International solidarity

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, which caused so much pain and suffering, gave impetus to the development of a unique form of international cooperation unprecedented in history.

Not only governments and international public organizations participated, but also doctors, scientists, and ordinary people: all united by the desire to help, first and foremost, children living in areas contaminated by radionuclides. By welcoming children from Belarusian families who had arrived in our country, our Italian friends realized that improving the children’s health was not the only way to help.

Following visits to Belarus by advisors from the Anpas Emilia-Romagna Association, Dr. Angelo Antonellini and Giliana Galeotti, social projects have been developed and successfully implemented in the province of Dobrush. These projects are still ongoing, particularly those carried out by the P.A. Croce Blu di San Felice sul Panaro, Medolla, Massa Finalese ODV.

The recipients of the multifaceted assistance were:
– medical institutions, for which technological and medical equipment, machinery, medicines, protective equipment, protective suits, and vaccinations against human papillomavirus were purchased and transferred for adolescents participating in the project;
– educational institutions – the Nivki school and the Social Pedagogical Center, where the “San Felice” project is being implemented to prevent unfavorable family situations that could lead to a child being removed from a family in a difficult life situation.
Each year, project funds are used to purchase food for the 68 children participating in the project, helping to keep families together for the children. Technological equipment, teaching aids, furniture, tableware, consumables, stationery, seeds, and many other items are purchased for the school.

For children who have been left without parental care and are temporarily housed in the reception department of the social education center, hygiene products, clothing, shoes, and stationery are purchased. To date, given the impossibility of implementing the reception project, thanks to humanitarian aid, we are still able to make them feel our closeness.
The Complementary Education Center implements the “Center of Goodness” project, which aims to provide social support to children and young people from socially disadvantaged families by creating conditions for the development of their creative and cognitive abilities, including at home for children with disabilities. To organize the educational process, teaching aids and technological equipment, development and teaching materials, consumables, tools, and devices are purchased, thanks to which children in need of special care can develop their talents and abilities, enjoy their free time, and discover the world of future professional activity.

Such projects make a worthy contribution to humanitarian cooperation and the strengthening of friendly international relations, helping to form a “belt of good neighborliness.”
This world is warm not only because of the bright sun, but also because of the generosity and openness of people’s hearts. The power of kindness in human hearts is stronger than the explosive power of the atom or catastrophic epidemics.