September 1, on the Day of Knowledge, the action "Children instead of flowers" was held in Moscow. Schoolchildren and teachers refused traditional bouquets for a lot of money, collected funds that could be spent on flowers in order to transfer them to support the children's hospice. The editor-in-chief of Domashniy Ochag magazine supported the action and told how it all happened.
Natalia Rodikova
Chief Editor of Domashniy Ochag magazine
I still can't think of it without goosebumps. September 1, I stand at the blackboard in front of our fifth "A", twenty-eight pairs of eyes look at me with fear. I, an adult aunt, went to the blackboard and worried, dropping the chalk, trying to cope with my voice, which now and then trembles.
I ask the children, including my son, if they know why they came today without the usual big bouquets. Yes, the fifth “A” shouts with joyful relief, we heard something, we gave these bouquets to some fund! Then I pull myself together and tell them that there are many children in the world, different - both very young and older, and like them, fifth graders who are seriously ill. Some are so hard that they are forced to live in a hospital, without mom and dad, because it is quite difficult to support such children at home - medical equipment costs a lot of money, and not every family can afford it. Children without parents are very bad. And parents without children are also very bad … At this point, our students' eyes begin to shine, my throat is completely intercepted and, in order not to burst into tears, I draw a small curved tube on the board (as best I can).
This is such a special thing, I explain. It is inserted into the throat when a person cannot breathe on his own, but with the help of this tube, he can. Here, during the operation, an incision is made, then it is processed and - they are not sewn up, they leave a hole. And through it, and through this cannula, you can already breathe. Many children really need such a tube to be allowed to go home from the hospital. It costs the same as a bouquet of flowers. Only the bouquet will wither … after how long? “In three days,” our class teacher says sadly. Exactly. And each straw will serve the family for two months, and there will be much more joy from it. Imagine how many parents can get such cannulas, be able to be with their children at home. How many parents will mentally thank those who helped them. And including you, dear fifth "A"! Do you understand now what a useful thing you did today?
The fifth "A" understands everything. Their faces are so… In this place you can take me away, but here our classroom helps out - her nerves are stronger (teaching experience of 50 years!) And the mood is more positive. We talk about what hospices are and why they are needed, and how you can help each other in different ways. She cites the example of the mathematician Pontryagin, her idol, who became blind at the age of 14 (a stove exploded) and wanted to quit his studies, but his comrades set up a watch and took turns taking him to school every day. And Pontryagin’s mother specially learned German in order to read scientific articles aloud to him … Using this heartfelt biography, I count the money raised: 12,400. in Moscow, the action "Children instead of flowers."
Actually, not so little for the first time. Children were inspired by the idea, parents in parallel classes became interested. We plan to repeat it on Teacher's Day - only now to raise money for a student of our school, who, it turns out, became seriously ill in the summer and his parents really need help.
And organizing everything turned out pretty quickly. The initiative was mine, the parents agreed instantly. The main thing was to enlist the support of a teacher who was ready to refuse the bouquet and conduct a Peace Lesson on such an unusual topic. I know that not all schools approved this action. Somewhere the parents themselves were not ready, somewhere the school administration believed that there was no need to spoil the children's holiday. We succeeded. Only I blurred the picture a little, almost burst into tears - but this is such a physiological feature of mine. As I talk about something important - and not even necessarily sad - I can cry from feelings. If you have the same problem, but you really need to tell children about charity, draw. Even though there are cannulas on the board.