TAIF makes wishes of participants in Tree of Wishes federal campaign come true

Director General of TAIF JSC Ruslan Shigabutdinov and Chairman of TAIF JSC Board of Directors and Senior Development Adviser to TAIF JSC Director General Albert Shigabutdinov participated in Tree of Wishes campaign. It is organised by Dream with Me Russian charity project and has been held for the third year in a row. According to the campaign’s terms, everybody who isn’t indifferent to other people’s sorrows can make dreams of children from 3 to 17 years from low-income families, with disabilities, orphans and the elderly (above 60 years) come true. Ordinary people, representatives of power agencies, executives and employees of enterprises do the good deeds.

Children’s cherished dreams

“Baubles” with cherished dreams had been biding their time in the hall of the republican House of Government. The final meeting of the Board of Directors of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding in 2020 took here at which the Tatarstan president urgent the audience not to stand aside of good deeds.

“It won’t be hard for each of us to please a child. I am asking you to pay attention to this New Year tree that has children and the elderly’s wishes,” Rustam Minnikhanov addressed the audience.

The president decided to set an example himself and make dreams of several children come true. On 26 December, he made a New Year wish of 12-year-old Daniyar Galiyev from Zelenodolsk come true. The boy is keen on sport, attends an art school and participates in marathons. Also, he is fond of cars, that’s why Daniyar’s dream was linked with them. He had been dreaming of driving on a real race track for long.

For the first time in life, Daniyar turned out in the cabin of the legendary car No. 511 — a winner of Dakar 2020 rally marathon. He occupied the seat of the co-driver, Rustam Minnikhanov was the driver, while five-time Dakar rally winner Eduard Nikolayev became a mechanic.

The Tatarstan president wasn’t on the seat of the driver for the first time. Rustam Minnikhanov is an honourable master of sport, a medallist of Russian championships and Tatarstan President Autocross and Rallycross Cups, a bronze medallist of the European Autocross Championship in 2004 and 2005. Eduard Nikolayev also bears the title of honourable master of sport and repeated winner of Dakar rally marathon with KAMAZ-Master team. Daniyar’s dream finally came true in such a company.

TAIF joins the campaign

Top managers of TAIF Group head company decided to make dreams of other children come true. They got two baubles from the Tree of Wishes. One child’s dream came true the next day. 10-year-old Arina Baryshnikova had been dreaming of a warm winter jumpsuit. Besides her, the family has another child, the Baryshnikovs live in Konstantinovka settlement.

Arina’s mother worked in oil well development but now she is taking care of her daughter with cerebral palsy. Despite all the difficulties that befell her, Arina is outgoing, cheerful, loves music and walks. This is why the warm jumpsuit turned out to be a very necessary gift. It was handed over to the girl with a big box of sweets on behalf of TAIF JSC Board Chairman Albert Shigabutdinov. In reply, Arina presented postcards she made with her teacher.

Alina Khaliullova has another cherished dream — a sewing machine. Director General of TAIF JSC Ruslan Shigabutdinov turned the hearing-impaired schoolgirl’s dream into a reality.

“I study in School No. 88, in grade nine. We sew in Handicrafts lesson, we are taught how to do it correctly. We have already tried to sew an apron, a dressing gown on our own. And I wanted to have my own sewing machine at home to learn how to do it well and sew something for myself. I was very surprised and glad when we were called and said I would receive a gift.”

Alina has already decided that she should sew a dressing gown first. At the moment she knows how to make only a pattern but is ready to learn the technology completely.

The project that unites people who aren’t indifferent

The fondest dreams of children and the elderly whose health condition is life-threatening began to be realised in Tatarstan in 2014. Firstly, it was a voluntary initiative to make those who especially need new impressions and good emotions happy. It is people who have been receiving treatment for long and families that turned out in a difficult situation due to this. The idea was backed at federal level more than two years ago, and now it became Dream with me Russian charity project.

Tree of Wishes campaign is organised by the same project. It has been held for the third year in a row involving more people who try to help others.

In 2020, more than 26,000 applications to participate in the campaign have been received from all over Russia. A third of them have already found their dream maker. Partners of the campaign and everyone interested will try to make other dreams of people who sought help come true from 5 December to 28 February 2021. They will be gifted necessary things — educational materials and books, children’s toys, goods for hobbies, clothes and costumes, digital equipment, sports equipment, musical instruments.

Participants in the campaign dream about immaterial things too: for instance, to become a train driver, go to Moscow or a New Year show, meet their idol.

The Russian president and prime minister, members of Russia’s government and State Duma deputies, heads of regional and municipal authorities, representatives of large businesses as well as the entrepreneurship community, scientists, doctors, writers, musicians, singers, thousands of not indifferent people who are ready to do good are among “Grandfather Frost’s helpers”. Everybody can join them because the campaign will last until 28 February. The trees with wishes are placed in public places across Russia. One can also become a New Year magician for those who need a bit of a miracle very much on the project’s website.

By Alsu Gusmanova, Arseny Favstritsky
Tatarstan