On the occasion of Children's Day, the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation "Hesed Besht" and the All-Ukrainian Volunteer Network "Community" organized a charitable hiking trip to the forest for the Foundation's low-income clients and children at risk. Its purpose was not only to relax the young participants in nature, but also to acquire the skills necessary for the trip and even the basics of survival in the wild. The trip was named after the tzaddik Baal Shem Tov - the founder of Hasidism, herbalist and healer, who lived in Medzhyborzh, not far from the event venue.
Communication with nature is always beneficial for people, especially children, and even more so at the end of the school year. After exhausting exams or tests, exciting last bells, it is so nice to just relax in the silence of the forest or listen to the chirping of birds in the emerald green crowns of trees. Few people know about the well-maintained spring and small hut in the forest, which the hikers came to, so there are rarely any visitors here. The children immediately noticed the absence of garbage around the object, which made them think of leaving behind an equally good landscape. On the eve of the Environmental Protection Day, this was a good illustration of cultural recreation in nature, a careful attitude to the riches of their native land. All this became possible within the framework of the “Dialogue of Generations” grant, which is implemented by the “Hesed Besht” Foundation in cooperation with the All-Ukrainian Volunteer Network “Community”.
Before setting up the household part of the temporary camp, the children listened to a short briefing on safety precautions and collecting firewood for the campfire. According to the conditions, they had to light a fire with only one match, so before using it, they had to think about the design of the future campfire. Also, according to environmental rules, paper or flammable substances should not be used. The children had to make tinder - a special mixture of small leaves, shavings, grated bark and withered grass. Through joint efforts, the participants of the hike not only lit a fire with one match, but also collected a huge pile of dry branches, which was enough for the entire time they were in the forest.
Survival instructor Dmytro Kornitsky conducted a training on the topic of safe stay in the wild. Together, the children determined what is a priority in such cases, what food can be consumed and where to get it, how to find water. A separate line was the topic of interaction with wild animals. And although such animals only occur at night in the location, safety rules should be remembered during the day. You could also try to build a shelter for yourself in case of overnight stay or light rain.
What is a hike without a picnic? A favorite activity for children in nature is cooking sausages on a campfire. This time, chicken sausages were fried centrally, but everyone could try to fry any ingredient that was available for themselves. The most popular were sandwiches with cheese, which, under the influence of fire, spread over the entire surface of the bread.
The head of the All-Ukrainian volunteer network "Community" in Khmelnytskyi, Vyacheslav Nagnybida, gave a lecture to the participants of the hike about the life of the Baal Shem Tov. In the afternoon calm, it was the best way to absorb both food and useful information. Many stories, anecdotes, and mays are associated with the figure of the tzaddik. Several Hasidic stories were told on this day. It is quite possible that the Baal Shem Tov once visited these places, since Medzhybozh is within easy reach, and in search of medicinal herbs he could walk more than a dozen kilometers.
The children devoted their free time to outdoor games with a ball, dousing with spring water, and a photo session using a monopod. And having collected all the garbage, making sure that they left behind a place suitable for cultural recreation, the participants of the hike set off back. This year's Children's Day will be remembered by many for a long time, because not all children have been on hikes until today. And the useful knowledge gained here will not be useless in later life.
