Belarus project update: Charity Week and "Different Together"

During the week of the 5th of September, our local partner organizations in Belarus have come together to hold a ‘Charity Week’ across the country. The week was a part of the ‘Different Together’ campaign that launched previously in April within the framework of our project “Building effective advocacy mechanisms to better protect the rights of children with severe disabilities and life-limiting conditions”, funded by the European Union.

The activities and events during the week focused on attracting the Belarusian public’s attention to the issues children with severe disabilities and life-limiting conditions face. Our partner teams at the Belarussian Children’s Hospice and ‘Rano’ organized a number of open days and educational seminars and activities for volunteers, local governments, sponsors, students, and the general public about social inclusion and possible pathways into the sector working with CWSD/LLC.

Est’ Delo was involved in baking activities and master classes with children from across a range of Belorussia’s hospices, while Belarussian Children’s Fund was organizing a sports day for all in Mogilev.

A new fantastic initiative of this campaign is the marathon of making toys! Anyone who would like to can participate in making a toy that would later be donated to children under the care of our partner organizations. These pillows have both a sentimental and practical meaning, as not only will they bring joy but can also be used in children’s care – participants can make anything from physiotherapy pillows to therapeutic toys. Every partner is putting their own twist on the toy-making and the marathon will last until December, so we are thrilled to see everything the supporters of this project create for children in need.

We are very excited that the campaign is receiving plenty of media attention within the country. Our partner team at the Belarussian Children’s Fund and their ‘Happy Start’ sports event has even received its own TV segment. You can find it here.

The ‘Different Together’ campaign will continue until December of this year, so we will keep updating you on the different fantastic educational events and activities our partners organize!

This campaign is a part of the project “Building effective advocacy mechanisms to better protect the rights of children with severe disabilities and life-limiting conditions”, funded by the EU.