‘I want to come back.” Donbass children share their impressions of vacation in Belarus
A group of children from Donbass spent two weeks in Belarus. The Brest Oblast Executive Committee supported the initiative of the Aleksei Talai Charitable Foundation and organized a vacation for children from Mariupol and Dokuchayevsk in the children's rehabilitation and health center Kolos in Kobrin District. Every day was packed with events. So the time flew by. A party was organized for the children on the last day of the vacation. The children and accompanying adults shared their impressions of the Belarusian vacation with BelTA.
The 11-year-old Artem from Mariupol wanted to see as many sights as possible. The boy's wish came true. "There were a lot of excursions. It is very beautiful here, I especially liked the Brest Fortress. The largest monument "Courage" left an impression on me. We also had a lot of fun in the water park. I don't want to leave at all. I would have stayed here longer, but I already miss my parents," the schoolboy admitted.
Artem, like other boys, eagerly examined the equipment used by volunteers of the Belarusian Red Cross. Several thematic zones were set up in the health center to introduce the children to the activities of the humanitarian organization. Specialists told the kids interesting facts about first aid and then the boys and girls tried their skills on mannequins. The master class in balloon modeling was a hit with the kids. Such activity was one of the many gifts prepared by the Belarusian side for the children of Donbass.
"We are always willing to help. We don't care about what nationality a person is. We organize events, tell how the Red Cross movement works. So that children who got help as kids will return it when they grow up," said Dmitry Shevtsov, Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross. “We help children adapt to a new environment and try to make them feel safe. After leaving Belarus, children have long-lasting memories of how good it was here.”
All in all, 37 children and 8 accompanying adults came from Donbass for a two-week holiday in Brest Oblast, including 27 children and five adults from Mariupol. Yevgenia tried to make the most of this time. “I liked the water park. We had a great time in Belovezhskaya Pushcha: we ate pancakes, visited Father Frost, watched animals in enclosures. I took part in competitions, went to hobby classes, made baskets from newspapers, sculpted clay figures. I also enjoyed my health improvement procedures,” Yevgenia said.
According to Nadezhda Lupinova who accompanied the kids from Mariupol, their vacation was packed with activities. “The children got healthier. The little ones were accompanied by adults, while the older ones ran around on their own, they quickly adapted. We went on excursions. The trip to the Brest Fortress will stay in my memory forever. Belovezhskaya Pushcha was beyond amazing. What has struck me the most was people; they are so kind, attentive. We are leaving with very good feelings, it would be great to come here again,” the woman said.
Children's rehabilitation and health center Kolos is located in a quiet and environmentally friendly place. It is literally a stone's throw from Kobrin and Brest, so the cultural program revolved around these cities. In particular, the guests from Donbass were given a unique opportunity to visit the Polesie factory and see with their own eyes the process of making toys. They also enjoyed the famous Kobrin ice cream.
“Every day we arranged interesting cultural events. These included entertainment activities, games, concerts. The children played sports, attended hobby classes. Their days were filled with educational events and other exciting activities,” Kolas deputy director for education Yevgeny Gulyuta emphasized.
The group also included a foster family from Dokuchayevsk. Ella Khominets and her husband brought their ten daughters for recuperation holidays to Belarus. “The girls and we were offered all kinds of medical and health-improving procedures. The staff here is very friendly, well-qualified. The food was really delicious. Everything was great, we are very happy,” the mother said. Speaking about the warm welcome the family received in Belarus, she could not hold back her tears. “People are very kind-hearted here. It is so touching. We didn't even expect this. Things are not calm at home, but here everything is peaceful. The children don't want to leave because they feel good here. Thank you all very much for this. I would love to come back here again.” The foster family from Dokuchayevsk also met with parents-educators from Kobrin Children's Village.
A concert wrapped up the children's stay in Brest Oblast. The children were shown a video about the brightest moments of their vacation in Belarus. All the children got sweet gift sets from the Brest Oblast Executive Committee, sportswear from the Belarusian Red Cross and some presents from the Belarusian Peace Foundation. Students of the Kamenets gymnasium made white paper doves - a symbol of peace, kindness and hope - for their peers from Donbass.
“We have delivered on all the promises we made to the children at our first meeting. The most important thing is that they underwent a health improvement course. Children also got psychological help. Specialists worked with every child individually. Children received plenty of positive emotions, got a mental reset and felt a normal, peaceful atmosphere. I think we did everything well,” Brest Oblast Vice Governor Vadim Kravchuk said.
Photos by Vadim Yakubyonok