CHERNOBYL CHILDREN'S PROJECT (UK)

The ‘Arctic’ Convoy

Our March convoy to Belarus was sponsored by the Osgoldcross and Elmet branch of the Rotarians.  The very cold temperatures throughout the whole journey in what is described in Belarus as the coldest and longest winter for many years  makes the title appropriate.

It was good to have Tony Parkin from Gateforth near Selby with us making his first convoy and visit to Eastern Europe. Paul Campey, Aidan Siney, Bob Beech and myself made up the team. Aidan was responsible for the drivers pool into which each donated £150 and Aidan then became the ‘mess steward’ and ordered the meals, coffee etc and even the Vodka when requested.

The Customs

On entering the Polish customs at  7pm the 7.5 led the way through the first ‘gate’ – passports and vehicle plate certificate – to be stopped immediately by the police for a tachometer check. We got a rollicking for not using the ‘two driver’ feature but got away without a fine. A driver next to us was told that he would be fined $700 for an axle overweight problem – not sure if he got away with it but it is a sign of the increase in the checks that are being made at all borders.

We decided to cross the border from Poland into Belarus overnight and arrived at the exit in Poland at 7pm having driven 12  hours. Apart from the  aforementioned police check all things went well until we crossed into the Belarusian side where the total time for the full crossing took 16 hours.  We managed to get three hours ’sleep’ before being subjected to the X-ray checks on the trailers and quite severe questioning about the weight of the loads. Two vehicles were released into BY by 11am with Paul having to go back to the agent who had made a mistake in processing our paperwork. This is the second convoy this has happened to Paul and by the same agent!  Paul’s delay was another 2 hours.

The Border customs had noted on our paperwork their concerns regarding the weights and so on arrival at firstly Zhlobyn customs, the smaller truck, and secondly the Gomel customs for the two other vehicles we were warned that every box would be checked.

In Zhlobyn after a nights sleep in a warm flat we went to the vehicle to find that the started motor would not function and with the brakes locked on we needed some help. Within 15 minutes a fire engine and five firemen arrived and with some ‘pressure’ from a hammer and screwdriver we were on our way to the customs. Even the AA would not beat that.

The customs procedure took most of the day especially as they were excited about the vitamins we had on board and eventually well into the afternoon we were told that we would have to remain there overnight as the chief was on his day off and a decision without him was not possible. Our receiver Galina persuaded them that we should unload the vits (250000 tablets) and leave them at customs and after some exciting chatter this happened. The vits will be cleared later this week separately.

On arriving at the warehouse to unload there were two fire engines and six firemen to assist so under the eye of the customs officer we let them get on with it. The customs man stated that every pack of Pampers will be checked. On the manifest it recorded 640 packs and they counted 637 so I asked for a recount!  He just laughed and signed the document – all was well. Leaving Zhlobyn at 7pm we drove to Gomel to meet up with the team. 

Bob’s vehicle was unloaded at the Co-odination Centre without too much hassle and the following day we all went with Paul’s vehicle to unload at School No 5. This load was over 14 tonnes and the customs man having been pre-warned by the border customs that we were 7 tonnes underweight (impossible but that’s how it is there) would not accept a coffee saying” I want nothing from you I am just here to make sure that the law is carried out”  That was a good start and as the staff at the school had not received aid before things were a bit chaotic. The team help with the unloading and the boxes were weighed on ‘Mickey mouse’ scales that they had borrowed from somewhere. Too small for the job but they kept at it. It took them two days to complete the check and then they found that we were, according to their calculations, 400 kilos overweight. So no problem. Since returning home and receiving the official ‘ Acts of difference’ from the customs for two of the vehicles one vehicle was 147kgs different from manifest and the largest truck just 63kg different in a 14ton plus load.

The visits:   The highlight of the convoy was our visits to places that we had previously delivered to and to our projects that receive regular support from our charity.  The children’s department at the huge psychiatric hospital in Gomel were using lots of aid previously delivered. School No. 5 where we had made the delivery has almost 300 pupils who are all disabled and again the children looked well cared for with plenty of activity. On the following day we visited a boarding school for the disabled children at Rechista and met the new director who we had know from his previous job as head teacher of a school in Vasilevichi. The children put on a show of singing and dancing for us and enjoyed doing so. It was great  to see them so happy.

Other visits were made to the Mayflower centre, Klimovka, Rodni Kut and the Rogachev Association.  On the Friday we visited a frozen vegetable packing station where the fridges were running at minus 17c ( same temperature as my cab in Poland!) then on to a 25 acre glasshouse production plant where the tomato plants were 2 mtrs tall and in fruit. Finally we visited a dairy to see 400 cows in a milking shed. All very impressive and professional.

On the journey home Tony, on his first convoy, stated “we have never stopped” and it was so as the days and nights were filled with work and activity.

Our sincere thanks go to all who made the convoy possible especially the Rotarians for their continued support, the wider aid team for the preparation for this and past convoys  and our team in Gomel whose organisation skills made it all possible.

Mike Allison  March 2010.