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FOSTERING
PROJECT - News Update from Minsk |
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February 2003 |
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| As the fostering
project nears the end of its funding it
was really good to hear that there are
now over 1,000 children placed with
families throughout Belarus and over 750
families registered as foster carers!
The team finds it hard to remember the
bewildered reactions and vehement
opposition to our suggestions of four
years ago. At that time there was no
word for 'fostering', and our Belarusian
friends thought we were nice but nuts!
The figures now speak for themselves.
It's a good feeling. |
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| We are also
delighted that for the first time the
two parts of our Charity have come
together. Nastya was one of 67 babies
abandoned in the Minsk region in 2002. |
Nastya with her new foster
family |
She
was left in Borovliani
hospital shortly after her
birth. All three of the
convoy teams working in
Borovliani last year took
her to their hearts. To our
great delight we have now
found a foster home for her.
The Yanushkevich family -
Natalia, Andrei, Piotr and
Julia. Foster Mum Natalia
has been trained by the West
Sussex team and it was good
to note how carefully she
had used her training to
prepare herself, her husband
and her own children to
welcome Nastya. |
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| It was also
wonderful to see the progress that this
very disabled little baby has made in
her new family. The difference is truly
remarkable. |
| From the sad
little mite that was abandoned at birth,
disabled and struggling for life there
is now a baby who is bright and alert,
who smiles, who takes a lively interest
in all that is going on around her, and
responds well to her foster brother and
sister |
| Of
course it is still early
days and there is lots of
time for Julia and Piotr to
develop the 'green
disease'(!) but Mum and Dad
are well prepared. In the
meantime, while all the
paperwork is legal, the
legislation is not yet in
place for the Government to
provide funds, and Nastya
does have considerable
needs, so in the meantime
two sisters, Ceri and Sue
from Leaves of Hope are
providing a standard monthly
allowance for her care.
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Nastya in September 2002 |
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| Leaves of Hope
have funded all the set up costs (cot,
buggy and clothes) but still need
sponsorship for special equipment,
drugs, and all the travel costs for
frequent visits to hospital and clinics. |
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| And now we must
look to helping the other 551 babies
abandoned in hospital in the first year
of their life. We are delighted to have
received confirmation that the proposal
for the next Leaves of Hope project has
been included for part funding in the
UNICEF 5 year plan. |
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Abandoned in a maternity
hospital in Minsk |
Our
Belarusian partners are so
pleased with the success of
the fostering project that
they want to continue
working with us. We have
lots of interest and support
from the Ministries of
Health and Social Protection
and from the City Welfare
Departments. We have
convinced them that it is
possible to reduce the
numbers of children being
abandoned if parents are
given access to immediate
practical, emotional, and
material support at the
right time. All we need now
is another 3 years funding
to prove it! |
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|
Course
Participants November '02 & March '03 |
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| In the meantime
the fostering project is due to finish
in October this year. We have trained
116 professionals and are due to train
another 40 by the end of the year. This
is double our original estimate. The
Ministry of Education has formally
recognized our work as a post qualifying
award in child care and participants are
encouraged to frame their certificates
and place in prominent positions in
their office! They do not need to be
asked twice.
And there is yet more
good news. The inaugural meeting of The
Belarusian Association of Foster Carers
was held in Minsk on 22nd February. The
Association was established using
donations from an independent West
Sussex fostering agency, 'Families for
Children' and The Haywards Heath
Children and Families' Assessment Team. |
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Celebrating The Belarusian
Association
of Foster Carers |
There
was an incredible
attendance. 75 people
attended from all over
Belarus. The idea for an
association came from three
of our foster carers two of
whom were invited by the
West Sussex Foster Care
Association to visit in
September last year. Their
visit had obviously been put
to good use. They used lots
of ideas and had obviously
listened carefully to the
experiences of their British
counterparts. |
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| We are now
learning from their good ideas! The
country has been divided into regions
and each region has been asked to set up
a local group which will be autonomous
with its own committee of Chair,
secretary and treasurer. Each group will
responsible for their own fund raising
of which they will be allowed to retain
80% the remaining 20% will be the
affiliation fee to the national group.
The chairs of each local group will form
the National Council. The National
Association is now all set to be
registered formally as an official NGO.
We feel quite overwhelmed by it. They
have achieved so much with so little.
This is truly what 'sustainability'
means. |
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| It is
sad that no further funding
is available from the
British Government to take
the next project forward to
a logical 'next step'
conclusion but we will work
hard to find a source of
funding to cover what is
another relatively small
project but utterly
essential if the rights of
children are to be truly
promoted, protected and
sustained. |
The Kulikovski foster
family. Minsk City
has converted 2 flats into
one to give enough room! |
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| Margaret
Bamford |
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