Interview with Galina Kobzeva

Each year on October 20th, Worldchefs celebrates International Chefs Day. The "Donor's Breakfast" competition was held in the branch of the Penza College of Food Industry and Commerce in the village of Shemysheika, with the participation of the Penza Regional Clinical Blood Center and the regional newspaper "Novoye Vremya". Galina Vladimirovna Kobzeva, head of the Donor's Breakfast project and executive secretary of the Novoye Vremya newspaper told about this competition and the importance of nutrition for blood donors.

How did you come up with the idea of organizing such competition based on an educational institution?

Cooperation of the editorial office of the Shemysheyskaya regional newspaper "Novoye Vremya" with the Penza regional clinical blood center began in 2013. Within the framework of cooperation, various activities are carried out to promote blood donation, including ones in the branch of the Penza College of Food Industry and Commerce. Students of the college, upon reaching adulthood, can join the ranks of blood donors. The college has different courses, including culinary arts. We decided to use the knowledge acquired by the students to develop a delicious and healthy breakfast for donors. The idea was supported by the masters of industrial training Olga Leonidovna Mochalova and Svetlana Viktorovna Egorkina. That is how the Donor Breakfast project was born.

How important is nutrition for blood donors?

The donor must adhere to certain rules of nutrition and behavior, for blood to be successfully examined and subsequently used for transfusion to patients or for the preparation of various drugs. That is why the topic of nutrition is so important.

How was the "Donor's Breakfast" competition at the branch of the Penza College of Food Industry and Commerce in the Shemysheika village?

Girls-contestants prepared for the competition responsibly. They independently studied information about donors' nutrition, chose and prepared several dishes that can be used for donors before donation, and also recommended meals after. A colorful presentation with a detailed recipe and tasting of all prepared dishes was held.

Who organized the competition? How did the students respond to the idea of holding such an event?

The regional newspaper Novoye Vremya and the managers of the Penza Regional Clinical Blood Center organized the competition. Great help was provided by the masters of industrial training and the administration of the college branch: Valery Petrovich Shashkin, the head of the branch, and Irina Alexandrovna Manbetova, the head of the educational department. Students enthusiastically responded to the opportunity to present their cooking and decorating skills to the judgment of fellow students and the organizers.

What did you especially remember during the competition? What dishes made a strong impression?

I would like to note the aesthetics of the competition - the nice uniform of the competitors, professional table setting, beautiful presentation of food and drinks. The entire menu was made up of the simplest, cheapest and most affordable products. The calorie content of each dish was calculated, which is also necessary to create a healthy diet menu.

What would you advise your colleagues in other institutions when organizing similar events?

To hold such an event, there must be interest from all sides. I believe that such events are necessary, they help young people to better understand what blood donation is, teach them to take a responsible approach to this procedure. And I am very pleased to see at donor campaigns the guys who were once participants in our propaganda events, and now they have joined the ranks of people who share a part of themselves with others, help save someone's life and health.

And our traditional question: what would you wish to donors and people, who are going to join the donor program?

I would like to thank the donors who save people's lives and help restore health to our compatriots. Giving a part of themselves for the sake of others, they are an example for people, regularly performing a quiet and inconspicuous feat. I wish all donors, present and future, good health, family well-being. A responsible attitude towards oneself and one's health can be a happy chance for someone to save a life.

Other interviews

30.06.21

Interview with Elena Gubanova

This year the project "Quarantine is not an obstacle to a responsible donor" by the Stavropol Regional Blood Transfusion Station became a laureate of the All-Russian competition of professional skills of the Blood Service in the category "Best poster" in the nomination "Do not miss the important." Elena Gubanova, PR manager of the Blood Service of the Stavropol Territory, talks about the project and the specifics of communication during the pandemic period.

12.05.21

Interview with Inna Sakhno

The donor movement of the Moscow University for the Humanities is more than twenty years old. Inna Sakhno is a Chairperson of the Student Council of the Moscow University for the Humanities. She told us about Donor Days and changes during the pandemic.

27.04.21

Interview with Anastasia Akhlamova

Students of the Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University actively participate in the student donor movement. Anastasia Akhlamova, one of the donor movement leaders of the Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University, a 4th-year student of the Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology, told us about how it was possible to survive the introduction of restrictive measures during a period of increased epidemiological danger.

19.03.21

Interview with Gulnara Letfullina

It is always teamwork to organize donor actions and events. Gulnara Letfullina, chairman of the donor team "Nadezhda" told us about the organization, arose from a small group of like-minded donors at the A.I. Yevdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry.

19.02.21

Interview with Olga Valerievna Eichler

The Blood Service has been at front of the fight against coronavirus infection in 2020. The selfless work of doctors in clinics, the saving of patients - all this would be impossible without timely provision of medical institutions with donated blood. To achieve a common goal, it was required to restructure the work of the entire Blood Service in the shortest possible time, to find quick and effective solutions. Olga Valerievna Eichler, Head of the Department of Medical Support for Conversion and Extreme Work and the Blood Service of the FMBA of Russia, spoke about how the work was organized in this difficult time.

22.01.21

Interview with Igor Kastyukevich

2020 has become a challenging year for the donor movement. During the pandemic, the number of donors has decreased. But it also created a new movement, blood donors responded to the call #BeaDonor. Igor Kastyukevich, deputy head of the ONF Executive Committee tells us about and what this year was remembered for.

