Why is a child born into this world? What
is the ultimate purpose? The mother will say: a child is born to be happy.
No woman who gives birth to a baby wants her child to suffer from disease
and malnutrition, or to be threatened by the polluted environment and rampant
crime in the world where he or she will live.
It is no secret that in the past few years mortality has soared, whereas
the birth rate has dropped dramatically in this country. There are many
reasons behind this trend, which range from the extremely difficult economic
and political situation to the increasingly acute problem of male and female
infertility. Fortunately, not everyone has given up on this sad situation,
and there still are quite a few enthusiasts who are prepared to do everything
possible to change it.
Two years ago a group of highly qualified psychologists and the DINI
Association decided to concentrate their efforts on solving the host of
problems facing mothers and children. On March 1, 1995, they formed and
registered a charitable foundation called Healthy Children in a Healthy
World. Zoya Anatolievna Kuteinikova, the general director of the DINI Association,
became the foundation's first president.
The foundation aims to consolidate the intellectual community and attract
financial resources in order to meet the essential needs of all people:
healthy motherhood, fatherhood and healthy children in every Russian family.The
foundation's programs are geared to drawing public attention to the issue
of solving the ecological problems that impact the health of the new generation.
Importantly, this involves the practical implementation of social, rehabilitation
and educational programs to strengthen the family, safeguard the rights
of children, their parents and pregnant women, as provided for by international
documents.
The foundation's activities currently span four major areas. One of
its most crucial tasks is to set up a medical and psychological center
called Baby, which will offer counseling to parents and provide them with
assistance at the family planning, pregnancy and early childhood stages.
The Foundation will undertake to organize a telephone hotline service
similar to the one already operating successfully in St Petersburg. There
is an interest in medical-psychological centers in Tambov and Saratov;
negotiations are already under way about the organization of a resort and
medical facilities for expectant mothers near the city of Simferopol.
Another important ecological project is entitled "Clean Water
for Children." It has been launched to provide pregnant women, mothers
nursing babies, and children in the cities and areas with very poor ecological
conditions with clean drinking water. (It is well known that in 70 per
cent of the Russian cities and towns the tap water contains harmful pollutants,
the levels of which are five to ten times higher than the permissible level.)
A document, in which the grounds for starting the program are given, has
been drawn up and will soon be submitted for consideration. In addition,
the daily recommended amount of clean water consumption by kindergartens,
children's homes, schools, hospitals and maternity clinics has been determined,
and the sources of financing found for paying for the water supply pipelines.
The Foundation is also carrying out a few educational projects. There
is a column in the magazine "Nash Malysh" ("Our Baby")
in which specialists offer sound medical and psychological advice to future
parents; a number of articles about the Foundation have been published
in "Mamina Gazeta" ("Mother's Gazette"). The Foundation
plans to open a two-month course in cooperation with the Ye.R. Dashkova
University to train specialists for medical and psychological support centers
for the family.
Its plans also include a drug store called "Mother and Child"
to sell harmless homeopathic and naturopathic drugs and baby care articles;
a store with a good choice of baby food, toys and clothes for children
and pregnant women; regular publication of methodological materials and
information on child care; courses for future parents and pre-school education
of children.