LocationsYulia Sidorova is a children’s animator, bringing fairy tales to life at birthday parties and celebrations. Yet the journey to building her business has been far from magical.
With bright hair and radiant smile Yulia has carved out a unique niche in her hometown in the Mogilev region of Belarus
Photo from Yulia's archive
With her bright hair and radiant smile, Yulia, 29, has carved out a unique niche in her hometown of Gorki, Mogilev region of Belarus: she’s a children’s animator, bringing fairy tales to life at birthday parties and celebrations. Yet the journey to building her business has been far from magical.
Born and raised in Gorki, Yulia always knew she wanted to work with children. The young animator’s closet is now filled with costumes that would have seemed like pure fantasy to the children from her childhood.
“If the Little Mermaid showed up at my birthday party, I’d probably lose my mind with joy,” she says. “I don’t have that costume yet, though my hair would certainly fit the part. But a mermaid isn’t a mermaid without a tail -you’d need a whole aquatic-themed program to make it work.”
After earning a teaching degree in Baranavichy, she returned to her hometown and worked in a local school before moving to a children’s entertainment center. It was there she discovered the passion for self-development and growth.
“I wanted children to have the chance to fill their holidays with magic and fairy tales,” Yulia explains. “Here, birthdays often mean adults at a table while the child is left to entertain themselves. I wanted to change that.”
Yulia Sidorova is a participant of the mentorship program for women entrepreneurs in Belarus.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
“I told myself success was just around the corner”
Yulia had dreamt of starting her own business for years. In February 2023, she took the leap into self-employment. Despite being the only animator in Gorki, she faced challenges from the start.
“I thought I’d buy three costumes, and everyone would invite me to run their parties. But it wasn’t that simple,” she recalls.
Navigating bureaucracy, learning to use a cash register, and building her client base proved daunting.
“There were moments I wanted to give everything up,” Yulia admits. “But I told myself success was ahead, and I was just at the start.”
"Every mistake is a lesson, and true mastery comes only through understanding. Growth is non-negotiable - you must continually adapt and evolve."
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
The hidden hustle of a party animator
For Yulia, every penny earned goes back into her business - sewing costumes, funding advertisements, and upgrading materials to meet rising client demands. She knew from the start that turning a profit would take time.
“It’ll be a year before I see a full income,” she says. To manage costs, she crafts props and toys herself, often halving expenses.
But the job is more than just performing. Yulia spends hours planning, scripting, and making props, while promoting her services at schools and kindergartens.
“The mentorship programme helped me find my footing”
Yulia’s perseverance paid off in August 2024 when she joined a mentorship programme for women entrepreneurs, launched by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of Belarus. Paired with Alexandra Tsurankova, a seasoned entrepreneur from Kalinkovichi, Yulia gained invaluable insights.
“I didn’t have experienced entrepreneurs in my circle. Meeting others in the programme made me feel I wasn’t alone,” she says.
Yulia with her mentor - Alexandra Tsurankova (left).
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
Yulia joined the programme with a clear goal: to boost orders for her business. Despite six months of organizational efforts and advertising, her services remained largely unknown in the city, resulting in just one or two bookings a week.
Yulia considers herself fortunate to have been paired with Alexandra, an ideal mentor with extensive experience in organizing children’s parties and building a successful business in a small town. Under Alexandra’s guidance, the woman shifted her approach. Previously, she had focused on developing programmes and acquiring props, prioritizing the product over promotion. Her mentor helped her realize that even the best services would go unnoticed without effective advertising.
“Working with a mentor is an invaluable opportunity for new entrepreneurs,” Yulia reflects. “My business was at a stage where such support was crucial. This programme could prevent others from having to close their businesses. Sharing experiences and ideas is inspiring and helps you rethink your approach. The rest is up to you.”
“It’s unlikely that in 20 years I’ll still be dressed as a unicorn”
Alexandra helped Yulia to rethink her business strategy, shifting focus from product development to marketing. Yulia launched advertising campaigns, partnered with local businesses, and even organized a charity event at a boarding school. The mentorship also provided practical tools, from analyzing income and expenses to rebranding her Instagram page. Yulia introduced discounts, workshops, and collaborations, slowly building her client base. She also aims to expand her services, introduce team-building events, and eventually build a team of animators.
“It is unlikely that in 20 years I will still have the same energy to perform for children in a unicorn or Spider-Man costume,” she says . “But what I want now is to build the organizational skills that will help me assemble a team of professional animators and upgrade my project.”. In the meantime, I am working on bringing entertainment for children in Gorki to a new level.”
The mentorship programme has proven transformative for women like Yulia, equipping them with vital business skills and building professional networks.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
Breaking barriers
The mentorship programme has proven transformative for women like Yulia, equipping them with vital business skills and building professional networks. By connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, it has helped them overcome barriers, seize new opportunities, and scale their ventures.
This initiative is part of broader efforts in Belarus to promote women’s economic participation and foster an inclusive business environment. It aligns with the National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2040, which prioritizes a barrier-free ecosystem for entrepreneurs, and the State Programme for Small and Medium Entrepreneurship (2021-2025), designed to enhance the business climate and spur innovation.
Empowering women entrepreneurs is not just a step towards gender equality - it’s a catalyst for national economic growth. By driving job creation, diversifying the economy, and fostering innovation, women like Yulia are contributing to sustainable development in regions across Belarus, one magical party at a time.
To read more about the results of the mentorship programme, please go to the portfolio.
This story is part of a regional communications project that highlights how UNDP is empowering women in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan through mentorship programs. For more inspiring stories, please visit:
https://www.undp.org/ru/kazakhstan
