"Not just a vacation, but healing for the soul." Natallia Kalegava organized a vacation in the Canaries for women political prisoners

According to Natallia Kalegava, she and her husband Aliaksandr have been visiting the Canary Islands for quite a long time, "there were serious health problems, and there we personally felt how health miraculously recovers in that place."

In the first year of the war, "my close friend from Ukraine, a highly qualified psychologist who saw bombings, destroyed houses, saw the war, went there with us." "She truly recovered there, right before our eyes. It was then that the idea first came to me – to organize retreats in the Canaries. At first, I looked at it as a possible business, but then I realized that such retreats could become a demanded humanitarian initiative," Natallia Kalegava said.

According to the head of Dapamoga, this became especially clear in 2025, when deported political prisoners began arriving in Lithuania. They experienced immense stress from the unprepared relocation; people continued to "break" even after six months or a year of living in the EU.

How the sum of 20,000 euros was formed

Natallia Kalegava talks about a sum of 20,000 euros per month to take former political prisoners – with families, with children, or individually – to a retreat in the Canaries. This refers to 20 people per trip.

The villa is already secured:

"During my trip to the Canaries at the end of last year, everything seemed to fall into place on its own. On one of the islands, I met the owner of a large and beautiful house. When I saw this place – with a view of the ocean and mountains, with the purest air and a wooden bath – I realized that this could be a continuation of the story of care that Dapamoga has been creating for over five years."

According to Kalegava, thanks to the owner's sympathy for Belarusians, they managed to agree on special conditions, "if about 20 people are accommodated in the house, the cost of living per month will be approximately 250-300 euros per person."

Where does the 20,000 per month come from then?

"Let me tell you what the sum I mentioned consists of. The cost of the villa today is 5000 euros per month, hence 250 per person. The cost of plane tickets, unfortunately, has increased; we started buying them for 130 euros, due to various circumstances we couldn't buy them for everyone at once, now they reach 350-400 euros," Natallia Kalegava explains. "Then come the following expenses – at least 10 euros for food per person per day, respectively, 200-300 euros per person. So, about 7 thousand plus will go only to groceries. This is not about cafes and restaurants; we will buy groceries, and the girls will cook themselves."

Павялічыць

Then comes car rental – 1800 euros, as is known, on Tenerife, "it's impossible to live without a car, you have to move everywhere by car." "We take three inexpensive cars for the whole group. If cars are suddenly needed for all twenty people at once, then it's easier to rent another car for one day. Why several – we won't have a common program, like everyone goes to the beach or everyone absolutely goes to the volcano. People have the right to live in their own, comfortable for everyone, regime," Natallia Kalegava said.

About 400 euros will go to fuel; the cost also includes two inexpensive excursions, one – 12 euros per person, the other – 44 euros.

"There will also be a psychologist there, they will have yoga. And it's important that this is not just a vacation, it's also rehabilitation. The psychologist is already discussing topics important to the girls. Of course, this is free; specialists go as volunteers," says Natallia Kalegava. "So, the villa is the cheapest part of this retreat. Tickets and food constitute the main expenses.

But the first trip is a pilot, so to speak, project. After it, it will become clear what exactly the expenses might be. But, I think, it will be 1000 euros per person with tickets. In my opinion, this is an acceptable price for a month on the island. Where can you relax in an "all-inclusive" mode for a thousand a month? Especially when we are talking about people who are certainly not living in luxury now, people after prisons and in emigration, and here – a villa, food and a roof over their heads, comfort, sunrises and sunsets by the ocean."

For now, only women

The first pilot group of women – former political prisoners – will go to the Canary Islands in April. "I initially didn't think I would only do this for women. Initially, I thought it would be for all political prisoners, but then this story unfolded. For now, it's like this.

One must also understand that, as it turned out, finding 20 people who can go for a month and who have documents in hand is not so simple. Not everyone can afford to break away from everything for a month, from work, from family," Natallia Kalegava explains. "Here's another situation where it's also important to find out who was imprisoned with whom and who was or wasn't in conflict with whom. Compatibility.

I already know this problem from "Zamak". With women, it's a bit different. And for now, we are only taking people who are political prisoners from colonies. But yes, I would like this to become the norm. But we cannot afford to rent this villa every month. It's practically impossible to manage another facility ourselves, besides the cottage known as "Zamak". That's why it is this way."

"5-10 euros is a small amount, but the cause is priceless"

"It's such a reboot, you come out in a completely different state. You realize that you are finally restoring balance in your head, finally bringing things into order a bit in all of this. The island itself is like that, and there's no feeling that you simply have to leave tomorrow; a month is not bad," she says. "I think it's a necessary thing.

By the way, the last time I returned from the islands, I stopped by "Zamak," and everything was in order there, the residents, you know, managed perfectly without me, meaning I am not constantly needed there anymore. There is an established system. Accordingly, I wanted to do something else useful. Although, of course, I didn't expect so many negative comments on my initiative in social networks.

I read various things too, sometimes I get upset, but then I stop. Our "Zamak" lives only on donations, and also on our own funds with my husband – we gave valuable property for use and take nothing from anyone for it, essentially. And when, it would seem, you have already proven over four plus years that you behave honestly, someone still accuses you of some hidden interests. Well, that's people."

Павялічыць

Natallia Kalegava, on behalf of Dapamoga, asks for financial support for the implementation of this initiative:

"Let's see how it goes next. Currently, our villa is paid for, and tickets and cars are reserved. If we don't collect for everything else – well, then we'll pay ourselves again. My 60th birthday is on March 31st. And I ask the people whom we helped at one time here – and that's more than 2000 people, listen, 10 euros is a small amount, because if everyone we helped in one way or another donated 5-10 euros to me on my birthday, then, you know, we would have no problem at all.

We could then take people every month, every two months for sure. But I don't hold a grudge against people if they don't respond. Someone doesn't like me, as they say, because I'm friends with Tsikhanouskaya, someone because I'm not friends with Tsikhanouskaya, someone for something else. People find various reasons."

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