How we deliver the support that is needed...

Valya gets a new scooter!

Valya has been a wheelchair user for many years after breaking her back in a climbing accident, but was finding it increasingly difficult to propel her heavy manual wheelchair. She dreamed of having an electric wheelchair so she could still get around. Sadly, nothing suitable was available in Belarus.

A wonderful generous donor in the UK gave us an electric wheelchair for Valya.

Valya loved the freedom this wheelchair has given her (once she mastered the kerbs and speed controls).  See can get out to the shops and visit people, and this has given her back her independence and thirst for life.

It may not seem like the standard type of donation, but things like electric wheelchairs, that are so hard to source in Belarus, can really make massive changes to someone's life.

During the latter part of 2013, Valya began to have some issues with the wheelchair, so we sourced a mobility scooter from Allmobility in Romiley, Stockport, and went through several hoops to get it to Belarus! The airline weren't as impressed with this lovely little yellow number, we can tell you that, but we got it there in the end! We think this is actually the first mobility scooter to arrive in Belarus, and Valya is loving it!

Special thanks go to Allmobility of Romiley, for donating a fabulous protective poncho for Valya to wear whilst she is whizzing round the streets of Belarus!

Valya is pictured below; getting to grips with her new wheels!

Anna & Andrei

The Belarus Fund support a young man who was paralysed during a terrible incident, and his Mother, who is disabled. It was getting very difficult for them to bathe and utilise their bathroom, at all, due to their disabilities, and The Belarus Fund volunteered some financial assistance in order for their bathroom to be renovated. It was a team effort; The Belarus Fund helped with material costs and their local church Pastor and fellow church members volunteered their hands, and together, we created them a great new accessible, and beautiful bathroom!

Our volunteers over in Belarus visit the support scheme members at least once a mont, both for an update on how they're doing, and also as a social visit.

The latest bews on Anna & Andrei is that they are taken to church at weekends. Andrei communicates with his friends through social media and has begun putting the words of a sermon to music. It’s all quite interesting. As far as Anna is concerned, she is to have an operation on her eyes in January as her cataracts are progressing. Hopefully she will be able to have the operation in January.