One week is gone in a blink of an eye. One week of joy, full happiness, care, love and devotion. One week for the Gorodische orphanage children and Irish volunteers, “Roche” pharmaceutical, Co.Clare, Ireland. The 4 ladies came all the way from Ireland to look after 8 kids from the orphanage in Belarus and help them to have a real holiday in their life.

They stayed over in a house belonging to Charity Fund “Dobra tut” that is fully equipped to welcome children with special needs. This time there were more or less able boys and girls that had a really unforgettable time.

The money donated for this week came from “Roche” plant and Burren Chernobyl Project. The time was full of amusements, games, impressions and simple pleasures. The children and volunteers have been to different places: House of Mercy, observation platform at the National Library, Gorky amusement park, Victory park boat tour, night tour of Minsk, Liady Monastery for children’s blessing, Childern’s railway, 3D cinema, Zoo, Dolphin show – all of them were very busy having so much fun! Toys, little presents, sweets and of course lots of ice-cream!

The time really flew and saying good bye was so sad! Everyone was crying – kids, volunteers, helper from the orphanage, Funds workers – it was too emotional. But let’s hope it was not the last time.

We thank everyone who made this week for the children possible – the Irish volunteers, our sponsors – “Roche” and Burren Chernobyl Project, the helpers from the orphanage and the workers of the Fund who were taking care of household! Thank you very much! And looking forward to seeing you all again!

There is a special thank you from the orphanage helpers Natalia and Irina and sure the children:

“Our hearts are deeply touched by the hospitality and great kindness, care and warmth of your deepest hearts. The memories about these wonderful sunny summer days spent with you will always stay with us. We thank you for understanding and your attention, your brilliant attitude to our children. Thanks for treating children’s problems as they were yours. Thanks for giving them a chance to see the world in a different way. Thanks for making them smile all the week.

We are so grateful to you for your honorable work. May God bless you and your families, may your lifetime be bright and happy, may your hands do only good and may your hearts be the house of God’s love. “

We are welcoming a group of children from Gorodische orphanage from 9th to 14th of July along with volunteers of "Roche" pharmaceutical plant, Ireland, that came via Burren Chernobyl Project. Week of all possible entertainment in Minsk is ahead! So let's start!

Today is a sad day. Today four Irish girls – volunteers of Burren Chernobyl Project have gone back home to Ireland. They came out at the end of May to Cherven children orphanage for 4 weeks. Is that time enough or not? They can hardly answer the question. Is that too much to spend unforgettable moments with lovely children in the orphanage?

It seemed that there was a lot of time ahead, in a blink of an eye they realized it was time to go back home.
Saying good bye was very hard. The girls have already got used to the routine, and grew so fond of kids. For most of them girls it wasn’t the first time, that’s why the girls were full of ideas how to make most of this time interesting and amusing. Going out to the local park, discoes, cinema and just walking and playing with them outside with bubbles – all made the time fly.
The girls also paid attention to some of the current problems – put money towards medication. They are also planning to cover the cost of couple of doors and windows in the old shower section. But we will talk about it later. Now were are more concerned about sadness after their departure and of course we are all looking forward to next summer when they are coming back to us!

From the bottom of our hearts we thank you very much! Loving you, missing you, and waiting for you!

Charity Fund “Dobra tut” was happy to welcome another group of children from Gorodische orphanage for children and young adults with special needs. Briefly their very busy schedule of the week from 11 to 18th of June.

Monday
Morning: Arrival,
Afternoon: visiting Hill of Glory (famous monument near Minsk)

Tuesday
Morning: having fun in Gorky Park – amusement park
Afternoon:  cinema 3D

Wednesday
Morning: visiting Yakub Kolas Museum (a museum of a very famous Belarusian poet
Afternoon: Invited Clowns to Dom Zara (residence of “Dobra tut” Fund), later visiting theater

Thursday
Morning: visiting Zoo, Dolphinarium
Afternoon: going to the Theatre, night sightseeing in Minsk

 Friday
Morning: Cinema
Afternoon: show with balloons and bubbles.

Saturday
Morning: Visiting National Library – sightseeing platform
Afternoon: Circus, Gorky Park

Sunday
Morning: visiting Stalin’s Line, boating on Komsomolskoe Lake
Afternoon: going to the exhibition of exotic butterflies. Taking a ride on a children’s railway

It’s not necessary to say that the children had very good time, had wonderful rest and got pile of impressions and joy!

We say thank you very much to all the participants of this little project: those who looked after the children, fed them, entertained them! Special thanks to Natalia and her friends that helped to visit Circus! And sure we thank so much our Irish sponsors Burren Chernobyl Project for making this holiday possible!

