Due to pandemia of COVID-19 schools had to transfer to distance learning. Aiming to help kids from multi-child families that were left in harsh conditions the Rybakov Foundation launched its new project. Under the project multi-child families from 11 Russian regions received 500 laptops at a cost of 10 million rubles ($137 000). The project was executed together with the regional non-governmental organization “Mnogodetstvo”, the Center for Assistance to multi-child Families “MnogoMama” and the charity foundation “Volunteers to help orphans”. The logistics partner of the project is Wildberries.
Ekaterina Rybakova, the President and сo-founder of the Rybakov Foundation: “Being ourselves a multi-child family we understand the needs and potential problems that may arise. That is why we decided support these families that appeared to be out on a limb.”
Igor Rybakov, co-founder, chairman of the board of the Rybakov Foundation: “Multi-child families face a lot of difficulties on a daily basis, obviously that nowadays the number of their problems has increased. Many children from such families do not even have devices for distance learning. For this reason, me and my wife Ekaterina together with our partners initiated this project.”
78 laptops were received by the wards of the foundation “Volunteers to help orphans” – multi-child families from Moscow and the Moscow Region. Usually there is only one smartphone and one laptop per family. Also, with a help of the foundation, 42 laptops were received by multi-child families of Yekaterinburg. Elena Alshanskaya, President of the foundation “Volunteers to help orphans”, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation: “Often our families can’t afford any unplanned purchase – especially a laptop, the price of which equals to an average monthly salary of an adult. Therefore, today more than ever it is important to combine the resources of business and non-profit organizations.”
232 multi-child families from Ryazan, Kaluga, Novgorod, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Tula, Perm, and Krasnodar regions received laptops. These families are under care of the Center for Assistance to multi-child Families “MnogoMama”.
Alina Kontareva, president of the Center for Assistance to multi-child Families “MnogoMama”: “Together with the Rybakov Foundation, we conducted a survey in 29 cities of Russia, and it turned out that several thousand families have a need. Further, the Rybakov Foundation identified the cities where the project will be held. When we visited our families, we saw tears of joy. The families told us that they would never be able to cope with this situation without us.”
Lyudmila Chernyshova, a mother of many children from the village of Miloslavskoye, Ryazan Region: “We have three schoolchildren, one child is disabled, and it was impossible to buy laptops for children. Now kids are happy to do extra school tasks. Our daughter is especially pleased, she has to stay in a wheelchair most of the time. Now she can complete a school course from home, and she will be able to learn more about the world, to watch educatory videos and films.”
Also, among families who received help were families from Chelyabinsk Region. 50 families of the region got laptops within the action.
Natalya Kolkataeva, Chairperson of the regional non-governmental organization “Mnogodetstvo”: “Most of the laptops were handed over to Magnitogorsk families who are active participants of the projects of our organization. The organization works with many-child families which income barely exceeds the cost of living. Often these families do not have their own housing and they are forced to rent it. During the pandemia, many parents lost their jobs and had to look for remote work. Consequently, families had to work and study at the same laptop.”
Svetlana Ananyeva, mother of eight children from the Chelyabinsk region: “Our children are all adopted, that is why, we do not have the status of a needy family. There are six schoolchildren in our family all of them had to do homework remotely from an old computer from 8 am to 10 pm. It was very energy and time consuming. The Rybakov Foundation gave us two laptops. Thanks to this, all our children will be able to do their homework faster and easier and they still will have time to spend with their friends and family.”