoptions averaging $19,180 per child, and with international adoptions costing even more, we know we need to eliminate or minimize this financial barrier. As we grow our volunteer donation box managers across the country, more donation boxes will bring more dollars, and we will be able to help remove this heavy financial barrier for many loving families. It takes a full year, and 35 donation boxes, in high traffic locations, to pay for one domestic adoption. It takes 50 for an international adoption.

Many wonderful people have already signed up to help us, and we now have a website to seek more volunteers and donations: www.TheOrphanFoundation. org. We have a dozen business and adoption experts on our Board of Directors now, and we hope to round up 5,000 "donation box managers" this year, to help us manage 5 donation boxes, each. For all of us, it has become a race for hope. The more volunteers we can round up, the more kids we can help find homes and loving families.

So here I am, at the age of 60, beginning a new journey - a journey of love. Someone posted this question on one of the AARP chat forums: "Is life beginning or ending at 55?" A smile forms easily on my face, because I think you know the answer.

At 60, I say to all of you, "I think I finally just discovered what life is all about!" Tatiana and I send you our love and blessings, and we hope you discover the richness that waits for all of us, if we only look.

Joe DiDonato was ordained The Godfather of Education by Oracle Corporation and was a double- nominee for the CLO of the Year in 2006. After an invite to Russia to discuss distance learning to the orphanages in the Far East, he married the physician who was his guide. Together, Tatiana and Joe have founded The Orphan Foundation. You can find out more by going to the site at http://www.TheOrphanFoundation.org, or by calling (805) 823- 3552.Earn Extra Money Online Loan
Congressional Webmaster Tm Congresswoman Heather Wilson
How Can I Make Fast Money Not Online
Google Money Adsense Profits Cost Per Click Http
Bath And Body Affiliate Programs
Free Image Search Engines
Free Unclaimed Money Inheritance Search
Search Engine Optimization Testimonials
Pay Per Click Management Receptional Internet Marketing
Network Marketing Mlm Companies Agent
Amazon Affiliate Program
Invisionboard Google Adsense Installing
Pay Per Click Search Engine 1secondcom Mega Ppc Advertising
Free Online Poker Fake Money
Medical Billing Work From Home Advertising Affiliate Program
Network Marketing Mlm Agel Agel Ldhnetworkmarketingcom
Blogger Status
Work At Home Make Money Online
Advertise Free Make Money Online
Bloggers On Joyce Bales Of Colorado
The Atlantis Crystal Ebook
Yahoo Search Marketing Overture Pay Per Click
Legitimate Work At Home Employment
Credit Rating Webmaster Mutual
Food Marketing Paid Survey Online Software Survey Web Site
Marketing On The Internet
Ways For Teens To Make Money
101 Ways For Kids To Make Money
Webmaster Forums
Online Ways For Teenagers To Make Money
Pay Per Click Consulting Nyc
Home Business Ideas Sfi Affiliate Program Internet
Business Internet Make Marketing Strategy Web
Digital Content Products Ingram Group Services
Easy Ways To Make Money From My Home Loan
Free Ebooks Marketing Online Dad Work At Home Free Website
Make Money Online Surveys Free
Internet Marketing Online Marketing Web Site Marketing
Optimization Services Internet Marketing Seo Search Engine
Play Free Bingo Win Money
Engine Optimization Search Services Submission
How To Realy Make Money On The Internet
Business Franchise Internet Marketing
Seo Search Engine Marketing Curacao
Internet Marketing Company Home Business Opportunity Online
Advertising Affiliate Book Business Download Ebay Ebook
Flute A Bec Blogger
Ezine Articles Mlm Honest Network Marketing Failur
Network Marketing Resource Mlm Marketing
How To Make Money Online Quick Cash
Adult Webmaster Forum
Pay Per Click Advertising Search Engines
Internet Business Make Money Online Real Work At Home Insane
Great Ways To Make Money Online
Home Depot Highefficiency Water Heater Ge False Advertising
Animal Advertising
Hispanic Television Advertising For Ophthalmologists
Internet Business Make Money Online Real Work At Home Real
New Homes Affiliate Programs
Google Pagerank Promote Submission Web Site
Ebook Software
Business Internet Marketing
South African Search Engines
Affiliate Pay Per Click
Best Video Search Engines
Lawson Screen & Digital Products
Make Money Online Internet
Free Page Rank
Free Money Online
Work At Home Part Time
Mlm Genealogy Software2c Network Marketing Software
Make Money With Affiliate Program
Home Business Make Money Fast Free Online Easy
Newspaper Blogger Template
Mi Internet Marketing Strategy
Bloggers And Sisters
Blogger Quizzes
Mlm Network Marketing Email Marketing
Ebook Hypnosis
Credit Card Add Debt Free Affiliate Programs
Reputable Affiliate Programs
Dogpile Pay Per Click
Free Marketing System Internet Marketing Strategy
Multiple Streams Search Engines Ppc Pay Per Click
Affiliate Programs For Webmasters
Free Stock Market Quotes Webmaster Tools Alpha Trading
Ways To Make Money On The Internet Work From Home
Internet Business Opportunity Make Money Online Free
Ambatch Many Spamming Posts
Business To Business Web Site Marketing Maintenance
Search Engine Submission Optimization
Business Phone Systems Online
Ebook Internet Marketing Strategy Internet Web Site
Best Internet Marketing Strategies
4086ecd8nvl0whzf Clickbank Com Goto
Internet Marketing Strategy Domain Registration Movie Ws
Work At Home Online Jobs
Internet Business Opportunity Home Based Business Online
Spamming Emails
Card Internet Marketing Marketing Post Strategy