Star tenor Rolando Villazón visits Ukrainian refugees
Star tenor Rolando Villazón visits Ukrainian refugees
As clown Dr. Rollo, Rolando Villazón joined RED NOSES clowns during their “Emergency Smile” visits in Germany and Poland; and brought laughter and hope to children who had to flee from Ukraine.
Rolando Villazón is not only a world famous opera singer, but also an experienced clown and the official ambassador of RED NOSES.
As he was deeply touched by the millions of people fleeing from Ukraine, he immediately contacted RED NOSES International and offered help.
Rolando Villazón travelled in April 2022 to Berlin, Germany, to support clowns at the Arrival Center in Berlin-Tegel as well as to Serock, close to Warzaw, in Poland, to meet and play with children at the local Temporary Reception Centre and Day Care Centre.
"Like most of us, I have been heartbroken by the suffering of the Ukrainian people as a result of the horrendous Russian invasion of Ukraine. I feel privileged to be able to witness and participate in the important work the Red Noses healthcare clowns are doing to support Ukrainian refugees. A clown can bring a small moment of relief and joy to those in the most devastating situations." explains Rolando Villazón.
With personal and interactive interventions, clowns can break the barriers; create a sense of normalcy, subsequently raising the emotional wellbeing as the children are given the possibility to express their feelings in a playful manner.
The clowns can generate a shift of focus, concentrating on the positive, the strength and the abilities of the children. The reconnection to positive feelings helps to regain resilience and hope.
RED NOSES has extensive experience working with displaced people and refugees. With our Emergency Smile programme, which was established in 2013, we can quickly act locally and internationally in critical situations.
In addition, our clown teams have already been working with displaced people from Ukraine for many years and that is why we did not hesitate to enlarge the activities when the war started.
In almost all RED NOSES countries, clowns started to visit reception centres and temporary shelters to bring joyful moments and hope to children and their mothers.
