Czech Humanist Movement boasts with long-distance adoption programme
Many of you, especially our listeners in Africa and Asia, have most probably heard of the international Humanist Movement. Its aim is to bring together people from all corners of the earth and of different ages, nationalities, culture, and religion to make the world a more humane place to live in. The Czech branch has been active for about a decade, increasing contributions to world peace as the years go by. Its most popular activities are currently in West Africa. Dita Asiedu spoke to Tana Bednarova, a volunteer who has just returned from Guinea-Conacry. Dita started off by asking her how the Czech branch of the Humanist Movement has been involved in Africa:
"The Czech Humanists began their activities in Africa four years ago when we joined in the international project named the Human Support Campaign and started to organise alphabetisation courses, created medical centres, built some schools, and more."
What about in the Czech Republic?
"Here we give presentations of the human support campaign in primary and secondary schools where the goal is to uniform students about xenophobia and intolerance. We also organise the African Ball, and more."
And how is all of this being financed?
"I must point out that all of us who are involved in the project are volunteers. All programmes are self-financed, which means that we have to organise activities in order to bring in enough money to cover all expenses. Such activities include the African Ball that we hold in Prague every year. But what we depend on most is volunteers and the free provision of basic services such as printing, for example, and human involvement - not really financial donations because people are more willing to donate things and services than money. But financial donations are welcome too."
So, would you say that Czechs are interested in the humanist movement's activities?
"Yes, they are interested and they are willing to help. We've noticed that the Czech people have become very sensitive to our activities in Africa. The long-distance adoption programme is most popular because it represents direct help to individuals in need. People here feel they need to do more than just their daily routine and want to be useful. Adopting a child in Africa only costs 5,520 Czech crowns a year. This means a coffee a day for us Czechs but a basic school education, a meal a day and health coverage for an African child.
How many children have been adopted by Czechs so far?
"In the last two years, 1200 children have been adopted in Kenya and Guinea. But of course there still are many children hoping to be adopted. What is nice is that it is mostly the ordinary citizens who cannot afford much themselves but still adopt children."
Is it possible to visit the child in Africa?
"Yes. But the child cannot come here. Not just for administrative reasons but also because we want to protect the child as it may suffer from culture shock. But an adoptive parent can visit the child in its home country."
And those of you interested in the activities of the Humanist Movement, active in a hundred countries around the world, can either write to us for contact information or visit the internet site www.hmonline.org for information in English, or www.novyhumanismus.cz to find out more about the Czech branch's contributions.
