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Ust-Kamenogorsk
If you are adopting or have adopted from this region – please consider joining:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ust-Kamenogorsk-Adoptions/ – the group has almost 200 members – you can chose to receive posts by individual email, daily digest or go to no mail and read on line when you have some free time. I just highly encourage parents to connect with other families who have adopted in the same region that their child is born.
A nice way to give back to this region is through an organization called ACORN – they can be reached at http://acorn.homestead.com/home.html They are a non-profit organization formed by individuals to better the lives of children living in the various orphanages. One of their projects provide life skills to the older children – so when they leave – they can become self sufficient and not live or work on the streets.
Ust Kamenogorsk was once a gateway for trade for China and Mongolia. Today it has a lot of potential because it is rich with minerals (lead, titanium, zinc and magnesium). This city was founded in 1720 and is located in eastern Kazakhstan – in the foothills of the Rudnyy Altai Mountains and at the junction of the Ulba and Irtysh rivers.
Pavlodar
If you are adopting or have adopted from this region – please consider joining:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pavlodar/ – the group has 153 members. As stated above – it is a great connection to your children’s birth city and a way for parents to share with parents about to start their journey (helpful hints for internet, hotels and gifts).
This city is located in northeastern Kazakhstan and has a port on the Irtysh or Ertis River. It was founded in 1720 and became known as Pavlodar in 1861. It became a major industrial centre and in 1978 an oil refinery was completed. Russia borders it to the North. Since the communist fall, it has grown a lot and they now have ethnic festivals, new parks, fountains, churches and a grand mosque.
