Thanks to Alexey Talay's Paralympic Foundation children from Donbass see what the true peace could be like

12 ноября 2022
For the first time children from Donbass came to our country back in 2021. Bringing the kids to the world was the initiative of Alexei Talai, a Paralympian and public figure from Belarus. 7 years ago he was contacted by Olga Volkova, the director of the Donetsk organization for disabled children "Dolphins". The children needed an example of how one can and should live. 

Olga Volkova, director of the Donetsk organization for disabled children "Dolphins":

I saw a picture of Alexei on social networks. I wrote him: "With great love from Donbass to Alexei, come to us, we have an annual swimming competition "Dolphins Gather Friends". I invited him to my place.

Such friendship bound them for a long time. But the meeting was delayed. Alexei managed to come to Donetsk only in 2021. He talked to the affected families and spoke to the children. He told Alexander Lukashenko about what he had seen. And he proposed to invite these children to Belarus for health improvement. The President supported the initiative. 

Alexei Talai, Paralympian, social activist:

It was a magical emotion. Many of these kids were riding the train for the first time, they saw the train with their own eyes. They were telling us about these smells, these train goodies, about ordinary food,  the bedtime preparations on those shelves. Everything was new to them and full of all sorts of important, positive and kind emotions. That was the point that these children should be distracted, that these children should see something apart from smoke and hear something apart from explosions. 

The program was defined at once. The schedule, apart from traditional physical exercises, included 5 meals a day, disco and songs around the campfire, as well as a full educational process. 

Families with children with special needs also participated in the recuperation program. Physicians rendered all necessary psychological and medical aid: medical procedures, water therapy, salt baths, oxygen cocktails. All was at the expense of a host.  

There was also an excursion to the sights of the capital: National Library, Trinity Suburb, railway station, higher educational institutions, dolphinarium, zoo. Many things were a discovery for them then.