Students of the Medical University of Warsaw visit hospital children’s wards as volunteers in order to try to make the young patients feel better during their difficult time of illness. As part of the “Best Buddy” program, they organize activities, competitions and games, and in the “We Read We Help” program they engage children in reading fairy tales which are divided into roles, which gives the children a lot of joy.
Patients of pediatric hospitals always warmly welcome the visits of bears, who accompany the students of the Medical University of Warsaw during the campaign “WUMiś“ for children and A Different Christmas - a bear under the Christmas tree. Visits during the holiday period are particularly welcomed by the children that have to spend this special period in hospital. Playing together, even if it is just for a moment, allows the youngsters to forget about their illnesses and that they are in hospital. Teddy bears also accompanies WUM student’s when they visit preschools. Where they introduce the Teddy Bear Hospital campaign. Which has as it’s purpose to remove the children’s fear of doctors and medical procedures. In the Teddy Bear Hospital, the mascots play the role of patients, and the children that of their guardians, who must take care of the safety of the patients. The children very attentively listen to valuable tips from students and engage in caring for the stuffed animals.
The difficult stay in the hospital can be made more pleasant by the performances of the Magic Theater of the Medical University of Warsaw. Performances prepared for the patients of the Children's Hospital and their families, allow the children to move into a magical world and guarantee many unforgettable emotions. The performances are entirely organized by WUM students, who direct, write, perform, take care of the costumes and stage sets, sound and lighting equipment.
The addressees of another student initiative, ”Dreamy Mail”, are children who, due to their illness, cannot attend kindergarten or school. They receive postcards with warm wishes. In this way, the children receive support in their fight against their ailments, they do not feel so lonely and gain contact with the world outside of the hospital walls.
Our students willingly engage in educational campaigns aimed at the youngest members of the community. As part of the "Two Heads Are Better One" program, they help the charges of support centers to understand the school subjects that they find difficult, and develop their competences and skills in such a way that learning becomes fun for them. They also try to broaden the extracurricular interests of children and introduce them to interesting activities. The action "Youth and their rights" is about introducing children to their basic rights through play. Students conduct multimedia lessons in schools, during which they talk about, among other things, the history of children's rights.
The project "Teeth without fillings” is aimed at preschool children. Students show the youngsters how to care for their teeth. They make the participants aware of the importance of oral hygiene for their bodies in a simple to understand way - a visit to the dentist does not have to be an unpleasant experience.
“Wigs For Kids”, organized by students of the European Medical Students Association (EMSA), is very popular among students of the Medical University of Warsaw. Participants grow their hair and then cut it in order to donate it to the “WeGirls Foundation”, which in turn gives it to a company that produces wigs, free of charge, for children. Beautiful wigs increase self-confidence, which in turn gives the children gives more energy and strength to fight their disease.
