BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

26/04/2006

A terrible legacy for generations

DISASTERS tend to dominate the headlines for a few months before they are consigned to history and fade from people's everyday thoughts.

But what happened at Chernobyl on 26th April 1986 was unlike any earthquake, flood or terrorist atrocity.

Many of its victims had not even been born when the nuclear reactor exploded, covering parts of Europe in radiation.

Chernobyl has taken a terrible toll on the health of the children of Belarus, the small former Soviet country worst affected by the fall out.

But volunteers in Mansfield and Ashfield continue to help bring happiness to some of those youngsters.

Ray Doust is chairman of the local branch of the Chernobyl Children's Life Line and returned home on Sunday from a two-week trip to Belarus.

While there he visited a school in the city of Gomel, where he helped select 27 children who will enjoy a month living with a host family in North Nottinghamshire this summer.

Gomel, which has a population of 450,000 people, is so close to the blast site just over the border in Ukraine that many people feel it should have been evacuated as part of the exclusion zone.

The city has seen radiation-induced illnesses passed on by mothers to their children, while the contaminated food-chain has badly affected the immune systems of the Belarussian people.

Says Mr Doust: "There are a lot of problems with thyroid glands and you get heart, liver and kidney disorders as well as respiratory problems.

"The bottom line is that every child born there today suffers from a damaged immune system.

"What that means is that they are much more susceptible to illness than a normal child."

The Mansfield and Ashfield branch of the Chernobyl Children's Life Line arranges for a group of Belarussian children to visit this area at least twice a year - experts believe that a month of eating uncontaminated food and breathing clean air can add two years to a child's life expectancy.

While staying with local host families, youngsters get chance to visit tourist attractions around Nottinghamshire and also go for check-ups at opticians and dentists.

Added Mr Doust: "People here are very supportive. We find with host families that some try it once and find it is not for them, but others do it year on year and find it very rewarding.

"We rely very much on the generosity of the local community, not just for hosting, but also for what local companies are prepared to do for us. We could not do what we do without their support."

l To find out more about the Chernobyl Children's Life Line, log on to www.chernobylcll-ash-mans.co.uk.

Source:

http://www.ashfieldtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=726&ArticleID=1465858