From June 9 to June 16 the number of Irish volunteers in Cherven children orphanage increased by 2 people – Ronan and Aoife. They brought 3 special pieces of sitting, lots of dressings, some toys. They also managed to repair some of the wheelchairs in Unit 6, review the kids, and visited some of the local community cases in the area also not empty handed. The week was really productive and intensive. Lots done, lots planned.

Well done to you, guys! Can’t wait to see you back again!

ВThe volunteer summer 2012 started for both orphanages in Cherven and Gorodische. These orphanages open their doors to new groups of Irish people to come and see the children again.

Cherven orphanage is welcoming a huge group of girls that arrived on the 30^th of May. Part of them  is gone home today, tired but happy. During 10 days the girls have done a big job: went to meet all the children in all units. Brought out some stuff from Ireland: closes, toys, some stationary. They have also got lots of medications for the children on 400 euro. The group has also managed to bring 4 units of big boys and girls to the local cinema in Cherven where kids had really good time. The children in chairs have also got a chance to go out into town for ice-cream and a good walk.

From the bottom of our hearts we say thank you very much, and look forward to seeing you again next year!

Dear friends,
It’s hard to say how grateful I am for your precious support!

In this difficult moment of my life I would like to say thank to all of you who was there with me in the hardest time in my life. All you words, you calls, your love and sympathy is priceless! I thank all of you and each one of you! It’s impossible to express what I feel, but without your support I’d be lost.

Thanks again to everyone who was there for me and who remembered me and my family.

I send my love to all of you!
Thank you!!!

On the 3d of May our Fund has got a truck with humanitarian aid provided by Burren Chernobyl Project. This time the aid consisted of clothes, shoes, toys, plastic containers, nappies for adults, linen, toiletries, wheelchairs, special needs equipment, sewing machines.

According to the distribution plan this aid is going to:

• Cherven orphanage for children and young adults with special needs,
• Cherven psycho-neurological asylum, village Yazovki
• Svir psycho-neurological asylum,
• Rakov social-medical institution,
• Kopyl psycho-neurological asylum,
• Borisov psycho-neurological asylum, village, Tarasiki
• Territorial social services in Smolevichi, Social service of Leninksyi district, Minsk.

On Behalf of all residents of these asylums we thank our dearest Irish friends, all those who help gathering this aid! Thank you so much for your endlessly kind hearts!

Last week for a group of Irish volunteers that came to help out in Cherven children orphanage was really busy. 3 guys did a lot of work: went around all units, met children and carers and organized some interesting events. During the week they have been taking the children to multi-sensory room, took several groups of bigger boys and girls to the local cinema in Cherven to watch a new version of a famous Russian fairy-tale, organized session of body art with bigger girls. The guys purchased food stuffs for the children’s’ household, got lots of CDs and a karaoke CD for bigger boys and girls, pair of new shoes for a girl from unit 3, beads and décor material for arts and crafts and also lots of sweets!

The most outstanding thing that the guys experienced was the interview re St.Patrick’s Day that was taken in Minsk. Bev and Joe did really well in it and sure celebrating St.Patrick’s Day on Saturday became a good treat for the hard work!

We thank you very much for your great work and help and miss you already!

From the bottom of our hearts Fund "Dobra tut" wishes happy St. Patrick's Day! Special wishes goes to our most precious and wonderful friends: Burren Chernobyl Project, our partner organization "Chernobyl Children's Trust" and all people of an amazing country -- Ireland!!! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

We are happy to announce that little Sergei Grishin and his Irish friend Graham Bruton got discharged last week from the rehab center near Minsk. Graham followed the child back to Ivenets school where little boy keeps getting medical and other support in walking practice.
Needless to say it was a big success. Sergei got very good after surgery treatment. The medical stuff and the people that the boy and Graham were staying with were very friendly. During these 3 weeks in the rehab Graham never left Sergei, giving him all the necessary care and his love. Graham has been a true parent for the child and the mothers that they were staying with were amazed how good Graham treated the child.

Now Sergei got stronger and healthier. And we all hope that soon we will see him walking independently.

Well done to both of them! We would like to say Special Thanks to Graham for being so good to the child and giving him a chance to improve his life and for being so caring and helpful!

We also thank the medical people who made the surgery and after care possible for the child!

Now Graham stays in Cherven with a group of Irish volunteers who came for a week to help out in the orphanage. We’ll keep you updated!

This week is full of events for Sergei and Graham. On Monday the 13th the boys went back to the orthopedic clinic in Minsk where Sergei had his cast removed and got new splints. Next day they were transferred to a rehab center Aksakovschina for post operational period near Minsk. In two days they managed to make new friends and do a lot. Sergei’s prescribed lots of physiotherapy and other medical care stuff to make him better. The boy already made his first steps – proper steps. We all hope it’ll help the boy to get used to his new life.

