Volunteering at Dacha: Who? What? How?

"Dacha is the main project of the foundation "Zaporuka". Because it realizes the purpose for which its head, Natalia Onipko, started doing charity work 15 years ago:

"I wanted our foundation to not only help children with cancer, but to protect the whole family by supporting them; to help them cope with the disaster that has invaded their lives. After all, when we say "cancer is not a sentence", we are not only talking about the curability of this disease in the 21st century. We mean that cancer is not a sentence to ordinary everyday life, which families have to cut out because of long treatment and hospitalization. And it is this separation from their home, relatives, everything that made up their whole world that becomes a "sentence". Often fatal, as families break up, unable to withstand this double blow. 

Our "Dacha" in such a situation, calmly and comfortably say "No". A family with a child with cancer needs to be together and at home, where they can be treated, without stopping to rejoice, communicate, study, celebrate, cook, have tea, create... That is why we say that Dacha is the heart of our foundation. Because if it stops beating, everything else will lose its meaning. It is a source of irrepressible energy, thanks to which our small team manages to launch dozens of projects simultaneously. However, we could not have done it without volunteer support. Volunteers are our strength, our rear, our "good" army. That is why we are always open to any help."

"Dacha is a place that everyone who comes here falls in love with. Because, as one of the space's friends aptly noted, it is a place that is "covered in love."

For as long as Dacha has existed, which is 13 years, the volunteer movement around it has existed. If you take a walk around the building, you can easily remember almost all of its volunteers, because every little thing reminds you of this. Trimmed bushes in the garden, a playground, sofas of different "caliber" in the living room, soft toys and incredibly beautiful handmade quilts made of colorful patchwork, artistic photographs and paintings on the walls, boxes of courage with interesting gifts, books, a painted tree on the mirror in the hallway, fresh vegetables, fruits and fresh milk in the fridge every morning...

And how many things you can't see, but can feel and hear in the conversations and memories of summer residents! All these holidays, workshops on making dumplings, baking pizza, cakes, etc., theaters, meetings with storytellers, musicians, magicians, artists and "ordinary" wizards who can make children's dreams come true... All this creates the unique microclimate that can heal. At least, the platelets of the children who stay here increase significantly after the "chemistry".

Everyone can volunteer under one condition

Any person or company can become a Dacha volunteer. The only condition is a sincere desire to help. Even if someone thinks that they don't have any special skills (they don't sew, draw, or cook), this is no reason to give up the desire to be there for those who need support. Because the most valuable thing about volunteering is to be there.

Amina, who loves to play with children, has been coming to Dacha every Sunday for several years now. The girl is a student of the Institute of International Relations, so, among other things, she is improving her English with the older Dacha residents. But playing with kids and communicating with them is what she really loves. The kids feel it and always look forward to meeting her because it's fun.

There are different types of assistance

If cancer tears a family away from their normal life, then volunteers are the ones who bring it back. So volunteering can be different.

"Katunina's Massage Patrol considers it its mission to make people happy through relaxation, which it is happy to share with the mothers of the "summer residents". After all, in their state of constant anxiety, women need relaxation like air. And the hairstylists believe that beauty is a great power, so every month they organize beauty days at Dacha. And this day becomes a holiday for children, because their mothers turn into princesses in front of their eyes.

Sometimes it only takes one day for a volunteer to be remembered for a whole year. Alina is just such a person. It is impossible to forget her New Year's party, which she has been organizing for the summer residents for several years now. It is always full of surprises, contests, gifts, magicians, music, and fireworks. It's only once a year, but what a treat!

Volunteers from the GRP.HELP organization are like real magicians, fulfilling children's wishes and not only on their birthdays... Once, a ward of the Zaporuka Foundation dreamed of a dog. And so he decided that when he was cured, he would definitely return home with his four-legged friend. It was important for the boy to organize all this himself, with his own money. He found the sellers, told them his story: that he had been treated for a long time at the Cancer Institute, and now he was looking for a dog to come home with him. He transferred the money. Then the sellers disappeared... The boy was in despair. He couldn't believe that the world he had been open with and wanted to return to had treated him so brazenly.

When GRP.HELP learned about it, the decision was made quickly. A few days later, the dog was on its way to the boy, traveling 700 kilometers in one day, with his home, a six-month supply of food and a subscription to a veterinary clinic. Needless to say, it was a great joy, because the volunteers not only fulfilled the dream of our "summer resident", but also restored his faith that maybe the world is not so bad after all...

Volunteering as social capital

The Peter Pan house in Rome, which was created for the same purpose as Dacha, does not employ a single person. All service functions are performed by volunteers. They clean, drive, cook, and look after children. In order to be able to play with the kids, you have to go through all the "career" steps, starting with a "sponge" - the name given to volunteer cleaners.

In developed countries, no one is particularly looking for volunteers. On the contrary, for a civilized society, it is a part of culture, a sign of it. And for an individual, it is a big plus to his or her reputation. Employers are more often interested in a person's social background than in their professional skills. Because the latter can be taught, but the former... The desire to help comes from the heart - you can't fake it for long. That's why companies abroad hire on the principle of "the kind of volunteer you are, the kind of person you are."

Good traditions easily take root in the pragmatic West. Perhaps because they understand pragmatism not as "insensitivity," as was once believed in post-Soviet countries, but as common sense. For example, in Italy, on Memorial Day and even at funerals, it is unacceptable to carry flowers that will wilt in a day, so everyone does something good for a living person who is going through difficult times. And more and more people are joining this movement because such actions can heal the soul. It's a good practice, isn't it?

Volunteering without leaving your life

COVID-19 has changed a lot in our lives. In volunteering, too. There are many conditions and restrictions. But as always happens, when one door closes, another one opens. So today, you can volunteer without breaking away from your normal life. On the contrary, it can make it more interesting.

You can organize a party at home to collect small gifts for the boxes of courage to bring some comfort to children with cancer who have to undergo painful procedures. And organize a competition for the most interesting ones.

At work, instead of a traditional corporate feast, organize a charity fair of hand-baked goodies and use the proceeds to do a good deed.

Pensioners can organize a "grandmother's landing party" that will, for example, prepare Sunday lunch for the "summer residents" based on their most delicious recipes.

Zaporuka has recently launched a volunteer fundraising platform called "Winning Together" https://razom.zaporuka.org.ua/. Now it's even easier to become a superhero! All you need to do is create a campaign on the platform, dedicate it to an event that is important to you, and instead of the usual greeting, invite your friends to support it with a transfer of any amount. This way, your Day will be meaningful not only for you, but also for the child whose life it can save.

Fill out the volunteer application form, call +38 (044) 361-56-97 or send it to us at info@zaporuka.org.ua.

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