Developing the Capacities of Red Cross Volunteers in Belarus

 

Under the EU funded project "Promoting civil society participation in decision making processes on social inclusion in Belarus", Danish Red Cross (DRC) strengthen the capacities of Belarus Red Cross (BRC) in strategic dialogue, evidence based research, volunteer management, humanitarian diplomacy, and development of sustainable service delivery modalities

The National Volunteer Forum of the Belarus Red Cross Society was held in Belarus in December 2018 and brought together over 50 active volunteers from all over the country.

The participants reviewed the volunteer development strategy of BRC, presented candidates for membership in the National Volunteer Council, participated in various workshops on team building, working with media and fundraising. The forum was held under the motto “Re-set”, and its main objective was the transition to a new system of volunteer management.

The forum was attended by:

  • Romania Skomoroshko - Deputy Secretary General of BRC;
  • Sergei Boltrushevich - Country Coordinator of DRC in Belarus;
  • Ekaterina Leleka - Programme Coordinator of the Representative Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Sergei Boltrushevich, Country Coordinator of the Danish Red Cross in Belarus: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you, on behalf of DRC, for giving to the Red Cross the most valuable thing – your time. It does not matter, whether it is 1 hour a week or 1 hour a month – each minute is precious. One minute can be sufficient to save life. Many vital Red Cross programmes and services are possible only thank to you, volunteers. Thanks to you the Red Cross assists thousands of vulnerable people.
Year by year BRC is doing more and more not only to support its volunteers, to provide them with the necessary means and resources, but also to ensure their public recognition and to commend them for their generosity and countless hours devoted to assist other people. This is seen in today’s ceremony to award best volunteers of the year 2018”

The National Volunteer Forum resulted in a resolution which identifies challenges in managing volunteers and ways to address them. The volunteers themselves revealed the problems, and they also suggested ways to solve them. For example, the participants, after analyses of the work of volunteers in their regional branches, noted that BRC has a high turnover of volunteers and ambiguity in the scope of their activities. They offered to solve this problem by integrating components of the strategic directions of the BRC’ activities into the induction course for volunteers.

Nikolai Mukhin, a volunteer of Grodno regional branch of BRCy: “Thanks to such an event as the National Volunteer Forum, where volunteers and Red Cross staff from all regions of Belarus gather together and where I personally get a huge charge of energy for work. I want to implement my volunteer initiatives (micro-projects) and assist other people”.

At the forum, the volunteers also shared their experiences in carrying charity events and organized a brainstorming exercise – what are the interesting and effective ways to implement the New Year's charity campaign – ‘’Wishes` Tree’ ran throughout Belarus from December 2018 to January 2019.

The campaign was able to collect New Year’ presents for several thousand families raising children with disabilities and serious illnesses, large families, incomplete families, adoptive families, lonely elderly people, people with disabilities and seriously ill patients and all that thanks to the creativity and active participation of the Red Cross’ volunteers got assistance: warm clothes, shoes, stationery and sporting goods, food packages, hygiene products, and financial resources.

DRC makes a significant contribution to the development of the volunteer movement in Belarus. In 2018, volunteers and experts of DRC visited Belarus and got acquainted with the work of volunteers of Belarus and with their social projects. New visits to Belarus are also planned in 2019.

Klaus Steen Peterson, a volunteer of the Danish Red Cross: “Belarus is very much like Denmark. Only in Belarus there are no mountains (smiling). We really liked your country - colourful, flat, with stunning scenery. We were very pleased to be guests of Belarus, to meet and talk with the volunteers of the Belarus Red Cross Society”.

 

Volunteers of the Red Cross of the Gomel region conduct gifts giving campaign for pupils of the Ulukovsk auxiliary boarding school.
Volunteers of the Red Cross of the Gomel region conduct gifts giving campaign for pupils of the Ulukovsk auxiliary boarding school.
 
Maxim Novikov, volunteer management officer, delivers a New Year's gift to a child from the Ulukovsk secondary boarding school, Gomel region.
Maxim Novikov, volunteer management officer, delivers a New Year's gift to a child from the Ulukovsk secondary boarding school, Gomel region.
 
3. Volunteers and employees of the Grodno regional organization of the Belarus Red Cross Society prepared gifts and organized a New Year's feast for the fosterlings of the Red Cross’ Day Center in Grodno.
Volunteers and employees of the Grodno regional organization of the Belarus Red Cross Society prepared gifts and organized a New Year's feast for the fosterlings of the Red Cross’ Day Center in Grodno.
 
4 Sergei Boltrushevich, the Country Coordinator of the Danish Red Cross, says a welcome speech at the National Volunteer Forum-2018.
Sergei Boltrushevich, the Country Coordinator of the Danish Red Cross, says a welcome speech at the National Volunteer Forum-2018.
 
Romania Skomoroshko, Deputy Secretary General of the BRCS, hands over a diploma to Tatyana Zmushko, the best volunteer of 2018, Vitebsk Region.
Romania Skomoroshko, Deputy Secretary General of the BRCS, hands over a diploma to Tatyana Zmushko, the best volunteer of 2018, Vitebsk Region.