Every year more than 700,000 children throughout Russia receive support and participate in programs from the Russian Red Cross. These programs include first aid training, psychosocial support, assistance to victims in emergency situations, adaptation classes for migrant children, humanitarian support and various educational and preventive activities held by regional branches of the Russian Red Cross.
RRC regional branches across the whole country regularly organize creative classes, training workshops, sports and prevention activities. Such activities help children to develop communication skills, personal expression, as well as form important attitudes, such as care for themselves and others, a sense of responsibility and mutual assistance.
“The Children’s Day is an appropriate date to remind ourselves that taking care of children is not a one-time action, but the ongoing, systematic work. The fact on how much we invest in children today, namely in their safety, development, ability to take care of themselves and others, directly impacts on what our society will look like in 10-15 years. Well-being, mutual respect, acceptance and a sense of responsibility are cultivated from a very early age. In the Russian Red Cross, we are doing our best to help, but also to teach how to help. In our children and parents’ centers, children can communicate, study, get support, while first aid programs and educational classes set the foundations of humanity and solidarity. We believe that a sustainable society begins with a confident, secure childhood”, said Pavel SAVCHUK, the President of the Russian Red Cross.
One of the largest areas is the first aid training program. In 2024 alone, almost 690,000 children aged 6 to 17 received basic first aid skills in various emergency situations. Classes are held in schools, technical schools and summer camps. Children are taught the plan of actions in case of injuries, burns, fainting spell and other emergency conditions. A special program “Kolenka will teach you”, which was developed by the RRC regional branch in the Novgorod region is available for the youngest children. By playing, children learn how to recognize dangerous situations and call out for help. The program is currently being implemented all across the country.
Children and parents’ centers are being operated in more than 20 regional branches. These centers have become a sustainable format for targeted assistance to families in crisis life circumstances. The centers are available at least five days a week and include recreation areas, learning spaces and playrooms. In these centers, children can do their homework, participate in workshops and developmental activities, socialize with each other, and, wherever necessary and upon parental consent, receive psychological support. More than 36,000 children participated in these activities in 2024, and nearly 70,000 children have been engaged since August 2023.
In many regions, the Russian Red Cross implements special programs aimed at preventing child injuries. Thus, the RRC regional branch in the Nenets Autonomous region installs window blocking devices free of charge in apartments of large and low-income families. This measure helps to prevent children from falling out of windows, which often happens due to simple infantile curiosity.
The targeted assistance is also provided to children affected by emergencies. For example, following devastating floods in the spring of 2024 in the Orenburg region and other regions, more than 7,000 families received vouchers to purchase clothing and school supplies for children. Also, the RRC traditionally supports displaced families and refugees from Donbass and Ukraine prior to a new school year. In 2024, RRC regional branches distributed 5,000 school kits (backpacks with stationery) under the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
An RRC training center for migrant children operates in the city of Moscow. Children from the Middle East, Africa, the CIS countries and Afghanistan learn Russian as a foreign language, receive basic knowledge of school and preschool curricula, such as mathematics, literature, and the World Around Us.
