CHERNOBYL CHILDREN'S PROJECT (UK)

Every Christmas and summer we bring children who have had cancer, and are now in remission, for a month long recuperative holiday in Britain. Some of the children are very young, and come with their mothers. Others may be in their teens, but for all of them the holiday is an important part of their recovery process.

We often receive SOS requests from the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Minsk for help in buying urgently needed medicine which is not available in Belarus. Sometimes the medication we buy enables a child to have a bone marrow transplant which he would otherwise not have been well enough to have.

At Zhuravichi Orphanage there are over 100 children with a wide range of disabilities. For the most disabled – those confined to cots or with severe learning difficulties – the extra carers we sponsor ensure that the children get the individual attention they need.

For children being treated for cancer at Barovliani Hospital, outside Minsk, the chance of a day out in the city provides an exciting break to look forward to. Through the Belarusian children’s cancer charity ‘Children in Trouble’ we take a group of about 8 youngsters into Minsk to go bowling, or to the circus or cinema and then out to a café.

Babies are sometimes abandoned in Belarus because the mother is too young or too poor to cope, or the child has a disability. We are planning an extensive programme of support for these families, and as part of this we will be providing packs of nappies, baby clothes and toiletries to new parents in need of support.

We support a number of orphanages in Gomel Region, plus institutions for young adults with disabilities. At all these places, and the Psychiatric Hospital, the provision of art and craft materials – pens and pencils, paints and paper, scissors and glue, and sewing materials – will provide the children with hours of activity and fun.

Children spend many months undergoing treatment at the Cancer Hospital at Barovliani just outside Minsk. Life during this time is full of fear and anxiety, but long periods in hospital can also be boring. A Gift will let the children know that we are thinking about them and wishing them a speedy return to health.

Children in wheelchairs are normally educated at home in Belarus. But in 2005 we set up a small class for young children in wheelchairs at a lovely special school in Gomel. Six children are now able to attend school every day and they love it! Our minibus and driver collects the children from their homes and takes them back in the evening.

Buy a bag, save the environment and help us to raise money for children in Belarus!

Stylish and versatile, the bags (on the left) are made from eco-friendly cotton. The company regularly visits their factories in India to monitor staff welfare.

Made by Jute Bags, www.jutebag.co.uk

Price includes postage and packaging

Buy a bag, save the environment and help us to raise money for children in Belarus!

Stylish and versatile, the bags (on the right) are made from eco-friendly jute. The company regularly visits their factories in India to monitor staff welfare.

Made by Jute Bags, www.jutebag.co.uk

Price includes postage and packaging