We found out what boys and girls from the Slutsk Social and Pedagogical Center ask in their letters from Santa Claus

The winter marathon of goodness started in all corners of Belarus: charity events, matinees, concerts and, of course, gifts and surprises with which adults try to please children. Pupils of the Slutsk Social and Pedagogical Center have already written letters to Santa Claus and are waiting for the magic. On New Year's Eve, various guests are traditionally received here, but the most welcome ones are parents . For now, they come to their sons and daughters as guests, and they are waiting for them with the hope that the main miracle will definitely happen in 2024.

The social and pedagogical center is located in the private sector on the outskirts of the city in Seregina Lane. The surrounding area is comfortably covered in snow. At the entrance, a cute snowman awaits guests, which the teachers made for the delight of the children: a carrot nose and a knitted hat on the top of his head.

The inside of the building is decorated with New Year's garlands and tinsel. It’s beautiful, cozy and quiet - older kids are in class at school. And the kids (there are three of them in the center now, the rest are sick) - Pasha, Vova and Timosha - in gnome and hedgehog costumes, are preparing with their teachers for the matinee. Pasha has already learned the poem, but is embarrassed to tell it to us on camera, but he examines the camera itself and the pictures on it with interest. The teacher asks: “Do you want to become a photographer when you grow up?” The boy confidently nods his head: I agree! But Vova is not ready to communicate with journalists. He doesn’t speak at all yet, but he has a lot of generosity - he takes out “candy” with surprises from a magic bag and treats everyone. Timosha, emboldened, dances and hums a song.

- All our children are very affectionate. It will take a little while for them to get used to you and climb onto your lap,” assures the director of the center, Galina Shadura, hugging the children. - Now there are 22 children of different ages in our center. Almost everyone has a mother and father, but all children are recognized as in need of state protection.

On New Year's Eve, the center's students and teachers are preparing for upcoming matinees and trips to holiday performances. They write messages to Santa Claus, select outfits and invite guests. Galina Viktorovna shows cards that the older children and their teachers made with their own hands, and each one is unique. They will be sent to their recipients today.

- Every year, friends and trustees come to our matinee: representatives of the Belarusian National Cadastral Agency, light industry trade unions, Belarusbank, Belgosstrakh, public organizations - BRSM, Belaya Rus, Belarusian Women's Union, as well as Slutsk enterprises -meat processing plant , Slutsktorg. We definitely invite the city leadership and education department. Among our regular guests is the “Angel” search and rescue team,” lists Galina Viktorovna. “Our chefs, servicemen of the 30th Separate Red Banner Railway Brigade, are also preparing a New Year’s concert program.

There are a lot of guests and gifts. Last year, for example, each child received 14 of them, and that's just sweets. After the holiday concerts, for a few more days, multi-colored candy wrappers become part of the interior: you can find them literally everywhere, even in pillowcases and under mattresses.

This year, every child will definitely receive from Santa Claus what he wrote on the wish mitten: a doll, a wind-up car, a scarf, a blanket, a bomber jacket, mascara and eyeliner, a sweater... Representatives of the Slutsk BRSM will help make these dreams come true, they will take them to the wizard all mittens, and they will return from him with gifts. By the way, the children and their teachers also prepared a gift - one from all of them. On December 23, during the regional Christmas tree, the shiny dragon will be given to the participants of the charity event “United Minsk Region - the Heart of Belarus”, which is traditionally held in the region as part of another large-scale republican event - “Our Children”.

The children from the social and pedagogical center have their own tradition: all received gifts and sweets are collected in bags , signed and handed over to their parents. Children firmly believe that they will definitely return home. And moms and dads are excitedly waiting for the holiday . And Galina Viktorovna has been doing everything possible for the entire six years that she has been heading the center to ensure that parents come. And there is no greater joy for her and the team than the news that the children are returning to the family.

“We are making every effort so that in the six months that parents are given to recover, they understand the situation, we convince them not to deprive the child of the opportunity to be raised in his own family. We offer to undergo treatment , we observe whether there is a positive dynamic in their life, what they are doing to get their children back,” shares Galina Viktorovna.

In her experience, for those who are determined to raise their children in a family, three to four months after treatment are enough to come to their senses and begin to put their life and home in order. Not often, but there are unexpected surprises.

“One day one of the mothers came with a bouquet of flowers, although I certainly didn’t expect her to come to her senses, much less come to thank her,” the director recalls. “And this year there was a similar situation: two girls were returned to their mother, who had a very serious problem with alcohol. But she underwent treatment, got a job, the patronage ended... Recently we met at a bus stop and were delighted. They invited me to New Year's . This is a real miracle!

Center staff periodically visit children who are living with their parents again and invite them to visit them. The children are coming. And, of course, it is better when boys and girls, and not their parents, become guests of the center. In the meantime, the temporary little guests here are preparing for the New Year holidays and hope that mom will definitely come, and they will celebrate the next New Year at home. But children do not voice these wishes out loud - they are afraid that then they will not come true.

The republican charity event “Our Children” will start in Belovezhskaya Pushcha at the residence of the Belarusian Father Frost on December 15.

- This is a new format for the opening of the event. Children from all regions of the country will be invited to Belovezhskaya Pushcha at 11:00; there is an opportunity to participate in the opening online. One festival site will be central - in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the rest will open in each region, as well as in Minsk, from where live broadcasts are planned with greetings from all participants in the “Our Children” campaign,” said Viktor Dovnar, head of the main department of educational work and youth policy of the Ministry of Education.

In total, more than 1 million children will take part in the event this year. The country's educational institutions will host New Year's parties, Christmas trees, matinees, concerts, and festivals so that not a single child is left unattended. The goal of the “Our Children” campaign is to reach every child. The funds collected within its framework are planned to be used for the diagnosis and treatment of children with neuroblastoma.

Anna MASLYAKOVA,

photo - Ramil NASIBULIN,

newspaper "7 days".