BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/12/2007

Christmas cheer for the children of Chernobyl

By Gerard Fitzgibbon

OVER 100 children affected by the Chernobyl disaster were welcomed into Irish homes this Christmas.

The children completed a 3,000 mile journey from Belarus to Shannon in the early hours of last Friday, when they were greeted by the host families who helped them embrace the festive spirit in loving home environments.

Adi Roche, founder of the Chernobyl Children's Project, was on hand to congratulate all those involved and to welcome the children to Ireland.

"These beautiful children will give so much joy and happiness to their host families. Their stay in Ireland bears testament to the generosity of the Irish people, and truly the spirit of Christmas will come alive for our families and volunteers who year after year host these children."

The Chernobyl Children's Project International Christmas Long-term Care Programme has been running for the past 16 years. In that time, volunteer host families throughout Ireland have given over 15,000 children affected by the fallout of the Chernobyl disaster the opportunity of a holiday away from the debilitating environment in which they live.

This year families in Limerick, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Tipperary, Meath, Carlow and Donegal opened their homes to Belarusian children, many of whom would otherwise be spending Christmas in orphanages and institutions.

The programme is designed to give children who still suffer mental and physical affects of the Chernobyl disaster a chance to rest and recuperate over the holidays.

Evidence of the benefits of this programme has been given by Dr Zolovkin, Director of the Children's Hospital in the Soligorsk Region in Belarus.

"For each child taken to Ireland they are 'returned' two years of life. We are hostages to the hazardous aftermath of radiation, and the future of our very race is threatened with extinction, as our children, our gene pool, are seriously ill. In the midst of this tragedy we have been given hope by the people of Ireland," said the doctor.

Ms Roche added that the success of the project, both past and present, would be impossible without the charitable spirit of the Irish people.

"We thank them for their generosity and for embracing the children into their hearts, into their homes and into their lives at this very special time of year."

Source:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/3419/Christmas-cheer-for-the-children.3624077.jp