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What qualities do you need to be a Buddy Family?
You need a will to help and the commitment to offer backup from time to time to a host family near to you for two Belarusian boys or girls for four weeks
during the visit.
While the children are here they need nourishment and it can be constant. They eat a lot of fruit - it has been known for a child to eat 7 bananas in
one hour! Even the local supermarket noticed that the consumption of bananas had gone up!
I have not heard of one child that ever refuses to eat, though they might find what we offer a little different than they are used to.
We bring children to this area several times a year.
Our main hosting programme is in the summer and we try to arrange it so that it coincides with our children's school holidays. This year 2005 we hope to bring
14 children here in both February and July.
While the children are here we try and offer support via a buddy family, during the week and if need be sometimes at weekends, giving the host family a
break.
We take them to the dentist, the optician and the doctor if it is thought necessary. We also provide clothing - as much as we can find, not only for the
children that are being hosted but also for them to take back for any siblings in their family.
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