Chernihiv Region Charity
“Aratta”

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From June, 26 to July, 7, 2010
Unforgettable trip to Denmark 

From June, 26 to July, 7 a long-awaited charitable project of Aratta was realized. It was a trip to the Kingdom of Denmark for children from low-income, large families and half-orphans. 25 children took part in this trip together with Aratta volunteers (Barabanova Tetyana, Strok Valentyna, Shapoval Inna, Zhadan Tetyana, Breus Yulia), the best drivers (Zhadan Vasyl, Kravchenko Denys, Sholoh Grygoriy). This unforgettable adventure was headed by the director and inspirer of Chernihiv Region Charity “Aratta” – Filatova Victoria.

We came to the town of Dragor in the evening of June 28. Soroptimists met us together with their husbands and children. The meeting was really amazing – they greeted us with Ukrainian flags, smiles and warm hospitality.

That evening children received their first presents. Everyone got a bag of clothes: trainers, sports wear, jeans, sweaters and T-shirts. Children were very glad.

Next day we had a competition. Soroptimists’ husbands organized an interesting Medieval tournament. It included archery, spear and hammer throwing – we had to struck a shield or helmet and to run wearing chain mails. Our children were divided into 5 teams. After each team took part in the tournament we had a lunch outdoors. Then we went to the beach where both children and adults got a lot of pleasure swimming in the sea.

On Wednesday, June, 30 we went on an excursion to Copenhagen. Soroptimists organized a bus with a guide and in 15-20 minutes we were in the capital of Denmark. The city impressed us with its unforgettable beauty and cosiness. We were listening to the guide’s story with pleasure. Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to see the Mermaid statue which was on a vacation in China. But we had a chance to enjoy the ceremony of guard change near the royal palace and made photos with guards. Then we went to Rosenborg Museum – it is one of the palaces that belonged to King Christian ХІІ, but now it’s a museum where one can enjoy the treasures, relics, jewelry and things of King Christian ХІІ. After the excursion to Copenhagen we were invited to meet the mayor of Dragor. Children really liked meeting this man, they presented him a mace, but most of all they remembered the mayor’s necklace.

Next day we had an excursion to the Zoo, where both children and adults walked from aviary to aviary with great pleasure, but most of all we liked bears, lions and sea bears. Here in the Zoo children had a chance to buy presents to take home. After this trip we returned to Dragor and went to the beach. Unfortunately, the sea was cold and we enjoyed sunbathing.

On Friday we went to another town where we visited a school. At first children were playing in the yard, and then we came in to see the school inside and made a small concert for little children, their teachers and the headmaster. First we sang the anthem, then Vasylenko Margarita and Melnyk Oleksiy danced jive, Petrenko Anastasia showed a circus act, Novak Andriy told a humoresque, Kovalenko Vladyslav played the piano. After visiting school we went to a bowling club where both children and adults really enjoyed the game.

And then a long-awaited Saturday came – it was the concert day. It began with seeing the place where our concert was to be held and then we had a run-through. Children prepared amazing numbers. We started the concert at 15 p.m. The most memorable numbers included Ukrainian jive of Vasylenko Margarita and Melnyk Oleksiy, Gerasymov Sergiy’s song «I feel good», Petrenko Anastasia‘s circus act, dancing of Dunay Ganna and Vershnyak Alla, and music numbers of Kovalenko Vladyslav and Pleshkevych Gennadiy. The concert was a great success. After that we had a holiday dinner.

On Sunday we visited a fire station, where children had a chance to feel themselves real firemen. After lunch on this station we went to the beach where we met scouts and swam in the sea.

On Monday, July, 5 in the afternoon we said goodbye to our new friends and went back home. It was sad to leave Denmark, Soroptimists, their children and grandchildren who became our real friends in such a short period time. But we had to return home. And this trip we’ll remember for the whole life.