In addition to our annual children's recuperative holiday programme each year CCA provides consignments of medical and humanitarian aid to the devastated regions of Belarus and Ukraine.
The medical aid supports Hospitals such as No.1 & No.4 Hospitals in Minsk where children from throughout Belarus are sent for treatment of Chernobyl related diseases and the Maternity Hospital in Mozyr. We have also provided medical training programmes in Northern Ireland for the doctors and nurses from Belarus.
The Humanitarian aid supports villages, local organisations,orphanages & schools in Belarus and Ukraine, each year we hope to have a special April Project which further benefits the regions of Belarus and the Ukraine and recently we have started recuperating children within Belarus at sanatoriums in the clean areas of the country, this enables us to recuperate children who cannot get the required permissions to leave the country.
CCA will carryout a refurbishment project at the Internat School in Mozyr where toilet and shower facilities will be provided the materials and labour will be sent to Belarus from volunteers in Ireland.
From our office in Belarus a full time charity co-ordinator attends to all documentation requirements for Belarus and Ukraine.
By being aware of the on-going needs of the people of Belarus and Ukraine, especially the children who suffer from the many side-effects of radiation, YOU can enable us to help them in the following ways: By making others aware of the situation. By contributing to our collections. By joining an existing local support group or by forming a new support group in your own area. By becoming a host parent or standby host parent.
If you would like to make a donation either personally or on behalf of a business, please contact us first using email specified in the header of this page.
All donations will be acknowledged in writing.
“Hosting a Chernobyl Child”
1. Role of the Host Family
“The most important role of the host family is to provide the visiting Belarusian child with day-to-day care in a loving and stable environment. Remember the children are coming to have a respite from radiation. They are in need of wholesome food, fresh clean air and the love that will make them feel at home in a foreign country so different from their own.”
Undoubtedly, the true pleasures of Ireland for these children are the simple ones, many of which they have been restricted from doing in their home country. They love to see the sea and the mountains and most of them enjoy swimming (agreed by all host parents to be their #1 favourite pastime) and they love to ride bicycles and play cards. Unlike many of our own children, they do not need the countless toys and trappings of our materialistic society. Driving through an automatic car wash or getting take-out food at McDonald's are unbelievable thrills. This, of course, provides an excellent lesson for our own children.
It's a good idea for host families to participate in some or all of the group's planned summer activities, which allow the child to speak his or her own language and play with friends from home.
In the event of an illness, accident or emergency, host families should seek the immediate help of the group leader. The host family should also inform its dentist of the child's proposed visit and solicit his interest and hopefully free dental treatments.
2. Arrival
Gift giving is a very important part of the Belarusian culture and the children always arrive with something special for their host families. In return, if you wish to give “your child” something, popular gifts for the Belarusian child include Barbie dolls for the girls and Lego and baseball caps for the boys, brightly coloured T-shirts, etc.
Most of the children arrive extremely tired. It may be their first time away from home and the length of the trip takes an understandable toll on such young bodies. Many of the children seem to have a problem with motion sickness and will have been ill on the airplane as well as the buses and cars bringing them to your town.
It is a good idea to have a brief introduction with the interpreter the first night and another visit in the first or second day. (On this visit general information can be exchanged by asking the children if they have any allergies? Are they afraid of animals? Do they get carsick? Names? Nicknames? Brothers and sisters? etc. this will also verify the information on your child details form ) Ask if there is anything your child would like to see or try while in Ireland.
On arrival at your home, the child will most likely want to unpack right away. In most cases their luggage contains more gifts than clothes and the children want to present them immediately to their hosts. If you are helping your child to unpack, check for food they might have brought.
Pour a bath for your guest, showing them how the bath works i.e. hot and cold water, the soap, a towel and a supply of fresh clothes. After the bath offer a light snack and then get them off to bed. You will be pleasantly surprised the next morning by a much more relaxed and excited child.
