About us

It all started when my husband and I saw wild dogs taking care of the street children.

A question came to us:

“Do these dogs care more for the children, than people do?”

We later moved to the Ukraine, run a children rehabilitation center and children’s home called “Friend’s House” which helps children in need.

Founders: Boas and Mirjam Adolphi. We’ve been in Ukraine since 1992. Boas is from Sweden and Mirjam is from Finland.

The Team

Boas Adolphi, founder and pastor for the children

Boas favorite Bible verse:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7

Boas comes originally from Sweden and has been 20 years in Ukraine
Before Ukraine, Boas was working in TV and Radio, he was sound engineer. He also was a dance-band musician in Sweden.

In Friend’s House Boas is a like grandfather, just to be there, is his favorite sayings – the theology of beeing.

Viktor Skripets, Local Director of Friends House

Has been a sport instructor in the school and football coach.

Viktor is like father figure to the children. The children learn to do everyday things together with Viktor.

He is also training a football team, the children from the village are coming to the Friends House 3-4 times a week to play football.

Viktor takes also care about the practical issues like: house, reparations, negotiations with authorities …

He is well known and respected person in the village.

Oksana Gostar

She is the chief, preparing good and balanced food. The children who has experienced hunger, are in need a special care. They need time and they need to have insurance that there will be enough food, even for tomorrow. Even after few years we can find bread hidden under the pillows …

Oksana fills the kitchen with worship song. children are allowed to be in the kitchen and learn for life. Children learn to cook and clean after them.

Oksana is like their mother. She also lives in Friends house together with her children Vanyaa and Olga.

Valentina Shulga

Psychologist
I want to help and encourage the children in such a way that I can hear the melody of their hearts, the joy of their souls, to hear their pain and joy, their fall and flight and simply love them as they are.

Nadezhda Litvin, teacher

She has 40 years experience of children. She was working in a local Internat (boarding school for children with Mental Retardation/Intellectual Disability).

This Internat was closed by authorities. She became a widow, and she just sat in her little house in a village. She just waited – to die. Nadya was missing the children and she doesn’t care even if she needs to walk or come with bicyckle 10 kilometers every day, to come to Friends House.

Education is one of the most important things we can give to the children, says Nadya.

Lyidmila Schevchenko, lawyer

Legal matters takes lots of our time and efforts. Lyidmila keeps track on changes in Ukraine law.

Every child need to have their own legal profile. It’s hard work to get the children’s documents:birth-certification, registration documents, medical documents, information about parents …

Lyidmila is also following up our teenagers who are studying in Kyiv.
She is consult for our Young mothers and children project in Kyiv.
Lyudmila is training the team about legal issues, what we all need to know about.

Molly our dog, therapist

All her life she has been serving children, often she works together with our psychologist.

Molly followed us on the streets. She was with us when we had our first home for the children. Street children couldn’t sing – Molly could. In Friend’s House Molly has always been the therapist. When a child cries, Molly cries together with the child. When children has difficult to sleep, she sleeps together with the child. Serving the Lord, it’s not so difficult, says Molly. I just do what is natural, even my snoring on the neck of the child, is love in action!

You must hear this story

Molly got a tick. She became very ill, she couldn’t move, her legs didn’t carry her. She just fell down.
We started to cry.
– “Maybe we could pray for her?”, says one of the street children.
– “Yes, of course,” we said.
She starts praying: ” Dear God, thank you for the food and for the hands who prepared it. Amen.
We looked at one another, smiled… and to our biggest surprise Molly jumped up and there was nothing wrong anymore!

Mirjam Adolphi:

We are here in Ukraine to serve. We are here because we love Ukrainian people. We are here to love the children, to hug them, to speak on their behalf, to protect them, to bring help and healing.

One of the boys say to Mirjam: ” You can’t be my mother!”
– Why can’t I be your mother?
– “Because you are everybody’s mother, I want my own mother, say this boy.

Communicating- informing, using multimedia and social media about Haver, Childrens Embassy activities.
Do you have questions, please do E-mail Mirjam!

With love to God and to the children.