And again it’s needless to say that it’s due to Graham that it’s all happening to the child. Graham give him best care and sure they both enjoy the company of each other and their nice neighbours!

Let me tell you about a little boy named Sergei Grishin, a 7 year old Orphan living in Ivenets school for children with special needs. I first met Sergei last August when I travelled to Cherven orphanage as a general volunteer with The Burren Chernobyl Project, which is where he was living at the time.

Sergei is one of 7 children and has a twin brother, he is not aware of this as they are living in different Orphanages in Belarus. His Mother & Father are alive but are unable or unwilling to care for him, or his siblings. Back home in Ireland this would be considered a devastating story, unfortunately here in Belarus its an all too familiar one.

He is an autistic child, as far as I am aware from speaking to other Volunteers and Staff from the Orphanage it was far more severe just a couple of years ago and has improved in time with the help of Dr. Maria Kolesnik in Cherven Orphanage who has done a lot for him. He is unable to speak and has no direct form of communication to others, although it can be a misconception to think he is not intelligent. From being around him, I have noticed the concentration in his eyes, when he is looking around the room, he is taking note of everything that he can see.

A carer from Cherven Orphanage had filled me in on everything. She told me about his walking, Sergei loves to walk but can only do so if you hold his hands for support. She told me that in her knowledge, he can probably walk if he has surgery. I didn't need to think about this, how good would it feel to see that kid walk and know I had a part in it? As soon as I arrived home in Ireland last August, we got to work. First thing we needed to do, was arrange for Ivenets to take him to the Orthopedic Clinic in Minsk for a consultation. The specialists in the clinic had confirmed that he was suitable for a Tendon Release and that would make his situation much better. They confirmed his Surgery date to be 9th of January.

So 5 months have past, and here we are, in the School that Sergei lives. He has had surgery almost 2 weeks ago and now, I haven't noticed him so happy as he is these days. Even with two heavy plaster casts on his legs, he has turned it into fun, using them as drums at times. I am so pleased with the School he is staying in, Staff & Directors here show a genuine love to the eighty something kids that live here. They make great use out of their facilities they have which is wonderful. We are here now until February 13th, when we return to the Orthopedic Clinic in Minsk to have the casts removed. We will then spend a few weeks in a Rehabilitation Centre & return to Ivenets, where they will continue physiotherapy and such.

This is my story so far, I have been here in Belarus only 3 weeks, but a lot has happened and I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold. There is nothing more rewarding then helping others, and there are many children in Belarus who need help, and all over the world. Have you got Experience? The Language? If you do, Great!! But these are not the things you need to be a General Volunteer, you need Heart & Soul, Strength and the ability to connect with the children. Everything else will come to you, sure, there are things I have needed to do that I have never done before, but the people here teach me new things every day and I appreciate that greatly. So if you are interested to do something like this, I say follow your heart and go for it!

A big thanks to all the team at Dobra tut / Burren Chernobyl who have supported me, especially Liam O'Meara & Alena Martsyanava who have made this trip possible & of course to everyone at home who has supported me, without your support I could not be here doing this.

Graham Bruton

We’ve been waiting for this time to come. And it came. The children from Gorodische orphanage for children and young adults with special needs have visited us here in Minsk again. We decided to invite them again. Our house stood empty a long time without their laughter and funny chats. We didn’t have that much time – and the week flew really fast. We did a lot together: went to circus, Zoo, 3D cinema, Yakub Kolas Museum. We watched the hockey match in Minsk-Arena, took a walk along lit-up streets in Minsk in the evening time.

The cultural programme was very versatile: the children watched “Tommelise”, have seen the show of a musical band “Horoshki”. But apparently the busy programme was not the most important for them. This feeling of home, real home that they had here due to the carers and us, was the most needed for the children and that’s what they miss in the orphanage.

And as always the hardest part of the week was to say good bye. This good bye seems to be until next summer. We all, children and adults, will be looking forward to meeting again. We miss your kind hearts, your bright and starlight eyes, endless questions and warm hugs.

We say big thanks to Veronika and Alona – the carers from the orphanage- it’s very pleasant and comfortable to work with you! Big thanks to Burren Chernobyl Project who provided sponsorship for organizing a real holiday for these children!

Tamara Bukhteeva

On Sunday morning the visit of a group of Irish volunteers finished. The 3 girls went home happy: they had an amazing week in Cherven orphanage. The girls came for a week to help with looking after children and provide necessary support. They have worked mainly in unit 6 of the orphanage, but didn’t leave without attention the isolation unit, and all other groups.

They have managed to get lots of toys for unit 2, put money on the charity account of the orphanage money for stationary and medication.

There were some home visits too. Little girl Masha in Smilovichi got a mini bath and toys to play with water.

We thank you very much for a very fruitful week and lots of joy that you have brought to the children!!!
Looking forward to seeing you again!