WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2021) Children cancer patients at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, have painted their dreams on pieces of paper that will become part of the decorations for a Russian space rocket, the event organizer Unity Foundation told Sputnik.
"Zambian pediatric oncology patients painted their dreams while being accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and a Unity Foundation team to decorate the Russian rocket," Unity Foundation President Alena Kuzmenko said.
The idea behind the project was to inspire strength and self-confidence in children fighting cancer by encouraging them to participate in the painting session and by knowing the artistic representations of their dreams will be launched in space, she said.
Kuzmenko explained that the children's drawings will be added to the existing designer paintings from different countries intended to decorate the Russian rocket.
During the painting session, Kud-Sverchkov shared with the children his recent experiences at the International Space Station (ISS) and showed them videos of tasks he performed at the ISS.
Dr. Lewis Banda, Senior Medical Superintendent for Cancer Diseases at the hospital, told Sputnik that the medical facility was happy to welcome the Unity Foundation team.
"The event was their contribution in looking after children with cancer by having them participate in coming up with artwork from their dreams about space," Banda said. "The children were full of life after watching videos of the cosmonaut's trip to the ISS and knowing their artwork will be put on the rocket that will make a trip to the ISS. This has left an indelible mark in the lives of these children and will have brought hope and healing."
Kuzmenko said the Unity Foundation team is visiting Zambia for the second time but noticed constants regarding children in this and other countries.
"I always notice that children in different countries dream about the same things," she said. "This time in Lusaka, many kids drew their homes and their mothers. Two-year-old Emmanuelle even called my colleague 'mom.' It was a very touching moment. Our project shows us, the adults, that we should listen to children because they know the true values in life."
Zambia is the third country that joined the Art Rocket project launched by the Unity Foundation with the support of the Russian space agency Roskosmos in June of 2021. The project started in Belgrade, Serbia, and continued in Irkutsk, Russia. The project is an international initiative to implements art therapy sessions in pediatric oncology centers to raise awareness about children battling cancer while giving them a platform to explore and gain courage in their fight against the disease.
"Art creates community and allows the children-patients to indirectly connect with others with similar stories internationally," Kuzmenko said.
Zambia already participated in a Space Art project in 2020, when children from 10 countries painted their dreams on patches that became decorations for the "Dreamer" spacesuit. Once decorated, the spacesuit was then delivered to the ISS in April.
The Space Art projects - of which the current Art Rocket project is one - are organized by Unity Foundation from Russia and the Space for Art Foundation from the United States with the support of Roscosmos and NASA. However, the painting session in Zambia was also supported by the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo and the Russian Cultural Center in that country.
"The Russian House in Lusaka is a bridge connecting charitable projects in Russia and Zambia. The Unity Foundation's Space Art projects are an example of systemic collaboration between the two countries," Russian Cultural Center Director Aleksander Anisimov told Sputnik.
