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Want to ensure that the gift that you give won’t end up in someone’s loft or left to collect dust? Our alternative gifts will really help children and families out in Belarus. All our gifts are a suitable for all occasions, and as they are personally dealt with by our volunteers so you will receive pictures taken by a Bridges to Belarus volunteer. Each gift includes a thank you letter, a certificate of purchase and full information about the gift given, and a picture of the recipient. Gifts available:
A supply of vitamins = £15 for winter months, £45 a whole year
Vitamins are far beyond what families in Belarus can afford to buy for their children, despite them having an obvious health benefit for those children that do receive them. Even a short course over the winter months can prevent a child having to be taken into hospital for treatment. For a child with leukaemia, it can literally be the difference between life and death. Obviously, if the children are not in hospital, they are able to attend school, help their family and enjoy all the benefits of improved health. Children with cancers, chronic diseases and who suffer from extreme poverty benefit the most from the vitamins and we specifically try to provide these children with vitamins initially.
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Back to top A school kit = £10 4-6yrs old (pre-school), £15 for 6-8yr old, £30 age 9+
For children to learn in school, it is necessary for them to have some basic equipment, including pencils, pens, paper, exercise books, a calculator, etc. As the schools cannot afford to provide this, the children must have this in order to attend lessons. Working with the Sails of Childhood organisation in Belarus, we have drawn up standard 'packs' of school equipment which provide the basics for a child to attend school. These packs cost £10 for a pre-school child, £15 for a child of 5-8 years old and £30 for children of 9 years and older, as they require more advanced equipment. Specific children with particular talents may require the equipment and tools to develop them. This is something that we are currently expanding but ask for support for individuals which will be highlighted on our website as and when identified.
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Back to top A school uniform = £20
It is now compulsory for children attending school in Belarus to wear a school uniform. This is yet another source of expense for families who wish their children to benefit from education. This is felt most acutely by families with many children, especially if these children are adopted. The cost may be slightly higher is the child has special needs, physically or psychologically, so require more changes of uniform or special adaptations. CASE STUDY: Tonya is the mother of one such family that Bridges to Belarus are specifically targeting for help in this area. She has adopted six children, all of whom have psychological problems as well as cancers and chronic disorders. Usually these children would be left in an asylum until they died; however, she has offered them a family, a home and a chance of a relatively normal life. The children love to learn and enjoy school but affording new uniforms will be difficult for Tonya.
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Back to top Pushchair / prams = £30-100 A pushchair or pram can mean the difference between being able to sell home-grown produce in a local village or not. This is the main source of income for many of the families that we support and since the parents themselves often have health issues, they are often not able to carry their child and their produce to the market to be sold. In other circumstances, a family with a disabled child may not be able to take the child out at all if they are unable to transport them. Whilst there are few wheelchairs available, a large pushchair can sometimes be a compromise in order to enable to family to take a child not only to the hospital and other necessary places but also to get the child out of the house, which is not something that is possible for many disabled people in Belarus currently.
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Back to top Beds = £100-200
A bed may seem a basic necessity but it is one that is not available to many of the families that we support. Families with many children, adopted children or children with disabilities tend to be the ones most in need of this kind of support and most likely not to have the resources to purchase beds themselves.
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Back to top Cookers = £150-200
Another very basic necessity but one that can make a huge difference to a family. With precarious health, harsh winter conditions and scarce food available, providing meals for a family can be hard. This is made even harder if the family do not have a cooker. By providing this item, you would be making a significant difference to a family.
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Back to top Washing machines = £200-250
Surviving without running water can be hard enough but when it is combined with more than five children, some of who are doubly incontinent due to age or disability, few articles of clothing and difficult living conditions, a washing machine can be a much sought after item. For families with children or adults with disabilities that confine them to bed, having a washing machine reduces the risk of pressure sores and infections significantly. This in turn will improve the quality of life for the person being cared for but also the whole family. The price of washing machines in Belarus is similar to those in the UK, thus making them completely beyond the reach of families in Belarus trying to survive on £6 per month.
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