Volgograd social activists have developed a project "Birthday as a gift" especially for children with disabilities, which became the winner of the II competition of the Presidential Grants Fund in 2020. For details, we turned to the initiators.
A special holiday
“Families with disabled children are very special, not only because of the specifics of the child’s disability, but also because the parents consciously made a choice in favor of their child, did not betray him, left him in the family and try their best to socialize,” the president says. Charitable Foundation "Children in Need" Galina Morozova. - Each such family is, in fact, heroic. Ordinary people who raise ordinary children know how much patience, strength, and resources are needed to raise them in our difficult times. And for the upbringing of special children, much more strength, patience and means are needed. Often this is an incomplete or large family, where material difficulties are experienced. And in the daily struggle for medicines and rehabilitation means, of course, priority is given to what is more important. But these are children! And they need holidays.
The Children in Need charitable foundation has long been friends with the Kind House of Holidays studio. Animators came to congratulate the wards of the foundation on the New Year, Children's Day.
- At the beginning of this year, a mother of many children applied to the studio, - continues the head of the Kind House of Holidays studio Svetlana Selezneva. - She really wanted to celebrate the 5th birthday of the child. But there were two big difficulties: the child was bedridden, the disability was severe, he was practically not taken anywhere, and the lack of money to organize a good holiday. I decided to post information about the little birthday boy on social networks with a request to help in organizing congratulations.
A lot of caring people responded to the announcement, they began to collect money for the celebration. Birthday was a success! After that, there were two more holidays at home, and - due to the self-isolation regime - another 10 holidays online. Both children and parents were delighted.
- Of course, there is a difference between spending a holiday for an ordinary child and for a special one, says Svetlana Selezneva. - We preliminarily discuss all the nuances with the parents in order to find out how to build the program, come up with contests in which the birthday person can independently participate. The animator's responsibility increases, more energy is spent on maintaining a joyful atmosphere. I remember that on one of the holidays the birthday girl felt bad. Plays, plays, and then cries. We ask: "Are you tired, don't you want to play anymore?" And she: "I want." And he continues to play and have fun.
Birthday to everyone
“Almost every family dreams of receiving a birthday gift,” says Galina Morozova. - 350 families raising children with disabilities are under the care of our foundation. Among them, 12 large single-parent families, 20 families have heavy bedridden children. In February of this year, a group of volunteers conducted a study, during which it was found that in the districts of the region, the need for the creative service offered by volunteers is up to 200 families. But in order to organize a holiday, you need funds for the purchase of costumes, props, transportation costs. Then, together with our friends, the Kind House of Holidays studio, we decided to apply for the competition of the Presidential Grants Fund. And we won!
Now palliative children and adolescents who do not have the physical ability to be in a children's environment, children from large families in difficult life situations, and patients of the children's oncohematological center will be able to receive a birthday as a gift, meet their favorite cartoon characters, ride a real bike, become party to fairy tales and fulfill your innermost dreams. Those who can come to the holiday will be invited to the “Birthday Day” in the House of Creativity or the library, bedridden patients will have a party at home, and disabled children from distant regions of the region will celebrate their birthday online.
A special task of the project is the preparation and training of talented and caring young people. They will be taught stage skills, competent communication and understanding of children with disabilities, so that they can hold both individual and group holidays for "specials".
“Previously, we spent such holidays only at the expense of sponsors,” concludes Galina Morozova. - Now we have grant money. But we will continue to attract caring people to help buy the birthday boy a dream gift. This will help make your child's birthday truly magical!
If your child qualifies for the program and you want to receive a “Birthday as a gift”, call 8 917 847 09 45 to the project curator Alexei Berezentsev.
Veronica Skvortsova Photo courtesy of Svetlana Selezneva
