Dr. Roman and Natasha Korniyko are a compassionate Ukrainian couple who have seen the needs of Ukrainian street children and responded by creating Father’s House in 1996. This ministry, partnered with Intercede International, is dedicated to rescuing street children, abused, neglected and runaway children, and giving them a safe place to live – in a Christian family environment.
From a small two-room apartment, Father’s House has grown to one large central orphanage near Kyiv, and a network of many Christian house groups that provide interim foster care in Ukraine. Father’s House has developed a family model – in which Christian couples take care of a group of children, treating them like their own family. Children are taught about the love of Jesus, and most become committed Christians.
Wartime Evacuation
After the war began in Ukraine in late February 2022, Father’s House evacuated all its children and youth and made a harrowing escape from close to Kyiv, Ukraine, to nearby Poland. Then they moved on to Freiburg, Germany temporarily. This included 210 children and 40 adults. “Everyone prayed for Ukraine!” testified Roman Korniyko at that time. “It was all so touching and sincere! The atmosphere of love was just filling us all around. During this journey, so many of our friends in different parts of the world prayed for our evacuation and offered all kinds of help. Each has their own destiny of rewards from God in the destiny and lives of the saved children!”
With so many people, there was not enough space for everyone to be together in Freiburg. So, all the people were divided into four groups and went to different places. Children in the care of Father’s House are now attending public schools. In Germany, Father’s House children are helping with loading humanitarian aid for needy people in Ukraine, since local churches in Germany are sending help to Ukraine. “Thank you for returning childhood and the opportunity to live in peace and joy!” declared Roman Korniyko. “Thanks to you, these children will surely grow up and bring great fruit for the Kingdom of God, in which there will be glory to our God and the destiny of your reward from God!”
Helping Displaced Ukrainians
The Father’s House headquarters near Kyiv, Ukraine, continues to work and operate in times of war, hosting refugees from the eastern and central regions of Ukraine. “We provide support to territorial defense fighters, providing a place to house their headquarters and providing opportunities to rest, wash, and eat,” explains Dr. Korniyko. “Our basement served as a shelter during the shelling to foster families, staff and evacuated families from Bucha. Tension in Ukraine does not subside. Thank you very much for your heart to help Ukraine for many years. Especially now, when war still going in Ukraine, your prayers and donations are like water on the wilderness. Thank you and God bless you.”
Father’s House staff and children plan to return to Ukraine from Germany but cannot set a date for that yet. “Nobody knows when the war will be over,” explains Slavik Radchuk, an evangelist affiliated with Father’s House and Good Samaritan Mission. “They have a manager and employees who stayed [in Ukraine]. Not everybody moved to Germany.”
Due to the threat of war, Father’s House was forced to build a bomb-proof shelter. Thank the Lord that there was no need for the shelter to be used for its purpose yet. Instead, the mission began gathering there for church services with children and adults, orphans and refugees from eastern Ukraine. Now the bomb shelter has become a place for souls to be saved.
A Miracle Baby
Father’s House staff have also seen lives being saved. Back in 2018 at the Father’s House “Mother and Baby Centre,” because of asphyxia, an eight-month old baby died. Recovery methods from the nurses brought no results, report Father’s House leaders. After 20 minutes from the moment the heartbeat stopped, with the help of a prayer, the baby began to breathe again and its heart started pumping again. This surprised both the doctors and brought the mother tears of happiness. It was a modern-day miracle! In addition, the mother of the child who rose from the dead believed in Christ the Saviour and received water baptism soon afterward. One of the witnesses of this miracle happened to be the head of the Child Care Services and he testified of the power of God’s mercy and grace among his colleagues.
Orphanage is a Model for Ukraine
In 2005, the Ukrainian government adopted Father’s House’s model of orphanages for the nation. The Parliament of Ukraine accepted a new law regarding conditions for social protection of orphans and abandoned children. The law guarantees the state’s provision for orphans and abandoned children, and lays a good foundation for Ukraine to move from orphanage-type to family-based care for homeless and abandoned children – including adoption, foster families, and family homes. The official presentation of this new law took place in Father’s House, because the final discussion of this law before going to the Parliament took place at Father’s House.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Intercede (and the Canadian donors and intercessors) for supporting our ministry to orphans and children left without parental care in Ukraine,” wrote Korniyko to Intercede at that time. “Thanks to your support many children have found new loving families. Many of these kids are having their lives changed forever. I believe they are future missionaries. These kids are coming out of cardboard boxes to Christ!”
Award-Winning Leadership
Even during the war in Ukraine, Intercede partner ministry Father’s House has good news to report. In a 2022 national competition for charities in Ukraine, Father’s House, under the leadership of Roman Korniyko, won first place in the “Philanthropist of the Year” nomination and won an Angel Award to display on its property.
In June 2022, the results of awarding the winners and laureates of the 15th anniversary National Competition “Charitable Ukraine” were announced online. “We have kept our goal and purpose: to serve others and help the needy,” declared Korniyko. “Thank you to all the friends and partners who supported us and are supporting us now, in such a difficult time.”
Early this year, Father’s House made a leadership transition and now the Korniykos’ daughter, Anastasia Korniyko, is the new director of this ministry.
Praise God for the compassionate work Father’s House missionaries. Please pray for a peaceful end to the current war in Ukraine.
Photo: Father’s House founder Roman Korniyko (standing at left) with Father’s House children at an outdoor event in Freiburg, Germany.
Alan Doerksen is Publications Editor with Intercede International and has been with Intercede for 20 years. Find his latest historical fiction novel on Amazon.
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