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15 December: UNICEF and Amway open a playroom for children in Irkutsk regional specialized children’s home No.2

On December 15, 2008, a playroom for children opened in Irkutsk regional specialized children’s home No.2 under the major charitable project “A Child’s Smile”, implemented jointly by UNICEF and “Amway”. This is the first playroom set up in Irkutsk within the said project. Another 4 playrooms are scheduled for opening in the city and the region in early 2009.

160 orphans and children without parental care reside in children’s home No.2. on a permanent basis. The playroom is fitted with special equipment which allows to relieve emotional stress and muscle tension in children, stimulate their mental alertness, develop their imagination and creative capacities and monitor the children’s psycho-emotional condition. Play therapy methods used during play sessions with children allow to establish a confidential relationship between a child and a play therapist and will contribute to higher efficiency of play sessions. About 20 children are expected to participate in play sessions on a daily basis.

The expected duration of the joint UNICEF-Amway project is three years (2008-2010), during which some 60 playrooms and the so-called sensor rooms will be set up at medical and social facilities for children all over Russia. Presently, such rooms are successfully functioning in Biysk, Barnaul, St.Petersburg, Rostov-on-the-Don, Chelyabinsk and Petrozavodsk.

Kemlin Furley, UNICEF Deputy Representative for the Russian Federation, said: “There is no doubt that a family environment is the best place for a child to be brought up, but sometimes, due to various family circumstances, children have to be institutionalized and stay in public care at residential institutions, hospitals and socio-rehabilitation centers for a prolonged period of time. For many years now, UNICEF has been cooperating with the Irkutsk regional authorities under the programme “Young People’s Health and Developmen" and "HIV/AIDS”. We are happy that thanks to the long-term project “A Child’s Smile”, supported by our partner Amway company, our cooperation with Irkutsk will develop in still another area and help make the life of children without parental care happier and more joyful. Thanks to this major project, children in many Russian regions will have a chance to play, relax and develop in specially equipped playrooms and sensor rooms.”

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