In early spring 1994, Frank Foundation Child Assistance International conducted a unique pilot program in Washington, DC, USA which provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for six orphaned children from Russia to travel to America, visit the nationÒs capital, and interact with American children and families. The climax of the exchange involved a joint effort between Russian and American children in the actual planting of cherry trees. The symbolic gesture represented hope and harmony between the two countries and further illustrated that children, the future generation, must join together to build a global community.
    
    The results of this pilot program were so successful, Cherry Orchard has continued several times per year. In 1995, the first group of American youths (although not orphans but considered troubled or socioeconomically disadvantaged) traveled to Russia under the Cherry Orchard program umbrella. In 1996, the project expanded to include European programs. In 1998, Russian children, orphanage personnel and local officials traveled to Italy, Austria and Ireland for this exciting exchange.
    
    All children participating in the program are less advantaged children. For Russian children selected to travel abroad, the opportunity is presented to orphaned children above the age of four who are legal candidates for adoption. The idea is to provide chances for parentless children to positively change their destinies.
    
    According to Russian statistics, there are over half a million children in more than 900 state-run orphanages across Russia. Only about 40-50,000 of the Russian children in orphanages (10%) are legally adoptable. The older the orphan becomes, the chances for adoption diminishes drastically. At the age of 16, the orphaned child is no longer a ward of the state and must therefore leave the orphanage. Further statistics show that upon leaving orphanages at 16, one third of the children become homeless, one fifth commit crimes of desperation and ten percent commit suicide. It is a grim reality.
    
    Thus, the Cherry Orchard Program does not merely exude a beautiful philosophical message of global harmony and cooperation, but perhaps more importantly, it has a very serious and immediate mission to provide hope to children who are in high-risk categories for a bleak future.