Through the work of BCI, we learned that children aged out of the orphanages at age 18. They were simply discharged with no support system, no job skills, and no place to live. Thus was born the idea for Learning Center Borovtsi. December, 2009, BCI purchased an old, dilapidated orphanage facility. For the next year-and-a-half, paid workers and hundreds of volunteers labored to bring the dream to a reality, and in June, 2010 we were able to begin with our first participants.
Some of the residents at the Learning Center.
Learning Center Borovtsi is a short-term residential program for at-risk young men. Most of them come out of the orphanage system, others from the street or homeless shelters. Some come from prison. A few are from extremely poor Roma communities. They come carrying little – all their worldly possessions in a grocery bag – but laden with much emotional baggage. Nearly 100 have come to the center for help.
LCB is a safe environment in which they can overcome the problems of the past and gain confidence to pursue a better future. It is a place for them to learn about a loving Father and His plan for their lives. They learn to live peacefully in community with others. The average time for a youth to live at the center is 9 months, but they call it “home” forever!
LCB provides food, clothing, healthcare, and a little spending money. They learn discipline and work habits through chopping wood, caring for animals, gardening, and kitchen duty. Yes, they wash dishes!
LCB is a registered Center for Professional Training, which means that we may offer courses in 10 professions and 30 specialties. Our graduates receive official certificates or diplomas for the courses. Sixty percent of those entering the center successfully complete a course.
Some of our young men come to the center with very little education, so we help them enroll in an independent study course. This year, one is finishing 7th grade and another graduated from high school. Everyone is provided with the opportunity to learn – success is determined by the desire and commitment level of the individual.
Re-inventing Their Future
One of the most popular courses at LCB allows the young men to learn much about furniture repair, refinishing, re- purposing, and re-upholstering. BCI/LCB has begun a small business with donated furniture from Holland and other places. The youth in the course “re-do” the furniture as part of their practical experience. We have sold some pieces and are planning another exhibition soon. A website and catalog are being prepared. Pray for a favorable place to show and sell our goods, occasionally and/or permanently. Proceeds support the programs of the center.
