Child sponsorship update from Medlanky, Czech Republic

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Medlanky, Czech Republic from Winter 2007/2008.

This year group activities take place that linked to individual plans of development of children’s personality. The children are divided to six groups according to their age, where experienced pedagogues work with them. Next at the same time in the village there are leisure-time activities, which I further describe in this report.

The first great action in Medlanky village was stay during summer holidays. This February the children enjoyed spring break in Sněná, near Nové město in Moravia that was organised and led by a team from the children’s village. So the children had an opportunity to enjoy the natural environment in the picturesque setting of Vysočina. Because Mother Nature wasn’t very generous in terms of snow, there was skiing and sledging for just the first couple of days before the snow melted completely. In spite of the weather we didn’t despair and we strove to enjoy this spring break in the country. The main motif of this vocation was the travels of Welzel the Eskimo. The children explored the near and far surroundings, beauties of nature and interesting places in the area, where we stayed. We visited the township, and the lookout tower, and for unfavourable weather we have a chance to try on the near-by covered swimming pool. The very interesting event was a visit the Hussite Museum with the Hussite exposition oriented jus for children, where they were able to acquaint themselves with Hussite history, weapons, traditional clothing and penmanship and even they could try everything out for themselves. They had an opportunity to create coloured mosaic class or try correspondence sealing with wax over a burner and etc. All of it was with the help of the museum’s kind employees. In April we took the children to the Brno zoo, where the younger children could acquaint with animals that they had seen only in pictures and the older children could see their favourite animals that they can see alive only in the zoo.

Children from the village in Medlanky and Chvalčov spent the last weekend in April together, based on the theme of witches. It was one of the opportunities, when the children from the both village could see friends and engage in sports, go on an excursion into the surroundings and in the evening they cooked sausages around a campfire and organised a witch carnival. In May and June the fish club was very popular, when boys and girls familiarized with theoretical information, they had bought necessary tools and fished regularly, with participation of experienced fisherman, of course. They went to various places in the country, where they fished and spent all days in the open air, played games and related with the country. The children like these fishing trips and look forward to next fishing season after this winter.

Events at Medlanky, Czech Republic

The most remarkable event was the summer camp in Caldonazzo, where 45 children stayed.

The children lived in tents and bungalows and they could enjoy every activity which were prepared and lead by experienced instructors. Our children looked forward to the stay in Italy very much, especially the ones that experienced this action two years ago. Every morning they attend to the prepared activities - sport games, art works, a circus, a music tent and a theatre etc. Every afternoon they could enjoy nice weather and swimming in the lake nearby.

The children who couldn’t swim well learnt swimming with the instructors. They enjoyed water gaieties a lot with using air cushions, beds, balls etc. During lunch hours the children relaxed under full ground trees in the camp. There was also an air leaping castle that enjoyed
the children of all ages. Within the frame of camp programme they visited the fairground, where the children enjoyed different attractions and fantasy atmosphere in spite of the rainy weather. And so after 14 days they left Caldonazzo full of experience and with the question, when we will go there again.

After summer holidays run the group activities that linked to the individuals plans of development of children’s personality lead by the experienced educators. The children can participate in trips that organised by the Association of integration of minorities in cooperation with the village. These actions are much-frequented by the children and their foster-mothers. The first event was “Drakiada” (Kite-fly). The children could fly kites and roust potatoes on fire then they visited the wood workshop and competed in running and collection of different things and autumn products. The second one was the Autumn Festivities, where they could meet with work of woodman in practice - felling and transport of wood in safe form for them, of course. The children will also set out together bushes and a lime tree. There will be lots of competitions and games for children, producing of cider with the hand cider-press and tasting and rousting of apples on fire.

Since Christmas is near, we are going to organise some doing with Christmas themes, where our children will be able to meet with Christmas habits and enjoy pleasant Christmas atmosphere.