Liliya Rettger has a new life, a new home and a new family in the United States, but she doesn’t want to forget her roots or turn her back on the people in her homeland.
That’s why the 16-year-old Oakland Township resident is organizing a fund-raiser to aid the orphanage she came from in Ukraine and all the refugees who have been flocking there to escape fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the country’s eastern area known as Donbass.
‘They need some help,? said Liliya, who’s a sophomore attending the Oxford Virtual Academy. ‘I have food. I have everything. But those kids, those people, they need more food, they need more help than I do now.?
To get them the necessary help, Liliya and her adoptive parents, Kelley and Tim, are hosting a dinner/movie night at Five Points Community Church (3411 E. Walton Blvd.) in Auburn Hills on Friday, Feb. 27. The event begins at 6 p.m. To RSVP, call (248) 690-8048.
There will no set admission fee. Attendees are simply asked to donate whatever they can afford.
Kelley is hoping to raise $10,000 and has even set up a page on GoFundMe, a do-it-yourself fund-raising website.
‘I’m kind of shooting big, but that would definitely help them,? she said.
All of the proceeds will go to Father’s House Center of Social Care for Children, a Christian orphanage in Petrivske, a village just outside the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Consisting of two buildings, it houses both children and foster families. The mission is ‘to help Ukraine rescue a generation of homeless and parentless children.?
Liliya lived there from the age of 9 to 15.
She came to live with the Rettgers in the U.S. in December 2013.
Liliya said the living conditions at Father’s House were very nice and the children were cared for by the staff as if they were their own. She described her time there as the best years of her life.
‘I didn’t really want to leave because I knew I would miss it,? Liliya said. ‘It was kind of hard for me to do this.?
Kelley agreed that Father’s House is a wonderful place.
‘It’s a unique situation,? she said. ‘Many of the foster families adopted the kids that they were caring for.?
Since the conflict began in the eastern Ukraine in April 2014, Father’s House has been taking in refugees ranging from children to entire families.
‘I don’t think they turn anyone away,? Kelley said.
The orphanage needs everything from additional living space, which it is trying to accomplish through renovations, to supplies to meet its residents most basic needs.
‘The situation is pretty bad,? Liliya said. ‘A lot of kids keep coming so they need food, they need clothes, they need shoes. I just want to help them. They’re not any different from me.?
Over the weekend, a cease-fire went into effect between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels. However, despite the truce, media outlets are reporting fighting is continuing in some parts of eastern Ukraine.
The damage done prior to the cease-fire agreement is staggering.
Since the conflict began, 5,486 people have been killed and 12,972 have been wounded across eastern Ukraine, according to a Feb. 6 United Nations report. A total of 978,482 people have been internally displaced within Ukraine and of those, 119,832 are children, the report stated.
‘It, for me, doesn’t make sense, whatever (Russian President Vladimir Putin is) doing,? said Liliya, prior to the cease-fire. ‘He already killed a lot of people. He knows it’s not going to happen (as far as Donbass breaking away from Ukraine).?
Both Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of supplying both weapons and personnel to the rebels, but Moscow has repeatedly denied it and accused the West of arming Kiev.
Despite the significant toll the war has taken on Ukraine, Liliya said the people’s resolve remains strong to not let their nation be split apart or gobbled up by an aggressive foreign power.
‘The people are not giving up,? she said. ‘Even older people are going out and fighting for their country.?
‘They’re an amazing people, just strong and resilient and proud of their country,? Kelley noted.
Although Liliya admitted she sometimes feels homesick for Ukraine, she loves her new home in America.
She became a U.S. citizen in May 2014.
‘It’s like the perfect country,? she said. ‘You have a lot of freedom of religion, a lot of opportunities for education and jobs.?
After high school, Liliya plans to attend either the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago or Oakland Community College.
She wants to someday work as an interpreter and maybe use her language skills to help with international adoptions. She already speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English.
Kelley believes her daughter can accomplish whatever she puts her mind to.
‘She’s always up for a challenge,? she said. ‘She’s done very well in school.?