Sergey Belyaev lives in Latvia, and the man’s main income is a small pension of less than 200 euros. He is soon to undergo a serious operation. The Belarusian asks for support in this difficult situation, as he needs funds for medication and everyday expenses.
Good afternoon! My name is Sergey Belyaev, and I am originally from Babruysk.
In 2020, people in Babruysk may have heard of me – I was in Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s initiative group, collecting signatures. Because of this (and not only this), I was detained many times: for the signatures, for a photo from a picket, and for allegedly taking part in a rally on Freedom Day in 2021. In total, I spent 35 days in a temporary detention centre.
However, the law enforcers did not leave me alone and started coming with searches. There were five of them in total. At the end of 2021, it became clear that it was time to leave. Especially since I have Parkinson’s disease, because of which I have a neurostimulator implanted in my brain, and the court hearings, arrests, and searches were not improving my health.
I am currently in Latvia, where I have received refugee status. The time has come to replace the neurostimulator battery – this is a very serious surgical intervention. As a refugee, I will not have to pay for the device itself, only for my stay in the hospital. I was very happy, because I had thought I would have to cover everything myself.
But the financial situation is still not easy. My pension is no more than 200 euros, and I cannot get a job because of my disability; employers often do not want to get involved. There are social employment programs, but for that I need Latvian at C1 level – unfortunately, I am not there yet.
That is why I can only rely on a small pension and help from my loved ones. I would be very grateful for your assistance with paying for medication and everyday expenses. This is especially important for the first period after the operation. Thank you!
Fundraiser amount:
€1500
€1000 – rent and everyday expenses for several months
€500 – maintenance medication for several months