05.12.20

Interview with Elena Stefanyuk

Donor's breakfast is complicated and reluctant at the same time topic for donors. The list of prohibited products before a donation is quite long. Therefore, drawing up a donor's breakfast menu is almost a challenge. How to make a balanced, interesting and tasty menu? Donors regularly ask themselves this question. Apparently, this is the reason for the activity and creativity of the participants in the donor contest. How the competition was organized and held, why healthy eating habits are so important for blood donors, and is there an ideal donor's menu - Elena Stefanyuk answers, Director of the National Fund for Health Development, Deputy Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Blood Donation at the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

23.09.20

Interview with Irina Razinkina

The number of donors has declined sharply in the Blood Service institutions during the pandemic, but the Spartak football club came to the patients' rescue. The Red and White ones managed to quickly organize and carry out the event "Dignity is in our blood", the players and fans of the club responded to the call and saved many lives. Irina Razinkina, the head of the "SPARTAK for Children" Foundation, told us about the details of campaign.

06.07.20

Interview with Lyudmila Ramkulova

The Irkutsk Regional Blood Transfusion Station prepared a series of videos about their fellow countrymen, famous people, united by one idea - blood donation. The "Usual Day" project became the winner in the "Best Video" category of the All-Russian competition of Blood Service professional skills. Lyudmila Ramkulova, a specialist at the Irkutsk Regional Blood Transfusion Station, has told us about the project.

23.06.20

Interview with Elena Gubanova

An information booklet about women’s donation was presented by The Stavropol Regional Blood Transfusion Station to the All-Russian Competition of the Professionalism of the Blood Service. It became one of the winners. Elena Gubanova, pr manager of the Stavropol Regional Blood Transfusion Station will tell us about creation and development of the “Women’s Donation” project.

15.06.20

Interview with Alexander Bashminov

The video “A Hero on the court - a Hero in Life” won in the category “Best Video” of the All-Russian contest of professionalism of the Blood Service by the Perm Regional Blood Transfusion Station. It is about donor athletes and was made together with the Parma Basketball Club. Alexander Bashminov, General Director of Parma Basketball Club, talks about how this project was implemented and cooperation with the Perm Regional Blood Transfusion Station.

25.05.20

Interview with Tigran Muradyan

A large donor campaign “Good in our blood” called by the organizers the most unusual in the history of the university’s donor movement was held on 16-17 and 20-24th of April in the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. Tigran Muradyan, the head of the medical department and lieder of the donor movement of the university since 2010 told us how to conduct donor activities during combat against the spread of coronavirus infection.

16.04.20

Interview with Maxim Galimov

The Sverdlovsk Regional Blood Transfusion Station has become one of the winners of the All-Russian Blood Service Professional Skill Competition. The project “Rodnaya krov'”* won second place in the nomination “Hearts beat as one”, as one of the best projects in the field of blood donation and its components, implemented by blood service institutions together with non-profit organizations. Maxim Galimov, deputy chief physician for the medical department of the Sverdlovsk Regional Blood Transfusion Station told us how family values and ties help in the development of blood donation, how a long-term partnership with the Orthodox Charity Service brings spiritual meaning to donor campaigns.

27.03.20

Interview with Tamara Mamontova

The project “Vagon blagodarnosti” by the Novosibirsk Clinical Center received a special prize “for an innovative approach highlighting the donation” at the All-Russian Blood Service Professional Skill Competition. Tamara Mamontova, pr manager of the Novosibirsk Clinical Blood Center, tells about how the Novosibirsk Blood Service presented its 80-year history to the subway passengers.

25.02.20

Interview with Irina Pavlenko

UNICONF — is the largest confectionery Holding in the Eastern Europe, it unites 19 Russian factories with 22 thousand of employees. Donor days held in the holding since 2012 as part of the project “Helping Children Is Easy” have already become an integral part of corporate culture. Irina Pavlenko, pr manager and the organizer of donor actions in UNICONF, tells us about their organization.

10.01.20

Interview with Denis Sinyaev

People deciding to devote part of their lives to blood donation seek support - from friends, colleagues, public organizations. Only few people know about state programs created to help the social undertakings of volunteers. One such program is the Presidential Grants Fund, the foundation that helped the graduate of Kursk Southwestern University Denis Sinyaev to create a blood donor club, the “Alaya liniya”.

10.12.19

Interview with Konstantin Pashkov

Donor movement in the transport industry is at the highest level. Officials from the Ministry of Transport donate blood twice a year at their office and participate in campaigns. Director of the Administrative Department of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation Konstantin Pashkov told us about the growing popularity of blood donation among transport workers.

27.11.19

Interview with Anna Dragina

The world's largest cosmetics company L’Oréal is socially responsible. It attracts its emploees to charity. One of the most ambitious projects in this area is the Social Responsibility Day, and part of it is a donor action. Anna Dragina, PR manager of L’Oréal Russia, tells about how donor campaigns are held in the Russian branch of the largest international company in the beauty industry.

04.09.19

Interview with Pavel Boev

Deloitte is a multinational professional services network, it provides audit and consulting. Deloitte is presented in 7 cities in Russia with more than 2200 professionals. Besides main services company has volunteer and charity programs. Employees are actively involved in the donor movement. Pavel Boev, Regional Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development of Deloitte CIS, told us about developing of the corporate blood donation.

06.08.19

Interview with Nelly Chomyakova

The employees of the largest Russian international airport “Sheremetyevo”, with route network covering more than 200 directions, have been regularly participating in donor actions since 2008. The Chairman of the Primary Trade Union Organization of Workers of the JSC Sheremetyevo International Airport Nelly Khomyakova told us how the airport management supports the donor movement.