Expats.cz Angel Tree 2008, Prague

Expats.cz Angel Tree 2008

Expats.cz Angel Tree project 2008

published 02.12.2008 | comments (2) | log in to post comments

Written by: Expats.cz

This year the Expats.cz Angel Tree project is for an under funded orphanage in Belarus to get some decent toys/equipment to the children.

The organizers of the group, Masha and Ira are gathering up donated children´s clothing, washing and ironing everything, then shipping it off to places in Belarus and the Ukraine where it is very badly needed.

I encourage anyone with too much outgrown clothes on their hands to do the same. The pictures you can see later are evidence that the item meets its mark, and seeing the children in outfits once worn by your own child warms the heart and (if you´re mushy like me) brings a tear. It´s a very well run project, from the heart - and the never big enough homes of the founders.

The children in this particular orphanage are, for one thing, very young (many are babies) and many don´t have the exposure to the kind of TV/shopping/commercialism that could enable them to make informed choices. So we asked the people who run the house what they recommend we do and they came back to us with their wish list. These are toys that all the children can play with, together.

We offered them an Ikea catalogue and they were impressed (they don´t have that there) and chose the items listed below.

The basic idea is to avoid electronic toys that consume expensive batteries, “violent” toys like guns and military paraphernalia or toys with many small bits that can get lost or end up in the babies' mouths. That isn´t to say that all the toys have to be for the 3 and under set, as the babies won´t be playing unsupervised with the older kids - just try to avoid things like puzzles with 1000 pieces and board games that are unplayable if certain small bits get lost.

Christmas is a very religious holiday where they live, and falls on January 7th. Given the later date, the limited amount of time we all have during this season and the late start we´re getting this year, we are going to our best to get things by then, but transport in the past has fallen to friendly bus drivers or truckers with space to spare and that is rarely the case during the holidays so we may have to wait until after the Christmas crush to get the entire load of goodies to the destination. If someone out here is able to help us out in the form of ground transport, that would be better still. Maybe we´ll get lucky.

How to help!

Here is the wish list - please, if you would like to contribute to our project by providing one of these items let me know at the email address below.

Email : Eva Howlings at eva@expats.cz with your pledges

If you wish to donate something from your home that you think would be better appreciated there, that´s also ok.

Orphanage wish list:

Help with transport of gifts to Belarus
Books made from plastic/rubber
Bed sheets
Clean old/new toys for 0-3 years & easy to maintain

Toys (and type of toys) requested:
(anyone work for IKEA?)

Once you have contacted Eva with your pledge, please make sure your gift is sent to the Expats.cz Office on Anglicka 26, Praha 2, by:

Deadline : December 17th at the latest

Please do not wrap the gifts (but you may, leave a note or card of course!). Thank you for your support!

Eva Howlings
eva@expats.cz | +420 776 355 228

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User comments

Masha (Guest)Published: 09:29:00 05.12.2008

David, thank you for your comment. Yes, we have been sending aid to Belarus with this particular bus driver for a couple of years now. He is an acquaintance the Belarus volunteer made on her trip to Prague, is very sympathetic to the cause (he is Belarussian), and takes our big bags to Minsk practically free of charge. In Minsk the bags are met by the volunteer mentioned above, and then sent on to Vitebsk for a charge with another vehicle. This has also being done regularly before (actually, is going to be done yet again this weekend, as we have just sent yet another bag that way). As for the cash donation, I suppose we can take it and buy toys with it (if that is your preference). However, it is important to understand that this donation will not be tax-deductible.

dave (Guest)Published: 02:03:39 03.12.2008

A couple of years ago I was in Belarus for a weeks holiday, and can appreciate the difficulty of getting things in and out. About using friendly bus/truck drivers, how reliable are they? Have you used them in the past? Would it be possible to give a cash donation? Thanks. David