Summer Camp 2004

This was the 5th ROOF’s International summer camp in Bel'skoe Ustie Orphanage

As any anniversary event, this camp was the best of all previous. First, it was the most international: the volunteers arrived from Great Britain, France, USA, Canada, Switzerland. There were three volunteers from Pskov Pedagogical University, Department of correctional pedagogy – future professionals in dealing with children with mental problems. Two volunteers from Moscow – Olga Sirotina and Sergei Roslyakov – are graduates from orphanages themselves.

The ranges of activities with the children was very wide: teaching to read and write and calculate, drawing and making installations and toys (it all ended with a tremendous exhibition), sports, dancing, singing, sketches (all were performed during concerts and final gala-concert). But the most important was live communication of the children with the volunteers, which is the main thing that the children are short of.

The camp became the most important step in the chain of ROOF programs in Bel'skoe Ustie Orphanage. During this camp, the children receive a great impulse for development, they expand their horizons, are charged with communication with new people they have never seen and never thought of communicating with, and that is the start of their further development during the lessons of ROOF’s year-round educational program.

Apart from that, the features of the ROOF’s 2004 Summer camp were:

First, an active, interested attitude and help from the Orphanage administration in settling organizational problems.
Second – again, a very strong international team of volunteers.
Third, a good cooperation with the orphanages staff. All this helped to make the summer program more interesting and useful for the children. The whole month was full of events that the children remember throughout the year.

For five years of hard work we achieved tremendous success in the children’s development: many of them learned to read and write, to create beautiful artifacts, and, which is most important, learned to communicate among themselves in much more socially acceptable way, excluded bad language from their speech, stopped quarrel with carers and volunteers, and became much more socially acceptable.

For example, Natasha Yakovleva, the volunteer student from the Pskov Pedagogical University, Department of correctional pedagogy, who already participated in the camp the year before last, was amazed by the progress in children’s development.

But the most significant achievement was voiced by Igor Fil’kin, the manager of ROOF’s educational program in the Orphanage: A group of children aged from 8 to 12 from neighboring orphanages of Pskov oblast’ has just arrived to the Orphange. They were transferred to Belskoye Ustye Orphanage because the central administration believes the children have much better chance for developing here.

This has become possible because of ROOF’s programs working in Belskoye Ustye Orphanage for five years.

We believe there are no unteachable children, the main thing is to find the right approach to the child, to give a part of your heart to him, and they will respond. One should never give up to the obstacles and problems and go forward to the goal, being patient and strong.

One can hardly overestimate the usefulness of communication between the children and adults who love them and care about them.

The most important thing is that both the children and orphanage administration were waiting for us. Everyone believed that the camp became a good tradition with its rules and customs. Everyone was waiting for the next summer, and we hoped we would meet again and to work as much successfully for the good of the children.

We thank Tchibo and Ernst&Young whose contribution has made this camp possible and so successful.

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