One of my bakery clients takes part in a yearly charity. The charity brings Chernobyl children to the United States for medical and dental treatment. The children are allowed to stay for two months with sponsoring families. My client has had the pleasure of hosting the same little Russian girl Katsiaryna for four years, and I had the pleasure of giving her a Princess Tea Party!
I’m sure many of you remember the Chernobyl disaster which occurred on April 26, 1986. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine exploded, killing 31 people. Some of the long term effects, such as cancers and deformities, have affected adults and children ever since.
This year the little girl my client hosts, Katsiaryna, will turn ten years old while she’s here in the U.S. My client wanted to give her a Royal Princess Birthday Tea Party. I found out Katsiaryna speaks very little English, so I wanted to make this special little girl feel at home since she was so young and so far away from her home on her birthday.
I contacted a friend of mine that speaks Russian to help me. My friend thankfully taught me a few Russian words that would be helpful. She also translated our tea menu and Katsiaryna’s place card into Russian. I will never forget the look on Katsiaryna face when she entered the room and noticed the menu. She smiled so big and began to read it out loud. You could tell it meant a lot to her.
The party was so much fun. Even though language could have been a huge barrier for the girls, it really didn’t matter. Children are so resilient. Everyone had the best time! And I’m sure this will be one of the highlights of Katsiaryna life. I am so thankful that we could be a part of it. It was such a blessing to host this birthday party for her!
