We are looking at ways to sponsor particular children. There are many ways in which you can help.
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.
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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.
It costs approximately £15 to pay for a course of vitamins during the winter months and £45 for a whole year.
It is now compulsory for children attending school in Belarus to wear a school uniform.
Whilst this may seem normal to children from the UK, this is 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.
Tonya is the mother of one such family that we are specifically targeting for help in this area. She has adopted five 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.
A school uniform for a child costs approximately £20.
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 range from £15 for a child of 5-8 years old and £30 for children of 9 years and older, as they require more specific equipment.
Sponsor a sanatorium visit for a disabled child
We are currently investigating several local sanatoriums and camps that are specifically designed to help children with disabilities.
They offer facilities such as physiotherapy, intensive therapies, teaching the child to be able to do as much as possible for themselves and, very importantly, offering the parents/carers of the child a period of respite from the 24 hour care of the child, which can be extremely demanding and draining.
When we have more information about which camps are suitable and the prices, we will be able to be more specific in this area. If this is something that you are interested in helping to fund at this stage, we would be interested to hear from you. We would also be able to keep you up to date with our progress in this area.
If you would like to sponsor any of the above items, please contact us. We can often provide you with photographs of the children and families who will receive your gift and information about why they were chosen to receive it.