Our Children, a nationwide charity campaign, was launched at the National Art Center for Children and Youth in Minsk on 9 December, BelTA has learned.

The charity campaign will run through 10 January 2020. During the campaign, heads of government agencies, including local executive officials, will visit orphanages and foster homes, families who raise children with disabilities, rehabilitation centers and facilities for children with special needs, as well as hospitals. They will wish children Happy New Year and Merry Christmas, give them gifts and help resolve their issues. Public associations will also join the campaign.

In line with a tradition, a nationwide exhibition-contest of children's arts and crafts opened at the National Art Center for Children and Youth on the first day of the campaign. The project is designed to promote traditional arts and crafts, identify and support young talents, preserve national traditions. The participants of the project are children and teenagers aged 8-16 who study arts as an extracurricular activity.

Member of the jury Lyudmila Terekh noted that children's works keep surprising her all the time. “The artistic and stylistic level of works keeps increasing, which is encouraging. I am convinced that children will save the world with their vision, optimism and positive thinking. Adults often pretend to be optimistic, but children are absolutely sincere in their feelings. The most important thing is to let emotions go and not to confine them in any frames,” she underlined.

The nationwide exhibition-contest is the final round of regional stages. The jury received over 400 individual entries and team entries from all over the country. The themes of the works are Winter Holidays, Winter Fun and Winter Fairytales. The works are made in various genres, including paper cutting, straw weaving, art painting, ceramics, embroidery, weaving, doll making, toy making, New Year Tree decorations, New Year costumes, New Year souvenirs and gifts from various materials.

The nationwide exhibition-contest will run through 25 January 2020. The most interesting works will be showcased at the Palace of the Republic during a New Year charity event for children. The organizers of the exhibition are the Education Ministry and the National Art Center for Children and Youth.