More DW Blogs DW.COM

Generation Change

Laughter is the best medicine

Anete Baskevica, 22, dresses up as a clown – but not to perform at the circus. Instead she heads to a local children’s hospital where she volunteers her time with kids who are ill. Laughter, she says, is the very best medicine of all. She’s part of a Latvian organization of clowns who have just launched their hospital visits this month (July). They all wear different costumes, but have one very important thing in common: a big red nose.

Listen to Gederts Gelzis report from Riga, Latvia:

Laughter is the best medicine

Doctor clowns 'Musins'

Anete’s character name is ‘Musins’ (Photo: G. Gelzis)

Anete gets help with her costume

Anete gets help with her costume (Photo: G. Gelzis)

The clown doctors practice acting during a workshop in Riga

The clown doctors practice acting during a workshop in Riga (Photo: G. Gelzis)

Find more pictures on Anete’s blog.

Date

Tuesday 09.07.2013 | 11:39

Tags

children, clown, Latvia, Riga, theater

Share

Previous Post

|

|

Next Post

Related Content

Schooling meets soccer in Mumbai’s slums 09/02/2014

India is a country of cricket-lovers, so can soccer catch on? Ashok Rathod is convinced that soccer is the best way to give kids growing up in the slums a second lease on life. Teamwork, leadership, respect and communication come out of the game for 22 players.

Cleaning up Latvia’s coastline 08/13/2014

The Baltic is one of the most polluted seas in the world. There’s litter strewn along many of the beaches on Latvia’s Baltic coast, and waste from industry and agriculture seep into the water. But despite the pollution problem, local environmentalist Uldis Mors is determined to remind people of the beauty of the 500 kilometer shore.

Selling Afghan stitchery in Germany 07/09/2014

Afghanistan has seen violence for years and many of the women and children in the war-stricken country lack the education to get good jobs and put enough food on the table. That's where Zhora Comes in, a young Afghan woman living in Germany.

Tags
Afghanistan violence gender Portugal dance children recycling India human rights Canada youth teacher environment South Africa Asia Argentina refugees school music employment politics Latin America activism Middle East culture France democracy China women poverty art Kenya education Africa health Germany agriculture orphans Berlin sports
Recent posts
Blogroll
- 52 Projects A Canadian proves sustainable living is possible by making one new thing a week for a year.
- Africare Africare’s programs focus on four principal interrelated areas: Food Security, Water, Health, and Emergency Response.
- Amnesty International's Youth and Student program AI is a global movement committed to defending those who are denied justice or freedom.
- Be the Cause Be the Cause is a Network of individuals who not only wish to make a difference in the world, but also wish to change their own lives in the process.
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative DNDi is a collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organization that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases.
- envision Young people making a difference.
- European Youth Forum For the rights of youth.
- Futuro Si Initiative for children in Latin America.
- Global Fund for Women Promoting women’s economic security, health, education and leadership.
- Global Youth Connect Empowering youth to advance human rights and create a more just world.
- Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation The Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation is a non-profit organization which supports socially deprived children and youths in the areas of education and vocational training in Central America and Asia.
- Internation Citizen Service (Facebook page) ICS, launched by the UK government, is a global volunteering experience which supports young people from all backgrounds to make a real difference to some of the world’s poorest people.
- International Peace Institute Promoting the prevention and settlement of conflict.
- John Dau Foundation The John Dau Foundation is fulfilling the dream of Lost Boy and genocide survivor John Dau to provide healthcare in the war-torn region of South Sudan by building and sustaining medical clinics and training community health workers.
- Nano Control Nano-Control has got involved with healthy indoor air as well as research and elimination of the risks and helps people harmed.
- Open Doors An organization helping orphaned children in Romania
- PCI – Positive Community Impact PCI is a nonprofit health and humanitarian aid organization dedicated to preventing disease, improving community health, and promoting sustainable development worldwide.
- Singing for Change Fabian and Viv want to raise money for charities all over the world by taking singing challenges from donors.
- Taking IT Global The largest online community of youth interested in global issues and creating positive change.
- The Art of Non-Conformity Unconventional strategies for life, work, and travel.
- The Free Child Project The mission of The Freechild Project is to advocate, inform, and celebrate social change led by and with young people around the world, especially those who have been historically denied the right to participate.
- Turtle Foundation blog Volunteers on Cape Verde protect endangered giant sea turtles.
- What Kids Can Do Voices and work from the next generation.
- YMAD Youth Making a Difference – Worldwide
- YouthNet Celebrating 16 years of supporting young people online.
Archives
Archives