Project “By helping nature, we help ourselves!” BOMOO “Disabled and Wednesday” started in April and will last until the end of this year. It is dedicated to the use of alternative sources of electricity and the creation of barrier-free cycling hiking trails in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The idea of the Brest Regional Public Association was supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS, USA). Thanks to this, in the first half of summer, a number of events were held aimed at improving the environmental situation in the region.
- The UN Project Services Bureau chose the program among a dozen others and allocated funds for its implementation. One of the main things we want is to create a solar power plant at the Sputnik tourist base in the Green House (White Lake, Brest region), create conditions for a barrier-free environment and show the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
After a tense organizational period, the opening of a set of events under the general title “Helping nature, you help yourself” took place on June 28-29 at the Sputnik tourist base, where the most active members of the non-profit organization “Disabled and Environment” and the cycling club “Radeya” gathered. Here, participants in environmental programs from 1999 to 2014 summed up their 15 years of work. And this event was preceded by four bright days in nature, which were also not in vain for 10 young disabled people from our youth organization. An ecological trail for wheelchair users was developed. Together with environmental specialists and representatives of the RaDeya cycling club, the pedestrian swampy route “Swang Lungs of Europe” was described. The proposed route was cleared of debris and fallen trees. A tourist brochure has been compiled and is being prepared for printing with a description of the natural and historical attractions of the area at 15 stopping points along the routes.
The meeting of old friends lasted from June 24 to July 4 and turned out to be eventful: watching videos on environmental topics in the forest cinema “On the Sheet”, discussing the experience of environmental programs and cycling marathons of the BOMOO “Disabled and Environment” and the cycling club “Radeya”. And also - various round tables, including those dedicated to the Chernobyl disaster, a healthy lifestyle, helping the sick, employment of people with disabilities, the history of the youth disability movement and ecotourism in Belarus. They took recreational forest walks and ecological hikes “White - Secret Lakes”, held poetry evenings with environmental quizzes, and guitar lessons. And the forest photo exhibition reminded everyone of the environmental programs that have made them close friends over the years. These are “Green Leaf”, “Water is the Source of Life”, “Oak Forest of Joy”, “From Heart to Heart”, “Black Float” and many others.
All 10 days were spent in preparation for the cycling marathon. A group of young disabled people and volunteers from Brest in a specially organized “Forest Theater” rehearsed the environmental production “World of Love” in a tense rhythm. At the same time, they designed and sewed costumes and painted scenery. We met guests from Brest. The theatrical production “Thumbelina” by a special theater from the WTC (the circle of theater lovers “Koleidoscope” directed by S.V. Novikov) amazed not only the participants of the event, but also the invisible forest spectators with its brightness of the costumes of the fairy tale characters. At the end of Saturday, the heavenly singing of the choir of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Brest (director Tatyana Krieger) filled the audience of the green theater with God's inspiration.
The cycling marathon itself took place on July 6 - 10. Its participants, consisting of 20 people on tricycles and road bicycles, on a tandem with a wheelchair connected by a towbar, started from the Territorial Center for Social Services for the Population of the Leninsky District of Brest and headed to Sosnovy Bor, Zhabinkovsky District, to the children's health camp "Nadzeya", where they set up their tent camp. Since the children's health camp "Orlyonok" was still located nearby, the cycling marathon participants spent two days in Sosnovy Bor, surrounded by children, connecting them to their useful and educational activities prepared in the camp. "Satellite".
First, during an introductory event in the camps, a drawing competition “We are responsible for nature” was announced. The authors had to portray the truth: reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere will improve the climate through renewable solar energy (for heating buildings, water) and replacing automobile transport with bicycles. Then everyone started sanitary cleaning of the camp together with the resting children, the banks of the Mukhovets River, the forest area, tourist sites, anthills and paths. After this, there was a “Children’s Health Exhibition” (directed by Natalia Karpuk), during which 50 children from third to fifth grades, having gone through eight “stations,” learned how to eat healthy, why it is so important to drink more clean drinking water, the need to get out in the sun, be active in your “working” day, spend more time on physical activity rather than sitting at computers, and much more. After completing a special active game and educational program in conclusion, the children received a certificate and special colorful materials, thanks to which children will be able to pass on their knowledge to their peers, tell their family, and share with their grandparents. Between the morning and evening program, the cycling marathon organized an “ecological relay trail” for schoolchildren. By participating in a complex of outdoor games, the children “cleaned” lakes, overcame swamp swamps with obstacles, mutually helped each other in non-standard tourist situations, learned about the world and learned a lot of useful things for themselves through an environmental quiz. At the end of the day, all three children’s camps held a final concert and educational program “By helping nature, we help ourselves!” The whole day was summed up with a stage call for a healthy lifestyle, for correct behavior in nature, for the importance of clean air and the importance of each person in this global common process. In turn, the Brest photo-video club “Poglyad” at these events demonstrated short films on environmental topics and photos
exhibition of works by young disabled people of the Brest region.
On the fourth day of the cycling marathon, the same program awaited the children from the Kolos rehabilitation center, which is located in the village of Peski-2, Kobrin district. Having become even more friendly with nature, at the end of the day they exchanged contact addresses and best wishes with the guests.
Before the last 50 kilometer finish line there was a summing up, a short active rest and a ceremonial breakfast at the “Three Bogatyrs” agricultural estate. The participants were very grateful to the workers of the agricultural estate for the excellent and high-calorie food, for the warm welcome, and personally to the director, who provided such an opportunity to young disabled people and, in conclusion, himself took all the children on a motorboat ride along the Mukhovets River.
Among other things, the cycling marathon participants and volunteers from Brest prepared a musical performance on the theme “World of Love” (directed by Elena Voloskova). Convincing, strong, he was seen by more than 600 children from three camps.
In the first scene, amateur performers, among whom were volunteer schoolchildren, showed that God created the world perfect: clean air, water and sky, complete harmony in nature. Yes, once upon a time the Earth was a common cozy home for people and all living things. A documentary film in the middle of the theatrical production illustrated how far our planet has strayed from the wise design of the Creator. She needs help, and perhaps the use of alternative sources of electricity will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
The next scene revealed the tragedy that happened in the forest due to the fault of tourists. One of those that Emergency Ministry employees often encounter, saving plants, insects, birds from fire... The audience was especially touched by the episode when two storks, each of which had burned a wing, hugged and, as if merging into a single whole, flew away from the ashes, heavily flapping their healthy wings. The young artists managed to show how important mutual assistance and friendship are in this world, as well as the unification of caring people and organizations in the fight for the purity of the relationship between man and nature. It’s easy to burn, but restoring it is a problem!
The reaction of the spectators, teachers and children, amazed the marathon participants. They received us warmly and for an encore. In the educational camp "Orlyonok" after the performance, the children stood for 10 minutes standing and shouting "well done." A boy who has a disabled brother came up to thank the storks and embarrassed them (Semenovich Yuri and his son Evgeniy) by offering chocolate in gratitude.
The stage performance was complemented by a dynamic documentary film in three parts about creation, about the intervention in nature of careless people and about restoring the purity of air, forests, and the use of solar energy, which showed the audience how something can still be saved when we are together. And the performance ended with a song that a person should learn to give his warmth and love to the world around him.
Good is stronger than evil - participants in the environmental events of the BOMOO “Disabled and Environment” have no doubt about this. The choice, of course, is up to each of us.
The main 10 people participated on Sputnik with 30 disabled guests
The main 20 people took part in the cycling marathon; a total of 28 people took part
More than 600 people participated in the program at two children’s health camps “Nadzeya”, “Arlenok” and the rehabilitation center “Kolos”