Everywhere on the planet children live in compromised and difficult circumstances. The projects of Maria's Children International use the arts as an initial connector with these children, which then opens them to their creativity and strengthens the knowledge of their unique self worth and abilities. It is our mission to create and support avenues for the forgotten children of the world to grow into healthy, happy, contributing adults in their own societies. Maria's Children International, a '501c3' foundation, was developed in 1999 by Jan Thatcher Adams, M.D. , after traveling with Dr. Patch Adams (no relation) to Russia in 1995. She clowned in orphanages, hospitals and nursing homes with the Patch Peace Clowns and has returned many times with Patch since. Through this connection, Dr. Jan met Maria Yeliseyeva and her Maria's Children project in Moscow. With almost no funds and a tiny basement studio, Maria was enriching the lives of 12 orphans, all labeled mentally deficient. Gradually, Dr. Jan developed steady funding in America for Maria's Children Moscow and Maria Yeliseyeva saw her project grow from 12 kids to nearly 300 orphan, refugee and disabled children. New projects, using the proven model created by Maria Yeliseyeva, are also growing and shining light into tiny, desperate lives, in St. Petersburg, Russia and Las Cahobas, Haiti. "I had the privilege of meeting and spending a long weekend with Maria Yeliseyeva during September of 2000 when she was visiting the states from Moscow. So moved by the stories she told of her work with the Russian orphans, I was inspired to write 'Love Will Lead the Way'. At the suggestion of Lora Matz, we used that song and another I'd written with Marcus Kearns, “Hear The Children”, to create a fund raising video with Badiyan Productions for Maria's Children International. You can play/pause the song above! The video is sold at www.mariaschildren.com & all proceeds go to the project. Another video of 'Love Will Lead the Way” that was produced by Jan’s husband Dimitri, is also available on their site. This project is changing children’s lives every day!”