Crete for life

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Dayana  is going to be  seven years old in the summer. She likes to keep everything neat and tidy, she is very good at school and she likes to be very accurate in her homework. She is also a bit of a bossy one, likes to organize the rest of her class and to tell the other children what to do. She is an only child and lives with her divorced mother, who is a teacher, and grandmother.  

Vladislav, aged seven,  is the youngest of three siblings. He is calm and quite, at school knows how to work hard and gets pretty good results. At home Vadislav is very helpful  and supportive to his mother. His father is an alcoholic and unemployed, and his mother works as labour in the local collective farm, where she earns between $10 and $50 a month.

Hanna and  Natallia are two sisters aged eight and a half, and almost seven years old respectively, and they have a small baby brother.  Their father is unemployed and their mother looks after cattle in the local collective farm. They live with their grandmother’s family which includes seven siblings and the grandfather. Many of their relatives have serious drinking  problems and their living conditions are extremely squalid. Hanna and Natallia are both very sociable and good-hearted and are always cheerful, both at school and at home.

Nadzeya looks much younger than her seven years of age. Her father committed suicide, and her young mother, who has just given birth to a baby boy, has drinking problems and is unemployed. Nadzeya lives with her heavily alcoholic grandfather and sick grandmother. At school she has problems catching up with the rest of her class but she tries  very hard and spends a long time doing her homework. Her mother relies heavily on the school for Nadzeya’s education and general well being.

Luibou  is one of three siblings and she is going to be eight years old at the beginning of June. Her name means ‘love’ in Russian.  Her parents are together and although her father drinks heavily, he is holding on to his job as tractor driver on the local collective farm. Luibou’s mother works as a cleaner.  She is very obedient, calm and attentive at school and with her family. At school she shares her desk with Dayana, and being both a bit bossy, they occasionally argue with each-other.

Maksim  and Aliaksey  are brothers aged seven and nine years of age respectively. Their mother is the village postman and their father works in the local firebrigade. They are well looked after by their parents who are much involved in their education and are they are both well-behaved. At school they are very attentive and enjoy learning, their homework is very tidy and they get on together very well. They are particularly fond of sweets.

Vitali is one of three siblings and he will be ten in a few months. His father committed suicide few years back, and his mother is out of work as she has to care full time for Vitali’s sister who is heavily handicapped. His weak eyesight obliges him to wear glasses and he also suffers from some minor health issues. Vitali is very bright and loves going to school where he is one of the best students. He is extremely sociable and independent but sometime he can be a bit over enthusiastic. 

Pavel is nine years hold, and he is very shy. He is extremely interested in studying and is a capable student, always doing his homework correctly and on time. He has a young sister with heart problems. His mother Galina is the vice-director of the school and his father is a tractor driver at the local collective farm. Pavel likes to spend time by himself, he enjoys reading and can be very independent.