Harry and Mary Preston have continued the work that they have been doing in support of School #1 in Chausy. Not only did they again provide some new desks and furniture items as well as badly needed school supplies, but they also were able to purchase new music equipment for the school that was used during the concert we attended last week. Here we see Mary and Harry in the grade 3 class room along with a couple of new microscopes as well as desks and many supplies at the back of the class.
They also brought in some geology equipment that included several
geodes that the children were able to break open and see the crystals inside.
New table tennis equipment was provided along with basketball systems for outdoors and track and field equipment that included javelins!
Harry and Mary also arranged an amazing trip to Minsk for about 40 of the children and their teachers. They took a coach bus for the 3.5 hour drive to Minsk where they had a very full day of activities.
Here they are visiting the brand new museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (WW2).
Of course lunch at McDonalds.
And a trip to the aquarium and zoo.
This was a wonderful experience for these children and a day they will not forget!
Today, Dave and I had an opportunity to present School #1 with books purchased with funds raised by Vanier Schools EarlyAct program, which is also purchasing 4 new chalk boards for the orphanage school. These boys were very excited when they discovered that none of them were “educational” books, but were all books purely for reading enjoyment!
A lot was made in the media yesterday regarding the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and this is the first time we have actually been delivering aid in Belarus on the 26th of April. Today is the 30th anniversary plus 1 day and it looks a lot like yesterday here. No fireworks displays, no parades, no great discussions or presentations … just another day living in the wake of the worlds worst nuclear disaster. Like many other problems in the world the focus moves on to something else and “todays” disaster is often forgotten. The people living here have not forgotten, but they don’t dwell on it and they certainly do not celebrate it. Like the radiation itself, the challenges and difficulties in this community are not going away any time soon … and we don’t plan to either!
Eric McKenzie
Big shout out to Harry and Mary Preston. What a fantastic way to help out these kids!
Your posts are so vivid and informative. They give a real picture of coditions in Belarus and the difference that your organisation makes. Congratulations to all involved. Also a special mention for the wonderful quilters – how precious must those quilts be to children who have so little to call their very own.
How fun for the children and a day they will not likely forget!
How wonderful of all the people who made this possible!