Despite one of the busiest and most unconventional years on record, Brother Sewing Machine in Europe (BSME) staff in Moscow have found time to support children across the globe and climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ilya Kartashov, Senior Marketing Manager at BSME Moscow and his team have been working hard to support children in Russia, Nepal and India for the past 10 years.
Supported by BSME head office, the Moscow team have been volunteering time and equipment to teach children to sew, run outdoor activities, provide cookery lessons and put on entertainment, as well as providing financial help and supporting the children’s families.
Ilya says: “We’re in the privileged position to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We work with an orphanage and boarding school for children with disabilities in the Smolensk region of Russia, as well as running children’s homes in Nepal, India and Russia.
“We make a seven-hour drive to visit the orphanage and school in Pochinok once a month. For two days we help with different educational and entertainment programs such as outdoor activities, cookery lessons and of course, sewing classes, for which we’ve supplied sewing and embroidery machines.”
Ilya and his team are supported by BSME’s very generous partners and distributers from across Russia, who raise funds, volunteer their time and collect donations.
Tom Senoo, Head of Representative Office in Moscow says, “At Brother we have the moto ‘at your side’ and we strive hard to make sure that underpins everything we do.
“We’re so proud of the work Ilya and his team are doing to give these children and families a good start in life and make sure they have the same opportunities and experiences as their peers.
“As a company we believe in giving back to the global community. Not only do we support these schemes with equipment donations, we also give staff the time to undertake voluntary work that’s important to them.”
And that’s not all Ilya has been up to! This year he summited Mount Kilimanjaro, proudly planting and flying the Brother flag. Well done for all your hard work and adventuring!
