Tennis star Sharapova visits UNDP youth projects in Belarus
Gomel, Belarus 30 June - Tennis champion Maria Sharapova arrived here today to
visit children living in areas affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and to see for herself the work of a number
of UNDP youth-focused projects that her Foundation has helped fund.
As soon as she landed, Sharapova went to the
town of Chechersk and visited the hospital’s “Fairy Tale Room” which provides treatment to the children in the form of interactive
games and psychotherapeutic sessions. She then visited UNDP’s “Ecology of the Soul” project at the Local Arts Centre and spoke
to children involved in raising awareness on environmental issues. The project, funded by the Maria Sharapova Foundation,
works with youth to spruce up public spaces, clean springs, make bird feeders and plant bushes. Needless to say, she was
a big hit with the children, all of whom wanted to pose next to her and have their photos taken.
“I am so glad
to be able to see these inspiring children and the wonderful projects that my Foundation and UNDP have been supporting for
the past two years“, said the tennis star. “They are definitely a good example of how local communities can overcome the ‘victim
syndrome’, take greater control over their lives and build productive futures for themselves.”
Tomorrow, Sharapova
will visit the Gomel Oblast Tennis Centre and will meet with the 2010 winners of a five-year Maria Sharapova Foundation Scholarship
for Youth from the Chernobyl-Affected Areas of Belarus. The scholarship aims to assist talented students gain access to high-quality
education in the leading universities of the country. The scholarship program was launched in September 2008 as a joint initiative
between the Maria Sharapova Foundation and UNDP, where Sharapova serves as a Goodwill Ambassador.
In partnership
with UNDP, the Sharapova Foundation supports seven youth-oriented projects in areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and
Ukraine affected by the Chernobyl accident.
Sharapova was born in 1987 in Nyagan, Siberia, after her family fled
Gomel in the wake of the Chernobyl accident. After two years in Nyagan, the family moved to the Black Sea town of Sochi, Russia.
In 1995 Sharapova left Russia to study tennis in the United States. In 2004 she won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
and was named Women’s Tennis Association player of the year. In 2006 she won the U.S. Open and, in 2008, the Australian Open.
