This international charity
fund supports social entrepreneurs who are helping to change the lives of
children and teenagers for the better. At a press conference in Moscow
representatives of the fund announced the names of the Russian social
entrepreneurs who are receiving their support. They were identified according
to the results of the competition announced by Playing for Change in November
2011. There were 318 applications from 78 settlements in Russia. Experts
reviewed 26 of the best business plans, and 8 entrepreneurs reached the final.
4 social entrepreneurs won.

Anna Tikhomirova
(Moscow), worried by the fact that children are reading less and less, thought
up the project ‘Bumper’. The project consists of a bus with books – simultaneously
a mobile shop and book club. The best and most useful books for children are
chosen, and the bus takes these books to various regions.

Vladimir Kovalskii
(Tomsk) has decided to lower the level of trauma amongst young people who
engage in extreme sports. He thought up the project ‘Parkour’, where classes
are held centrally under the guidance of experienced trainers. The creator of
the project is convinced that parkour will interest many teenagers, including
those from socially vulnerable families.

Elena Timofeevna
(Moscow) proposed a project for foster children and those from childrens’
homes. It is directed at the rehabilitation of children who have fallen victim
to violence and forced labour through art therapy.

Natalia Shimina
(Tomsk) presented a project to help children who spend a great deal of time in
hospital, who have to go through numerous hospital procedures and those who are
subject to delays in social development. These children will be entertained by
clowns who will have gone through special training.  

The winners of the
competition will go into the ‘incubator’ – an assistance programme for aspiring
social entrepreneurs. They will receive a salary and will be provided with
advisory and marketing services, for which there will be training etc.

“Social entrepreneurship
is very similar in every country”,  says
the General Director of the fund, Sarah Dambler. “In Russia there are many
problems which need to be solved. But if a child is playing, then that suggests
that society in that country is healthy. Children and teenagers who have the
opportunity to play are the successful people of tomorrow.”

Playing for Change was
formed in Sweden in 2010 by the investment company Kinnevik. Now the fund
supports the activity of social entrepreneurs in Sweden, Ghana and Russia.