The Japanese fund has allocated a grant for the organization of clown therapy at the Vitebsk Regional Children's Home
A Japanese foundation has allocated a grant for the organization of hospital clowning at the Vitebsk Regional Specialized Children's Home. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Dmitry Rachkovsky, a specialist of the Vitebsk regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.
The Vitebsk Red Cross project "Merry Doctor," aimed at developing and disseminating methods of hospital clowning, art therapy, and play therapy in the rehabilitation and socialization of children undergoing inpatient treatment, has won a grant from the Empress Shoken Foundation (Japan). This amounts to over $16,000.
Vitebsk already has experience in applying clown therapy methods in inpatient medical facilities. For several years, this activity has been carried out by the volunteer group "Doctor NeBoLit" (Doctor No Pain). Despite their accumulated experience, the hospital clowns currently reach only a small percentage of young patients – those admitted to the regional children's clinical hospital. "We want to expand the application of clown therapy, art therapy, and play therapy methods to other institutions. Besides the regional children's hospital, there is also the specialized Children's Home, 2 departments at Regional Clinical Hospital No. 1, beds in the burn and surgical departments, etc. We will start precisely with the specialized Children's Home, where very young orphans are housed, most of them with serious illnesses," explained Dmitry Rachkovsky.
In accordance with the project, it is planned to involve at least 80 volunteers from five districts of the region in volunteer activities, who are ready to work as hospital clowns. Candidate selection will begin in May of this year. The creation of the necessary methodological base, with the involvement of resources from the "Doctor NeBoLit" group, and the progressive training of volunteers will last at least four months. After that, it is planned to conclude cooperation agreements with the Children's Home, as well as with a couple more healthcare institutions in Orsha and Polotsk.
The funds allocated by the foundation will be used to cover the training and education of volunteers, organization of PR support in the media, as well as the purchase of consumables for clowning skills training and subsequent work (paints, balloons and pumps, soap bubbles, clown props, white coats, educational game kits, sports equipment). The project implementation period is one year. As planned, closer to the completion, a visit to Vitebsk by a group of Japanese hospital clowns led by Kosuke Omune, a renowned specialist in this field, will take place for an exchange of experience.
The Empress Shoken Fund was established in 1912 by the Empress of Japan to promote humanitarian activities during peacetime. Each year, the fund decides on awarding grants to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the implementation of various projects in areas such as improving emergency preparedness, healthcare, blood donation, youth support, and first aid.
Ekaterina Knyazeva