Quilts and Computers, Popcorn and Compassion!

Although I have returned from Belarus, I have been getting some updates and pictures sent to me by Jon Schuler and Natasha Gurinavich, so I will try to play a little catch-up.

Once again all of the new children at the orphanage were presented with their very own quilt, hand-made with love by a group of quilters in Brockville.  These quilts are very special and it is something that the children can say is their very own and they will hold onto them forever.

_01Quilts

Last year Dan McKenzie delivered a unicycle to the orphanage and of course none of the children were able to ride it at that time.  This year at least 10 of the kids are very proficient on it and several others are well on their way.  They approached Dan to see if he could get them any more as it is hard to share one unicycle with so many children … looks like Dan has his next initiative cut out for him!

_02Unicycle

Jann Smith, Annis Moreau and Ruby Bird put together quite a few “Fresh Start Bags” to be given to each woman who stays at the Dream Mountains Crisis Centre.  Here is a picture of the contents of the bags, the ladies running the center were very pleased and said that they would be very valued!

_03Crisis

Here Dave Shaw and Jon Schuler present some of the members and executive of the “Invalid Adults Organization” with a laptop computer and printer/copier/scanner.  This will be of great value to them as in the past all records were kept manually.

_04InvAdult

Jon Schuler brought with him some money donated by himself and his family.  While there we were approached by the “Organization of Veterans, War, Army and Labour” to see if we could help them with a laptop as well .  Jon determined that this was a worthwhile initiative and used his funds for the purchase.  Here Jon is presenting the laptop.

_05Veteran

With Dave Shaw’s citizenship award came a cash award of about $500 and our team came up with the perfect way to spend it!  One of our prime goals is to help integrate the orphans and the physically and mentally challenged into society and have them recognized as significant.  On Wednesday, Dave rented 4 buses and loaded up all of the children from the Chausy Orphanage as well as the children in the “Invalid Children” organization (about 115 in total) and took them to a 3D movie in Mogilev!  Here they are lined up to get their popcorn and drink before heading into the theater.

Movie1

Many of these children have never been to a movie before, much less a 3D movie!

Movie2

Starting to fill up the theater.

Movie3

After the movie the buses drove everyone back to Chausy where the next stop was a local restaurant, “The Liga”.  This has been a gathering place for the Canadians while in Chausy so they know us very well.  They closed the whole restaurant so that the gang had it all to themselves and the children were greeted by a “mascot”.

Movie5

Everyone enjoyed a large bowl of ice cream!  The owners of the restaurant even paid for half of the ice cream!

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Here is the mascot with our regular waitress Anna.

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Anna has been waiting on the Canadian delegates for several years now and has gotten to know us well.  While the children were having their ice cream she approached Dave and handed him $100 US that she had saved.  Remember that the average salary in Belarus is less than $500 per month and Anna will make considerably less than that, this is no small amount of money!  She said that she wanted to donate it to our organization as we have done so much to help the people of her community.  Dave pointed out one of the children from the Invalid Children organization and explained that he has leukemia and that his medication costs $130 every 6 months and his family is very poor and cannot always afford it.  He asked if Anna would let him use her donation to help this family pay for the medication and she quickly and tearfully agreed!  This world is full of amazing and wonderful people … I know, I’ve met them!  Thank you to everyone who has ever donated, volunteered or offered words of encouragement, together we are making a difference!

Eric McKenzie

4 thoughts on “Quilts and Computers, Popcorn and Compassion!

  1. Colin Price

    Wow! I never new Anna donated $100.00. That is beyond amazing. I wish I knew so I could tell her how wonderfiull she is. Maybe I will get the chance next year. This trip just keeps on giving.

  2. Annis Moreau

    Even though I was there and witnessed or participated in these events it still warms my heart & brings tears to my eyes seeing them and reliving them again. It was another marvelous & successful trip and each one seems to get bigger & better every year.A true life-changing experience & “hats-off” to everyone for amother JOB WELL DONE!! Bouquets to ALL involved – here or there.

  3. connie lou Sebast

    it seems as if every time i read what is happening in Belarus through CAFC, i have tears in my eyes. Having an adopted child from Russia, we know first hand that these children have nothing that is their own. When we took Gorsha, we brought clothes and they took the ones he was wearing off and put ours on him. he brought nothing from the orphanage. We got a very precious gift though.

    our family has a special place in our hearts for children in orphanages.

    i wish all children in orphanages had your organization working with them.

    thank you seems too inadequate, but thank you anyway.

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