'Spring Goodwill Week' in Kazakhstan
14 April 2009
by Svetlana Gladisheva
Pavlodar, Kazakhstan: “By making good things, you add to the world’s goodwill box one important thing, two sincere smiles and endless belief in humanity.” These words became the motto of 'Spring Goodwill Week', a volunteer event that takes place every spring in northern Kazakhstan.
The Social Volunteer Centre, a youth organization, conducted 'Spring Goodwill Week' from 16-21 March.This year, volunteers conducted 10 different events, involving more than 300 children and teenagers, many of them orphanage residents.
Volunteers dressed up as clowns, Thumbelina, Pinocchio and other positive heroes, conducted various competitions and contests for children, and sang and danced for them. Also, shoes were collected for the pupils of Boarding School No. 1.
'Classes of what is good' were conducted, targeting little children. During these classes, children learned to distinguish good things from bad things. For older students there was training to stimulate 'thinking out of the box' and team-building exercises.
On the Friday volunteers organized to door-to-door visits of lonely retirees and war veterans, helping these elderly people in their daily errands. Their flats are now shining with cleanness and ready to welcome spring.
About 35 volunteers worked hard during this week. Therefore a training was conducted for them to teach art therapy techniques. Young people made paintings with their own hands and then drew complete pictures. This picture became a good decoration in our centre.
At the end of this week, there was a debrief in Pavlodar, northern Kazakhstan. The official meeting took place with the presence of local government representatives. The notes of thanks for active participation in spring week noted the most active volunteers, including volunteer teams from the Engineering School, Eurasian Innovation University and General Education School No.43 of Pavlodar.