Within a few kilometers from the GEROPHARM manufacturing site in Pushkin, there’s a small village with a few homes inhabited by large and loving families. This is the SOS Children’s Village, a Russian charity organization that supports orphaned children.

Children in this village are full-fledged members of society and are no different from their peers. They go to regular kindergartens and schools, they attend workshops, classes, and sports clubs, just like normal kids their age. In their new homes, children lead normal lives: they help cook (which is strictly forbidden in a state orphanage due to the risk of burns or cuts), they set the table, do the dishes, and help clean the house over the weekend. Families can even adopt a cat or a dog: there are no limitations on pets imposed by the Village, so the decision is up to the families themselves. When asked “Who cooks in the family?” or “Who buys groceries?”, specialists from the SOS Children’s Village always reply with “Just like in any normal family.” This is the kind of freedom and personal responsibility that the organization strives for since they believe children have to experience normal life to the fullest, so they are not afraid to leave the Village when the time comes and are prepared to live a normal life once they do.

The SOS Children’s Village accepts kids from orphanages and child care centers. The organization established effective relations with the guardian authorities in the region, meaning that as soon as a vacancy opens, children are sent to the SOS Children’s Village. Siblings from large families are usually given priority since they more often than not get separated in a foster family or an orphanage — permanently in some cases — while the SOS Children’s Village has the capacity to provide them with a single home.

Once children reach the age of 16, they can either stay with their family in the Village or move to the SOS Youth Home where they can start a new journey with the help of mentors and teachers. They can learn a trade, figure out their lodgings, etc. The Youth Home represents several apartments in a regular Saint Petersburg building where 15 teenagers live until they turn 18 and can find their own path forward.

There is also a special support program in place for alumni of the Youth Home that runs for 3–5 years. Once children reach full age, they can remain in the SOS Youth Home or the SOS Children’s Village until they complete their education or move to an apartment or dormitory. Alumni of the program receive social and psychological support from mentors, as well as financial support from the SOS Children’s Village.

The SOS Children’s Village in Russia is fully financed by private charitable donations of approximately 25,000 people and corporate donors that include major domestic and foreign companies. In 2020, GEROPHARM also contributed to the support for the SOS Children’s Village in Pushkin.