Love’s Bridge

My name is Vera Semyonovna. Most of my life has been dedicated to children who find themselves in difficult situations. More than anything I value in people the ability to listen to others. My creed is: it’s not what a person does that counts, but how much love is put into it. I love working with children. In the Love’s Bridge centre I run the programme “Joyful Russians”, in which children learn to talk about what’s on their mind, debate skillfully, and understand each other.

My hobby is cooking on an open fire and hiking overnight to meet the sunrise. I’m always learning something new and I find it important to look after my own growth. I really like finding a way through difficulties, it makes me stronger.

I’m happy that I have the opportunity to help children, working as a teacher in “Love’s Bridge”.

I’ve always wanted to work with kids, and the opportunity to combine this with my love for Russia was impossible to turn down! Running the project we experience a huge variety of emotions and see some huge transformations as well as some really depressing situations.

The most uplifting moments are definitely seeing kids gradually realizing the importance of leading a healthy, productive and active lifestyle and absolutely loving all the opportunities we offer them!

Working with our team of Russian staff and also closely with other NGOs and government bodies has really opened my eyes to the extent of the social problems in Russia, and I’m proud to be running a project which is working effectively to change things on a grass-roots level.

I’ve been a Project Manager here in Perm since 2005 - I’m basically in charge of overseeing everything to do with Love’s Bridge! It’s a huge job, and takes up nearly all of my time, but it is infinitely rewarding when I see the amazing changes in the children and teens we work with.

I am very passionate about all children getting equal opportunities to grow, develop and most importantly enjoy life. I spend most of the colder months trying to get support for Love’s Bridge and working with the local administration, and most of the warmer months on trips to the countryside with the kids.

My name is Anastasia Mihailovna, I’m 25 years old. This year I started working as a psychologist in the Love’s Bridge social adaptation centre.

How did everything start? I tried many different things – dancing, reading, decorating, sports, acting, tourism, music, etc. I didn’t do any of these things for more than a year, though. All of those experiences stayed with me as hobbies, but nothing more. Then I worked in the field of psychology for 5 years. That became my profession.

Now I work with children, teenagers and teachers. I find it very interesting, because it’s very unpredictable, I always have to find creative solutions, be proactive, and make the most of my abilities. I also see the results of my work – the achievements of those I work with, their smiling faces, and I listen to how they cope with difficulties, learn tolerance, and improve their relations with those close to them.

In the Love’s Bridge centre I work on projects that I like. One is called “Professional Orientation”, in which I help teenagers prepare for their future profession, another is a conflict resolution class, and another is helping children make up for lost school years. I also lead a decorative creation course.

In addition to my work for Love’s Bridge I’m involved in volunteer activities with the organization “Memorial”. We help former victims of Communist repression.

I really like to travel and often travel to other cities, to live in campgrounds outside the city and do rafting. Not too long ago I attended an international camp for volunteers and now I’m improving my knowledge of English and learning German. In my free time I like to meet up with friends, read thrillers, and ride my bicycle.