I have been planning to write to you for a long time now. But because our life – I mean that of our non-profit organization – is very complicated and sometimes unpredictable, the letters were put off. I always remember you, though, when I receive the latest brochure about the works of ICCCPO. Thank you for sending it to us regularly. I find the organization’s work very interesting.

I am thankful that we are not forgotten, although we never joined ICCCPO officially and could not take part in the conferences. The reason is lack of financial resources. When I say our life is complicated, I want to say that the government is more and more taking control over our work. Still we continue, because the number of children taken care of by the organization “Children in Need” is steadily rising and the problems connected with their treatment and rehabilitation do not become less.

I will try to give you a picture of what we have been doing recently, of our success, and I want to ask you to publish our information, to make sure that other organizations know about our association. This way we would feel to be part of ICCCPO.

The “Belarussian Organization of Children in Need” is a non-profit organization and was founded in December 1990 by parents of children with cancer. In 18 cities of the republic subsidiaries of the organization were founded. Unfortunately, the number of children with cancer is growing. In 2001, 175 families became members of our organization. In 2002, 245 joined and in 2003: 243. More than half of the ill children are younger than 7 years.

The main goal of the organization is to support families of children with cancer and special clinics for these children, with the aim to ensure a high quality treatment and rehabilitation. This is why the main activities of our organization are collecting financial means, medication and medical equipment from foreign partners of the pediatric clinics of the republic.

Through the organization’s initiative and the financial involvement of our foreign partners the following projects were realized:

1992, a sanatorium with a kindergarten and elementary school for children with cancer was built in Minsk. The classes are organized up to 3rd grade.

On the site of the republican children sanatorium “Ostroschiezkij Gorodok” in January 1998 a rehabilitation ward for teenagers with cancer was opened. The ward has the necessary equipment and highly qualified staff.

With the help of our foreign partners, specific medication and equipment worth $120,000 was given to the Republican Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Center and the onko-hematoligical ward of the Mogilew Clinic. Because the Children’s Center for Oncology and Haematology constantly has problems with the financing of the medication, this kind of help is of great importance. This way, the newest medication can be provided, which is not bought by the ministry of health. For some children, this expensive medication is the only chance to a positive treatment result. We are happy to be able to help.

Vitally important for the Pediatric Oncology/ Hematology Center as well as the parents is the hostel for parents of cancer sick children that come from different areas of the republic for treatment at the dayclinic, for control, etc. The Pediatric Oncology/ Hematology Center does not have the possibilty to provide rooms for parents and children, because it is constantly overbooked. The rooms in the hospital can only accommodate two ill children at a time, right now there are four, sometimes five children who would need a bed. In case they don’t get a room in the hostel, staying in a hotel would be the only alternative for the parents, although most of them cannot afford that for a longer time. However, the organization cannot fulfill all wishes of accommodation by parents and children in the clinic.

Together with the Health Ministry and the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Center we plan to build a “Mother and Child House” on the site of the hospital. Our foreign partners are willing to participate financially in the project and collected 80,000 $ for this purpose. We are still searching for more partners who want to take part in the realization of the project.

The festival “Smile“ for children who are finished with their treatment takes place every year. About 500 children with their parents and siblings join (in total more than 1000 people) to celebrate. We provide games, children groups give performances and everybody receives a gift. Our partners also come to this festival. Of course, we do not forget the children being treated in the Children’s Center. For them, we have events with gifts, too. We support children financially who are in the clinic without parents, so the children receive good nutrition and fresh fruit.

Our main problem is the constant financial distress, caused by ongoing costs (rent, telephone, electricity, water). Unfortunately the government does not give tax reductions for non-profit organizations and we get almost no money from banks, commercial companies, etc. It is disadvantageous for them to give humanitarian help, because there is a rather high tax on donations. This is why you can say that humanitarian deeds are not “in” in our country. We can afford our work only thanks to our foreign partners and friends. In 2003, we were asked to return part of the premises, where parents with ill children were accommodated to the landlord.

In spite of all the difficulties we constantly face, we want to continue our work, because parents come to our organization with their problems every day. We give psychological, legal and other advice. Every year, about 1100 children that were treated are invited for rehabilitation by our partners. Most of the parents are thankful for the help and support.

We hope that there will soon be a law for the regulation of humanitarian help, which was put off a few years ago. Hopefully the needs of non-profit organization will be recognized.

Our address:

Surganov Str. 37-2.

Tel., Fax: +375 172 31 89 00

E-mail: pva@child00.belpak.mink.by