Creelman, Sask. — The young Ukrainian sisters had no idea where they were going.
All they were told was that they were leaving their orphanage in Balta, Ukraine, for Canada.
At the Calgary airport, Kym van Staveren waited impatiently, hoping that her Saskatchewan farm family could offer Alina, 11, and Oksana, 13, a good home for the next six weeks.
Kym and Marcel van Staveren and their two teenaged sons were participating in Frontier Horizon’s Ukraine Orphan Hosting program.
“Alina’s eyes were so huge and she looked so scared. She would not let go of Oksana’s hand,” said van Staveren, recalling meeting the girls for the first time.
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They had lived in a Ukrainian orphanage for two years where their daily routine of school and chores left little time for anything else.
“Our goal was to just do regular things with them because we wanted them to experience a family setting, to have fun and be free,” said van Staveren.
Alina and Oksana enjoyed their summer in Saskatchewan and meeting the extended families.
The van Staverens operate a 13,000-acre grain farm with Marcel’s brothers, John and Vince.
The incorporated farm business, located near Creelman, Sask., employs three hired men and has an oil patch related side business.
“Everybody was so nice to us and would hug us. Not many people do that in the Ukraine,” said Oksana.
Saying goodbye was difficult for everyone, even though van Staveren had planned to continue hosting the girls at Christmas and during the summer months.
She knew adoption was the answer but realized a complex system of paperwork and approvals stood in the way.
Eight months later in 2014, the van Staveren couple boarded a plane to Kiev, Ukraine, hoping their adoption plans could be realized.
“People didn’t think we should go because the rioting on the streets of Kiev had just ended and the fighting started in Eastern Ukraine. Everyone was really concerned for our safety, but I knew we had to go and I just knew we were going to be OK,” said van Staveren.
After visits to government offices to complete paperwork, the pair travelled to Balta to request adopting Alina and Oksana.
The girls were pressured to refuse the request, but they were determined to go to Canada.
“When we found out we could go, we were so excited,” said Oksana.
It took another six weeks to complete the adoption process. After a harrowing trip home, which included many document inspections and questions, they all were back in Saskatchewan.
Oksana and Alina along with their new brothers, Alex and Nathan, all attend school in Weyburn.
Since then, the van Staverens’ neighbours, Clare and Wayne Vilcu, adopted siblings Oleg, 14, and Olya, 13, from the same orphanage.
Van Staveren, who now works with Oksana’s Harvest Canada, a Canadian non-profit organization, says her family raises funds to improve conditions at the Balta orphanage.
That includes money to install four water heaters, a washing machine and commercial size refrigerator and in future, new windows.
“We find that this type of fundraising helps our girls emotionally. It was so hard for them to leave their friends behind, and to know that their friends are more comfortable means a lot to Oksana and Alina,” said van Staveren.
