Recently Allies volunteers played an intellectual game called Brain Battle to engage the children at the orphanage. Naturally the kids weren’t initially interested in a game that required thinking and they weren’t participating right away. But all games have their draw-soon the kids began working together and discussing the open-ended questions about history, mass media, science, music, arts and really got into it.

“After two to three questions, they got so excited especially when they found that in a team, it is really possible to find a correct answer,” reported one volunteer. The kids were playing for great prizes–the game Imaginarium was the first prize, a volleyball was the secondprize, and a Harry Potter book the third prize.

Artyom Kasatkin, a new volunteer who professionally manages events read out the questions to the kids. He wrote a touching report about his experience in Isilkulon a popular Omsk blog.

He remembers one boy in particular, who was so excited for the third prize. He said, “Serezha Sukhonosov was brilliant in the game. He provided a few correct answers alone and was also leading brainstorming discussions in the team. When we offered the book of Harry Potter to the team as a prize, the other members were not as happy as he was.”

Kasatkin continued, “He jumped from his chair, grabbing the book and said he’d read another book of Harry Potter and this one was new to him and he was eager to start reading it.” 13-year-old Serezha was so eager to start that when the rest of the kids played volleyball, he just sat on the sofa and dove into his new prize.

Serezha’s father passed when he was one year old and his mother when he was six years old. He was raised by his grandfather who was diagnosed with leukemia and put in the hospital.

Many have said it’s the simple things in life that make a difference. Serezha and Artyom’s stories area great reminder that what we share with others need not be grand or expensive. The simplest of things can make a strong impact in the life of an orphan—whether it is a popular children’s book, a volleyball, or a game that allows them to socialize, learn how to work together, and have fun.