The Belarusian-Swiss humanitarian project is being implemented in the 24-hour care unit for lonely elderly people in Lepel
In the agro-town of Kamen, representatives of the foundation of Urs Herzog and Rolf Metzger from the city of Basel were welcomed with bread and salt and songs performed by the ensemble of the Society of Disabled People "Myatlitsa" .
– Your support is significant and important to us, – emphasized the Chairman of the District Executive Committee Boris Efremov, welcoming the guests. – Especially since the social facility is funded by the district budget, where, as they say, every penny counts, and there are not always enough funds for everything. It is gratifying that there are people who provide assistance to those who are particularly in need. Thank you very much! This also encourages local authorities to take further steps in caring for the elderly and disabled. I think our cooperation will continue and expand.
Boris Efremov presented letters of gratitude from the District Executive Committee to the representatives of the humanitarian foundation and to Andrey Kulazhenko, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
– It was thanks to Andrey Grigoryevich that our meeting took place and connections were established. In addition, the Kulazhenko family, their friends and acquaintances regularly provide humanitarian assistance to the elderly from "Svetlitsa".
In general, the purpose of the humanitarian foundation
"WE-HELP" is support for social projects and humanitarian actions worldwide under the motto: "We help them with your help". The foundation, all of whose members are volunteers, supports people in case of natural disasters and emergencies, in the construction of facilities, and basic human needs such as food, water, and shelter are a priority. All projects are planned and implemented together with the local population, and the results are reported to the foundation.The guests thanked for the warm welcome in the Lepel region and said that together with their friends from Germany, Holland, and Switzerland, they had started doing charity work in Belarus as well. The first project was carried out in Klimovichi, where the foundation participated in the modernization of a nursing home. They also emphasized the role of Andrey Kulazhenko, thanks to whom they were invited to the embassy in Bern. Andrey Grigoryevich suggested the idea of providing assistance to
"Svetlitsa". Thus, a year ago they came to the Lepel region, and today they are happy to see what has been achieved through joint efforts.Urs Herzog and Rolf Metzger presented a gift for the residents of the department – two modern washing machines from the company
«Bosch». Each of them is designed for a nine-kilogram load, has 13 programs, and a high energy efficiency class, which is especially important for an institution where laundry needs to be done daily. In addition, the foundation provided assistance in setting up shower cubicles – now a person with disabilities can enter here directly in a wheelchair, which is very convenient for residents and staff. And the most significant project being implemented at «Svetlitsa» is the construction of a bathhouse. Although there were no problems with hygiene washing here. But the majority of residents are villagers. And in the village, a bathhouse is a place where you can rest your body and soul, socialize, drink herbal tea, etc.It was planned that the facility would be commissioned in the summer of the current year. The total cost is 1 billion rubles. But when they started its construction, they realized how necessary a smooth transition under a canopy from the main building was, so that elderly people in wheelchairs or with canes could easily and conveniently get to the bathhouse in any weather. This slightly increased the construction cost and delayed the process. To date, approximately 70% of the planned work has been completed. Nevertheless, as the head of the district assured, the bathhouse will be put into operation by the beginning of the heating season.
Thanks to this project, the heat supply point at
«Svetlitsa» was reconstructed, which brought real savings in the first months of operation, and solar panels were also installed for heating water in the canteen during the summer.The guests were pleased with the work of the Lepel residents – all funds are spent as intended and ultimately benefit elderly lonely people. An agreement on further cooperation has been reached. Now the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the District Executive Committee is developing an action program for the near future. It is planned that the Swiss foundation will help provide residents of
"Svetlitsa" with walkers, special tables and dishes for bedridden patients, hygiene products, etc. But most importantly, the guests offered to build a special lifting platform in the department for people who, due to age or illness, lack the strength to climb to the second and third floors on their own. The next joint activity program is designed for a year.– This is not the only charitable organization that provides us with assistance, – said the head of the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Lepel District Executive Committee, Vasily Ravovoy. – Only during 2014 and 2015, the evangelical church, for example, helped to purchase a chainsaw and a scythe for the urgent social assistance department of the Territorial Center for Social Services, LLC
"LODE" is a walk-behind tractor, and now we can provide services to the elderly for garden cultivation. Nine machines appeared in the day care department for disabled people thanks to the education department of the district executive committee, which allowed for diversifying the employment and creativity of people with disabilities. The fund "EcoMir" allocated more than 200 million rubles for the optimization of the heating system of OKP "Svetlitsa". CJSC "International Business Alliance" purchased an ironing press with a stand. And today we are actively starting work on another significant project – together with MBOO "EcoStroy" and the German charitable organization "Homes instead of Chernobyl", a center for social, domestic, and labor rehabilitation of disabled people will be built in Lepel using modern environmental technologies.Elena Telyatko, "Vitebskiye Vesti"