OREANDA-NEWS. As part of its charity program, OJSC Irkutskenergo continues its long-standing cooperation with the Irkutsk regional branch of the national charitable foundation Russian Children's Fund. Currently, OJSC Irkutskenergo finances three key programs of the Fund: “Deaf children”, “Diabetes mellitus” and “Children and tuberculosis”. This year, the Company assumed an obligation to finance a new program “Blind children”; as part of this program, the necessary equipment will be purchased for one of the regional foster homes for blind and partially sighted children.

When the “Deaf children” program was launched in the Irkutsk Region, over a thousand children were waiting to receive individual hearing aids. By now, the Fund has managed to solve this problem and provide all children with hearing aids through cooperation with Irkutskenergo. Irkutskenergo continues financing the “Deaf children” program every year; in 2012, RUB 350 thousand were allocated for purchasing special equipment for boarding school No. 9 for deaf and hearing impaired children in Irkutsk.

Considering the difficult situation with children’s tuberculosis in the region, at the end of 2009, the Fund launched the “Children and tuberculosis” program. OJSC Irkutskenergo was among the first to support it. The program is mainly aimed at assisting children and hospitals in purchasing medical equipment, providing the children who undergo long-term treatment in tuberculosis hospitals with the opportunity to have good leisure time. In 2012, the Company allocated funds for purchasing the equipment for the Regional children’s tuberculosis hospital.

“Diabetes mellitus” is another program of the Fund. Since 2003, Irkutskenergo has been allocating funds for purchasing glucose meters (devices for determining the concentration of glucose in the blood) and accompanying test strips for children with diabetes mellitus. Last year, the amount increased to RUB 1 mln.

Besides, Irkutskenergo traditionally finances such projects of the Children’s Fund as “Children's Day” and “Ten Days of New Year’s Charity” and supports children who need immediate medical treatment.

In 2013, Irkutskenergo plans to allocate over RUB 2 mln to the Irkutsk regional branch of the Russian Children's Fund.

Svetlana Kulinich, the Chairperson of the Irkutsk regional branch of the Russian Children's Fund: “Irkutskenergo is one of the few large businesses which have been supporting the Fund since the day when it was founded. For the last 10 years Irkutskenergo has been the main sponsor of the Children’s Fund. If all businesses supported charity, we would be able to solve many problems in the Region.”

Evgeny Fedorov, CEO of OJSC Irkutskenergo: “Providing assistance to children has always been a priority in our charity work. We appreciate the long-standing partnership with the Irkutsk regional branch of the Russian Children's Fund. Supporting several of its charity programs at the same time is our long-term objective. I am convinced that the Russian Children’s Fund, whose activity is supported by companies and individuals, will increase its efforts to help children, promoting their healthy development and adaptation to modern society.”