On the background of the research entitled “The Quality Programs of Assistance to the Elderly People” organized by the Russian Red Cross the Red Cross of Chukotka proposed the methods and the ways to solve some of the problems of the retired people. The analysis of the proposals and the problems allowed to develop the program of assistance to the retired people of Chukotka entitled “The Volunteer Initiative in Solution of the Social and Common Problems of the Elderly People of Chukotka”. The program starts on November 01, 2005. The goals of the program are to motivate the elderly people and the young volunteers, to encourage their own decision-making and personal development, to acquaint them with the ways to help each other, to broaden their social contacts and to strengthen the links between the generations. 
    The objectives of the new program are
-          to create the working group of the retired people, which will involve as many elders as possible,
-          to systematize the information on the volunteers who are ready to help the retired people;
-          to propose the possible spare time activities for the elderly people;
-          to train the young volunteers to work with the elderly people.
       The program previews the operation of the “hot line” for the retired people, free consultations of addictions specialist, psychotherapist and lawyer, organization of various hobby clubs and the evening parties for the city elders, provision of targeted assistance and household help to the retired people. The first step forward was the meeting with the Anadyr elders, which took place on October 26 where the elders supported the initiative of the Red Cross of Chukotka and made a number of their own proposals. There will be more such meetings and, the first and foremost, the retired people will have an opportunity to live an active social life and feel their importance and involvement. 

      Out of 140 teenagers aged 14-17 residing in Anadyr 80 tried alcohol or drink on a regular basis. The main reason for drinking, as the schoolkids say, is to “uplift the spirit” and, strange as it may seem, most of the questioned drink “at home, with parents”. Moreover, 50% of those who admitted drinking alcohol do not have difficulties purchasing it while no one of them reached the age of 18. This information was provided by the anonymous student poll. The revealed picture is more that sad and it proves that prevention of alcoholism should be started as early as in the elementary school age.

 A soiree in memory of  Gennady Pananto

        Gennady Petrovich Pananto – poet and composer who, not having any special education, composed songs that, as Elena Ivanovna Yetynkeu, his friend and colleague says carried the warmth of his soul, love for the native land and everything a native person values in his culture. The subjects of his songs are taken from the real situations and the people who worked with him were always looking forward to his new artistic findings and achievements. His passing away in 1995 was a shock for many. He was not only a great popular composer but a beautiful person, too. His friends describe him as calm, reasonable but at the same time witty, kind and unselfish person. “He was always smiling; he had a wonderful sense of humor and was an easy person to be with. He sang all the time and everywhere”, his colleagues say.
    From an early age Gennady Pananto repeated the songs that his mother used to sing for him. He discovered the wealth of the Chukchi language and he learnt to express his admiration by the native nature with his songs. Valentina and Galina, daughters of Gennady Petrovich, told he was a wonderful person whom they remember, love and revere. In memory of the poet Nina Yokke, a schoolgirl, performed a dance and a lot of songs was sung by others. An exhibition of pictures of Gennady Pananto was prepared specially for the soiree. Multiple diplomas exhibited there prove that his work gained appreciation.
    Elena Ivanovna Nutynkeu told an unusual story about Gennady Pananto: “Once Gennady and I were going Anadyr where some okrug festival or contest took place. On the way he suddenly started singing. Gennady Petrovich always composed music for songs but that one was new. It was so sincere and liked it and, joking, asked Gennady Pananto to give it to me. I did not expect him to say “It’s yours”. Much time had passed since that moment but I have never heard this song neither at concerts nor at soirees. When he passed away I understood he did give the song to me. At that moment I was overwhelmed with gratitude toward this generous and kind person. The melody is still alive. I staged a dance on its basis. I am very sorry that Gennady Pananto could not see it but the heritage of this wonderful person is alive and it will not be forgotten.”

