Lend a hand to life: schoolchildren and students of the Vladimir region are told about donation using art therapy

To popularize the donor movement in the Vladimir region, the team of the public organization “For the Development of the Regions“ Regional Initiative ”launched the“ Stretch out a Hand to Life ”project.

Lend a Hand to Life! implemented with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund. It is planned that at least 960 schoolchildren and 1170 students of the Vladimir region will take part in the project.

“Before creating the project, we conducted a survey: out of 240 participants, only seven said they were active donors. In addition, the study showed that the most active young people aged 18 to 35 want to donate blood, but for various reasons, including the lack of information about the donation procedure, most of them do not reach the transfusion stations or donate blood once ", - says the chairman of the Vladimir regional society" For the development of regions "Regional Initiative" Svetlana Georgieva.

Future donors are children, today's schoolchildren. But the format of simple lectures will not work here - the authors of the project decided. Art therapist Maria Shamenova comes to Vladimir's schools for lessons. She tells the students the legend of the pelican. In a time of famine, this bird tore open its chest and fed its chicks with its own blood. Therefore, the pelican is considered a symbol of donation and dedication.

“I noticed that the guys were very touched by this story. After that, together with them, we made pelicans out of woolen threads. Some of the toys will go to a charity school fair, ”says Maria Shamenova.

In the lessons of art therapist Maria Shamenova, the guys draw a lot of how they see donation.

"For example, at one of the works, a machine turned out that carries blood to the patient, that is, a whole story unfolds in the child's imagination, which will remain in the heart, and he will remember that being a donor means being useful," adds Maria Shamenova .

Clinical psychologist Julia Kabitsina works with an older audience, students. Most of them have already reached the age of majority and can become donors. Julia talks about how important it is to be involved in the donor movement: the more you give, the more you get.

“It's not enough just to talk about involvement in the donor movement. We draw, create images using the neurographic method. This finds a great response among young people. In the process of drawing, emotions are fixed, "says Yulia Kabitsina.