BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/12/2006

Christmas gifts by the lorry-load for sick orphans

A WEST Norfolk man has made a Christmas pledge to return to Belarus after taking tonnes of aid donated by West Norfolk people to sick orphans in the former Soviet republic. John Rotman was deeply moved to see the suffering still being caused by fallout from the Chernobyl explosion ten years ago and the deprivation in rural areas of the country. West Norfolk group Play-Mates appealed for donations of goods earlier this year and John (49), joined a convoy organised by Chernobyl Children's Project (UK) to escort the aid to Belarus. He said there was an overwhelming response to the appeal. "We were supposed to fill a trailer with 38 tonnes of aid but had enough for another seven-tonne vehicle and two vans," he said. Donations as small as a bar of soap or as basic as kitchen pots and pans were all deeply appreciated by the Belarussians. "Everything we take for granted here, everything we have no further use for, every small thing that we gave them, they were so grateful for," he said. "You would think that they were being given the earth." Some of the most needed items were mobility aids for adults and children. "They are just desperate for them. Unfortunately, there are children who, because of the lack of equipment such as walking frames, are just left to lay on their beds," he explained. Donated wheelchairs meant disabled adults could be taken out and about.

CUDDLY TOYS

The convoy took thousands of cuddly toys and it seemed they were all wanted. "I heard about one children's home where all the soft toys were kept on a high shelf because they couldn't be replaced if they became damaged or dirty. "If these children can be given a teddy to take to bed, it means the world to them." Norfolk boy John found himself on the receiving end of some friendly curiosity. He said: "They have never known anyone from Norfolk and a lot of them didn't know where Norfolk was - but they do now." He lives in Anmer and the Belarussians were fascinated to hear that his "landlady" was The Queen and she had a house nearby. His stories about the seaside, ice cream and fish and chips were greeted with amazement. An insulin-dependent diabetic himself, John was shocked to find that diabetic children in Belarus receive medication only until they are 16. "Then they have to fund their treatment themselves," he said.

The condition has serious complications and he said: "There are teenagers there who are having amputations and going blind because they can't afford medication." Christmas Day will find John reliving memories of his sometimes harrowing trip. "Every emotion will be running through my mind, having seen what they lack and knowing what we are going to spend and throw away this Christmas," he said. The endless paperwork and bureaucratic obstacles placed in aid workers' way deterred some from returning to Belarus but he felt unable to turn his back on such warm-hearted people. "It definitely doesn't stop here. I know I have got to go back," said John. 22 December 2006

Source:

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?sectionid=991&articleid=1943144