     The village of Neshkan is located on the coast of the East Chukchi Sea. The village is constructed on the spit, there is a lagoon in the south and a sea in the north, the lagoon connects with the sea in the east and the west. The villagers are very concerned about the village location now because since November 30, 2002 the earth tremors accompanied by hum and vibration had become quite regular. This is a reason of stress, aggressiveness and a feeling of instability among the villagers. A considerable number of house and enterprise buildings (school, daycare center, first aid center, boarding school and food store) were damaged, too. Doorways and window openings in one-storied houses are twisted, walls and floors are distorted and all houses are blown through, which considerably increases coal consumption. There are no construction materials to repair the buildings and it is unknown if they would be delivered to the village at all taking into account the tremors. It will not be possible to winter in such buildings. If no construction materials are delivered and the village stays as it is what happens with the villagers, with 650 people, more than 200 families? That’s why the villagers ask Chukotka government to send a specialist to the village to clarify the situation. The people want to know the truth and ask to expedite solving of the problem because any delay can entail unexpected consequences. What is the future of Neshkan? This is the question that all villagers are concerned about. The people live expecting a disaster.

                      The summer school camp is open in Meinypylgino. There are several teams: environmental, cleaning, sport team and a team for the elementary schoolkids. Different meetings and lectures were organized for the schoolchildren (Glory to You, Soldier; A Day of Fairy-Tale). There were contests of elocutionists, songs and dances, picture exhibits, health and sport days, walking tours to tundra and many other events. Schoolchildren’s cleaning team also started working. The kids clean the banks of Meiny and Pilgino rivers and the side of the Pekulnei Lake. They also clean the village outskirts and plant bushes and tundra flowers. This is the third year of their work. This year they will also do some ethnographic work.  

                     The summer camp in the elementary school of Neshkan is open since the second half of June. There are three teams in the camp: the tundra, the marine mammal hunters’ teams, the environmental team and a team of elementary schoolkids. 25 kids from the first team are already gone to tundra and they will stay there until August 25. They stay in yarangas. The girls help the yaranga housewives, learn to process reindeer skins, repair raetems. The boys help to herd reindeers and try to throw lasso. In the marine mammal hunters’ team 14 and 15-year-old-teenagers train under supervision of the experienced hunters to go sea-hunting later. The environmental team (teenagers of 13 and 14 years of age) under the guidance of Olesya Shitova, coordinator of the Chukotka Red Cross, clean the village territory. The older teenagers hold special biological seminars, wildlife quizzes, lectures on the native nature for the younger kids. Those children who stayed in the village regularly go out to tundra for short tours. The elementary schoolkids are busy too. The children play out in the tundra, pick up the last year salmonberries, crowberries and mountain cranberries to make berry beverages.

     
Remember the time when you were a child and how impatiently you were waiting for the summer. And now the long-expected Sun scatters freckles over the kids’ faces. That’s why the International (Child’s ) Day of Protection of Children is celebrated on the first summer day. But not all of the children can go out to the street and enjoy the first warm days. First of all, it refers to the inpatient and disabled children. The Red Cross of Chukotka decided to congratulate these kids on June, 1.


Laugh out loud,

Today is the Kid’s Day!

Today is the Day of Happy

                                   And Joyful Kids!

                                                           Let everything be fine

                                                 Northward and Southward,

                                                 Let Every Kid in the World

                                                 Be Happier!

   Apart from greeting cards with these warm words the inpatient and disabled children received toys and bags filled with sweets.
    The gifts were distributed by the Chukotka Red Cross workers: their white aprons and red baseball caps with the Chukotka Red Cross logos created the celebration atmosphere and livened up the kids and their parents. This action involved Elena Paramonova, a student of the Omsk State University, a resident of Anadyr and a participant of the Youth Project Development Program. She shares her impressions: “It is so pleasant to make people happy. At first they look very surprised and wary but when you give toys to kids – no matter how old are they – they start smiling so affectionately. I am proud that I made these kids smile.      Kids’ smiles are the most important results of such actions and there were a lot of them on June 1, 2004.