Another Robbie Williams Discussion Forum aka The Dotmusic Revival Forum

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Nice to have these kind of stuff in the press, that's why I put it in Media section. :)

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ROBBIE: TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE

While on tour in Russia, Unicef ambassador Robbie Williams visits some of Moscow's 50,000 street kids to see how children's shelters are offering them an escape route from homelessness and the very real threat of exploitation.
By Sarah Vincent

Just a few months ago, four-year-old Natalia was near starvation point. She could barely stand, could not talk and never left the flat she lived in with her poverty-stricken, alcoholic mother, who was working as a prostitute. Now, she could not be more different. Since she was discovered and brought to a children's shelter in Moscow, she is a chattering little girl, full of life.

In his role as Unicef ambassador, Robbie is visiting the shelter to meet natalia and the other children, aged between three and eighteen, who would otherwise be homeless or in fear for their lives. The kids give him an enthusiastic welcome and before long, Robbie has Natalia sitting on one knee and five-year-old Korlya (who hasn't spoken for two years because of an unknown trauma he suffered early in his short life) perched on the other.
Robbie's visit is focusing on children at risk of exploitation – whether it's trafficking, child labour or by the sex industry. While there is little data about the levels of exploitation of children in Russia, one thing is clear: children who live on the streets, without the protection of their families, are desperately vulnerable to preying adults.
As part of his trip, Robbie is given the chance to see what happens to children who are not fortunate enough to end up in a shelter. Sixteen-year-old Sacha allows Robbie into his home – a corrugated iron shed with no windows and no ventilation. Access is via a small hole at one corner where the metal has been twisted to the side. It is lined with cardboard boxes which Sacha uses to try to block out the worst of the Russian winter, which at times plummets to the depths of -12°C. Two of Sacha's friends were supposed to be here, too, but they got arrested for sleeping in the subway.
Robbie follows Sacha inside and strikes up a conversation. 'Does he like football?' Robbie asks the translator, trying to find some common ground with the teenager, and ends up inviting Sacha and a friend to his concert the following night. It is only later that Robbie confides how difficult he found the meeting: 'It felt really awkward – I had no idea whether Sacha wanted me to be there or not. But I did find out that he had made a special effort to tidy the place up, and had brought some candles.'
One of the biggest challenges facing the social workers who care for the street children is gaining their trust. Sacha, for example, ran away from an orphanage in the north of Russia two years ago because he hated living there. He's now very distrustful of any institutions, preferring to live rough with all the ensuing dangers of drugs, alcoholism, HIV and Aids.
However, Anna, the social worker who is assigned to him, remains hopeful that she can persuade him that a local shelter will be better than the orphanage he ran away from, and that he can gain useful skills that will give him a future away from the dangerous streets of Moscow.
There are about 100 children living in the Moscow shelter that Robbie visits, and another 50 who visit during the daytime. They are given medical care, counselling and taught cooking, crafts and other vocational skills. Music is a big part of hostel life, and one of the boys plays Robbie a tune on the piano with one hand. 'That's how I write music,' Robbie tells him. 'Maybe one day I'll see you on stage.'
At the end of his visit, Robbie entertains his audience by picking up a guitar and performing an unplugged version of Better Man. He has clearly been affected by the children he has met, and the performance is an emotional one.
Tomorrow, Robbie will be back on stage. 'Today was my day off,' he says. 'But I'm really pleased I came. This is a place full of children being looked after the right way by the right people. And the thing that I shall take away with me is to keep going and be strong.'

P.S. If anyone gives out the links to the pictures on other forums (as I've seen happening), remember to give credits. ;)

Hehe, you go girl, tell 'em!!

Did you scan them?? Thanks very much!! Good job I didn't buy a scanner yesterday ;)