GOMEL, 8 May (BelTA) - A group of children from Donbass, who sustained mine-blast wounds, came to Belarus for recovery and rehabilitation, BelTA has learned.
The first stop in Belarus was Gomel. On the platform of the railway station, ten children aged 9-17 and their parents were greeted with a loaf of bread, gifts and warm greetings by representatives of the Aleksei Talai Charitable Foundation, public organizations, enterprises of the city of Gomel and Gomel Oblast, volunteers and a creative team.
"How are you? How is the trip?” the Gomel residents asked the guys. "Everything is fine," they replied cheerfully.
According to Yulia Malova, a representative of the Aleksei Talai Charitable Foundation in the city of Gomel and Gomel Oblast, this is the first group of children that is traveling under a special rehabilitation program of the foundation. "This is a rehabilitation program for children who sustained mine-blast wounds. It is being implemented with the support of Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova and Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia Valentina Matviyenko," Yulia Malova noted.
"When I found out that there was such an opportunity to holiday in your country, I immediately applied. I came to Belarus in good spirits. I haven't been here before. I really want to see the sights. Mom says that there are nature reserves in Belarus. I'm very curious. Plus, I will take a break from the environment that we have at home," Kirill Telegin from Donetsk said.
Svyatoslav Rychkov, 15, and his mother Yelena Nikolayevna came for recuperation from Lisichansk for recuperation.
The boy has a shrapnel wound in the lungs, and his arm does not work. “13 fragments are still in the lungs. Only three have been removed. He does not want to talk about what happened to him. It is still hard for him to discuss these things,” the boy’s mother said.
The family have come to Belarus for the first time. “We heard a lot about your country and wanted to see it for ourselves,” Yelena Rychkova said.
“Everything is wonderful here. We did not expect such a warm, hospitable welcome. We want to have a rest, gain strength, see interesting places and, of course, get distracted for a while from what is happening in our country,” she added.
“Our dear friends, I would like you to keep the days you are going to spend in Belarus in your memory for a long time. The Belarusian Women's Union, all organizations, the whole city, the whole region are always ready to lend a helping hand,” Lyudmila Shimbaleva, Chairperson of the Gomel Central District Organization of the Belarusian Women's Union, said.
Donbass children will undergo recuperation and rehabilitation in the Dubrovenka health resort in Mogilev District. “In Belarus the children will celebrate the great holiday - Victory Day, enjoy an eventful cultural and entertainment program, including excursions, motivational meetings with Aleksei Talai, classes on Paralympic sports and many more,” the representative of the charity foundation said.
“The rehabilitation program stipulates that we will accompany the children in the future, up to their sustainable achievements like creation of a family and the birth of children, receiving further education and employment, opening their own business,” Yulia Malova added.
