Profile of a Russian Red Cross Youth

Written by Stephanie Kriner, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

Yulia first joined the Russian Red Cross as a "Young Leader." Now she works full-time, helping manage a food distribution project.

Yulia Sidorova sees a bright future beyond eastern Siberia's current economic struggles. The 23-year-old Russian Red Cross youth worker and volunteer believes that young generations will make the difference.

"Working for the Red Cross is really exciting because I've got so much energy inside me. I want to do something good with it," says the enthusiastic young woman.

Sidorova first became involved with the Red Cross during last year's Youth Leaders School, a special program that trained young Siberians about everything from First Aid to international humanitarian law. She is now the assistant coordinator of "Food for Progress," a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded American Red Cross food distribution program for Siberia's most vulnerable institutions and families.

"We are helping many people who live in terrible conditions. They don't have jobs, because we have a lot of closed down enterprise and factories," she says. "I've been to visit some of the beneficiaries. Many of the families include multiple young children all living together in one-room homes. There are single mothers who must work, so the oldest child has to watch the younger ones. They don't get lunch because the mom isn't there to prepare it."

Sidorova is one of six youth leaders who became permanent Red Cross volunteers or employees. She says the Red Cross must continue to recruit young blood in order to survive. "The Red Cross staff is getting older, and if the organization wants to continue the great job it's doing, we need to get more youth involved."

As a member of the Young Leaders program, Sidorova participated in a clothing and fund-raising drive for Siberia's orphans. The youth set up stations on street corners throughout the eastern Siberian city of Irkutsk, where they asked for donations. The program contributed to an American Red Cross program providing food, medicine and other supplies to Siberian orphanages.

"It was an amazing feeling to participate in that project. I think it brought out all the good traits that are in me," says Sidorova, who, in addition to her regular job duties, volunteers during her time off. "It was an important project, and I was glad that I did it — even though it was negative 20 degrees outside, and I got sick afterwards."

Sidorova was amazed at the generosity of the Russian public. "People are so giving, but often don't know where to go to help. When people saw us, they were so excited to give. Many of them hopped in their cars and returned with armfuls of clothes for the orphans."

Although an enthusiastic advocate of the Red Cross, Sidorova still worries about people who fall through the cracks. Because the Russian Red Cross has limited resources, it has no programs in Irkutsk for the homeless, many of whom died on the streets during Siberia's recent cold wave. "They need food, clothes and winter footwear," she says. "Perhaps a soup kitchen would be good, but we don't have the funds for that right now," she adds.

The homeless people who beg outside the Red Cross office in Irkutsk pain the young humanitarian. "The difficult thing is that I'm so close to opening my purse and giving them money every time, but it's not appropriate because so many people need help. I can't give away all my salary."

Sidorova hopes to one day play a greater role in making the Russian Red Cross a stronger national society — one that will help others the way that the American Red Cross is helping it, she says. "I hope it will flourish. Of course you always hope that there won't be any need for Red Cross services. I wish that would be true, but unfortunately there will always be a job for the Red Cross in the future."

The American Red Cross has pledged $100,000 to support youth activities in eastern Siberia, Kurgan and Tyuman. Currently, only three out of 12 eastern Siberian Red Cross committees have youth groups.

The American Red Cross also will offer its expertise in recruiting, training and maintaining active youth programs. Through one American Red Cross program, Russian youth will be given grants to launch humanitarian and education programs in their communities.

"There's a lot of interest among the youth here, but they don't have a place to direct their energy. They don't want to get involved with the alcohol and drug abuse that are problems in this country," says Ramsey Rayyis, Russia's head of delegation for the American Red Cross in Moscow. "Youth are definitely the future of the Russian Red Cross."