Sergeyenko: Our Children is wonderful tradition that is gaining momentum every year

The Head of the President Administration, Igor Sergeyenko, has taken part in the Our Children campaign and visited the Molodechno special boarding school

Currently, the boarding school is home for 86 boys and girls, and twenty-six of them have no parents. All children have vision problems.

Together with the children and staff of the institution, the Head of the President Administration took part in a dance and theatrical performance and later addressed them, “Our meetings on New Year's Eve are already becoming traditional. I am grateful to you for the invitation to visit you again, to return to the fairy tale of childhood, with the same characters as they were several decades ago: Father the Frost, Snow Maiden, Carlson, White-Haired Magpie, Rooster, and Koschei the Immortal – though you have enriched the fairy tale with your ideas, words, and creativity.”

Mr. Sergeyenko emphasised that the boarding school is constantly being improved. “The movement forward is obvious. You have new creative victories, athletic results, and academic successes this year. Your house – where you live and study – has become even more cozy and more beautiful. You have even planted a garden. However, the most important thing is that you create an atmosphere of creativity and comfort here,” he addressed the children.

The Head of the President Administration expressed gratitude to the teachers for their work, “You leave a piece of your soul here, and it can't be any other way. After all, cold-hearted people cannot work with children.”

Among those who created a fairy tale for children and adults was the musical director of the boarding school, Vladimir Zdankevich. Every year, he comes to boys and girls as Father the Frost, although many children immediately recognise him even in makeup. “Nevertheless, they still believe in a fairy tale. We always have good and interesting scenarios for them to plunge into this atmosphere. This year, the evil spirit tried to spoil the holiday again, but kind and good characters did not let her do it,” he smiled.

The Head of the President Administration presented the director of the boarding school with a certificate for the purchase of a gaming outdoor complex, which will be useful for children. Boys and girls also received long-awaited sweet gifts.

Speaking with journalists after the festive performance, Mr. Sergeyenko noted that a wonderful tradition – the Our Children campaign that originated at the initiative of the Head of State more than 20 years ago – is gaining momentum every year. He stressed that no child should be ignored these days. Mr. Sergeyenko added that, over the years, the President Administration has developed good friendly relations with the staff of the boarding school, and the latter does a lot for the social adaptation of children in modern life.

“Much attention is paid in our country to the younger generation, to children. A lot of work is being done at this school to maintain the health of children with visual impairments who study here. This activity is carried out also jointly with our higher education institutions,” Mr. Sergeyenko noted, adding that the staff of the institution organised a wonderful New Year holiday. “It demonstrated that the New Year atmosphere is beginning to spread across our country. School holidays begin tomorrow. All the children are preparing for the New Year and intend to relax in order to start studies with new strength and desire to get knowledge,” he said.

Natalia Glinskaya, the Director of the Molodechno Special Boarding School, said, in turn, that and increasing number of citizens and organisations have been joining the campaign over these years, “It is a kind of educational moment in the development of our society. I am proud of my country, of my President. As I see our children, I understand how much support the state renders to them, and this aid is very significant. These days, as in all institutions, our children are not deprived of attention. For example, representatives of the Patriots of Belarus republican association are visiting us today as well, bringing personalised gifts to the children. Our boys and girls look forward to every meeting with guests.”