Aleksandr Lukashenko attends New Year charity event “Our Children” 

The future of Belarus is in the hands of the young generation, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a New Year charity event held as part of the charity campaign “Our Children” in the Palace of the Republic on 27 December.

"The tomorrow of Belarus depends on you, on your hearts and minds,” the head of state said. “Each of us has New Year hopes. However, there is one common hope – to be happy next year and all the time,” he added.

The President noted: “In these wonderful days not all people are as happy and beautiful as you are. At this time some of your foreign peers are petrified with fear under bombardments, some have nothing to eat. You are safely protected against these calamities, because you were born and are raised in a peaceful country, a country that has many things to be proud of”.

The head of state emphasized that Belarusians are proud of Belarus’ nature with Europe’s biggest forests and crystal-clear lakes, Belarusian culture, songs, fairy tales, books; our past with its legends and myths, castles and ancient cities; heroism of the Fatherland’s defenders; modern-day Belarus with its numerous architectural landmarks. “We have inherited this land from our ancestors as a precious gift and multiplied this wealth by our hard work,” the Belarusian President said.

The President emphasized: “You can take any road you want; you can choose to do things that you enjoy. Those who want to explore things beyond a standard curriculum are welcome to attend hobby classes, get enrolled in gymnasiums and lyceums. There are numerous art schools, stadiums, swimming pools and ice arenas available for young hopefuls”.

Addressing parents, the head of state said: “No toys and entertainments are as enjoyable as quality time with parents. Therefore, I want to ask parents who listen to me now to find time for your children during these days. Attend a matinee, go to the cinema or a skating rink, read a book before sleep or just have a heart-to-heart with your children. Your parental love is the dearest gift”.

New Year and Christmas are a perfect time to learn compassion and kindness, the President noted. He wished that the nationwide charity campaign “Our Children” will reach out to every child.

The New Year reception gathered 2,370 children aged 8-14 from various parts of Belarus. They are orphans and children left without parental care, foster children, children with disabilities, kids from low-income families and families with many children, kids whose parents serve in the Armed Forces or law enforcement bodies, children whose fathers died or became disabled in the line of duty, children from the Chernobyl-hit regions, winners of international, national and regional academic excellence competitions, creative contests, festivals and sports competitions, students of the Francysk Skaryna Belarusian secondary school in Vilnius.