Khrenin: you want every child to believe in goodness ahead of New Year

The goal of the Our Children campaign is to make every child believe in goodness, said Belarus’ Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin today, December 24th, at the New Year celebration in Orsha centre for social adaptation he attended as part of the Our Children national New Year charity drive initiated by President Aleksandr Lukashenko

According to Mr. Khrenin, events like this one have already become a tradition for him: the Defence Ministry has been the patron for social institutions in Orsha District for years, helping their charges in many ways in order to make their lives better and more comfortable. Both kids and grown-ups have been preparing for this long-awaited meeting, said the Defence Minister.

“The Our Children drive is already a brand in our country. We in the military take part in it every time, trying to give kids the care they need and make them believe in goodness. They are not here by choice: life has put them in difficult, maybe even extreme circumstances because their parents, unfortunately, forgot their main duty: to be responsible and to care for their kids,” he explained.

As Mr. Khrenin pointed out, there are always people in Belarus ready to lend a hand and give kids in need their care and love, “This is how it is in our country. If parents are not up to the task, other grown-ups step up. Of course, nothing is a substitute for parental love. But it’s our duty to make vulnerable children understand that there’s goodness in the world, normal life, places they can live and study in. So they don’t grow resentful and go on to become true patriots of our homeland. The goal number one for the grown-ups, on the other hand, is to keep our Belarus peaceful and quiet, so that children here smile and laugh, feel good and wanted, because their entire lives are still ahead of them. They need that peace even more than we do."

The centre gives refuge to about 30 kids aged 3 to 18. They will remember this New Year for its festive mood, warm emotions, and fun around the fancy tree where even Baba Yaga was friendly and full of smiles. Yevgeny Rakushev (10) was smiling, too.

“I was waiting for this party forever. I memorised a poem and now want to recite it to Father Frost. I believe in miracles and hope my every wish comes true,” the boy said.

Milana Shesterneva (12) shared her wishes with the reporter, “I asked for a paint-by-numbers picture and some make-up. But my dearest wish is to go home to celebrate New Year with my Dad, grandparents, and my entire family. All my friends want that, too.”

Khrenin Our Children