Don’t overdo the activities in the first week, it is very tempting. Try to remember how overwhelming and over-stimulating our lives, customs and material wealth are for these children. Try to get a few of the Belarusian children together in the first week or two for a barbecue so they can see that their friends are O.K. and they can share impressions in their own language. They may also be able to exchange phone numbers if it is not long distance. A phone call can be a great cure for homesickness.
3. Bathroom and Grooming Habits
Buy a toothbrush and toothpaste for the children before they arrive - they will most likely not have one. Encourage them to brush their teeth regularly.
As soon as possible show the child the toilet and flush some paper down. By hand signals you should be able to make it clear that in Ireland toilet paper can go down the toilet, but nothing else. (In Belarus their system cannot handle toilet paper, so it is usually discarded in the wastepaper basket.) On the one hand you might have a child who thinks nothing can go down the toilet; on the other hand, there are the children who begin to think anything can go down-as one family learned after pulling apart their entire bathroom to find a peach that had been flushed.
Another important point to get across is that soap is not rationed in Ireland. This means washing and changing underwear daily is part of normal hygiene. Show them where soiled clothes should go and let them know you will do the laundry. As the visit progresses, you will want to show them the washer and dryer. Most of the children find this quite interesting.
4. Food and Mealtimes
The Belarusian diet includes many potatoes (cooked in a million different ways), many pickled items-and plenty of fried, greasy, fatty food. Belarusians are not used to salads or raw vegetables, and have little access to fruits. Bananas, fruit juices, watermelon, peaches are rare treats for the children and many will make up for years of shortages at one sitting. With a plentiful supply of these fruits and other good foods, many host families literally watch their children “bloom”. The colour comes out in their cheeks and almost all go home many pounds heavier.
The children are not used to drinking milk. At home, they are warned that dairy products are high in radioactivity, which ends up in the bones of those that consume them. They can be encouraged to drink milk here, but sometimes are not able to digest it in large quantities.
One child informed her hosts that the doctor told her not to eat spicy food (heard from many host families) but she loved salami and sausages. This same child struggled to eat cold cuts and bread with a knife and fork the first night in Ireland, then observed the family's example and made a sandwich. She wouldn't eat spaghetti, but the sauce on a potato seemed to work. The children are more likely to eat cooked vegetables than raw. Cabbage is very popular. Many hosts found the children to be picky eaters. Suggestions: try ketchup on everything (they universally love it); let the children help shop for and cook some Belarusian meals; and when all else fails - cook lots of potatoes.
Some of the children have wonderful manners, others don’t. Have the interpreter explain which behaviours are not acceptable in your household and why. A common problem is children leaving the table before everyone has finished. This is because in many Belarusian families, the children are allowed to roam around during mealtimes. Children may or may not be familiar with all the eating utensils, or respectful of grace being said at the table.
5. Bed
Many families may have problems getting the children to bed. In Belarus children may not go to bed until their parents do. In many cases, this is because the living area doubles as a bedroom. One girl was up and dressed every morning, but did not come out of her room until her host mother knocked on the door to see if she was awake. The host mother managed to explain that she could sleep in and come down for breakfast whenever she wanted. If they had an early appointment, she would be told the night before that she had to get up early.
6. Using the Phone
If you allow the children to use the phone, show them which numbers they may call. One boy called 999 because it was written on the phone. If this happens or you have reason to believe it may happen, have the interpreter explain that calling 999 under false pretences is a serious offence. Phones in Belarus are uncommon (108 for every 1,000 households) and unreliable. However, they are inexpensive (for calls within the country.
7. Behavioural Problems
There is a general tendency for Belarusian boys to be rambunctious and aggressive. Try to keep in mind that aggressiveness is a key to survival in their home country. Belarusian fathers are often absent figures because of working two jobs, standing in line-ups, a more sexist culture, etc. Girls may take time to warm up to host fathers.
Having children a similar age as the visiting Belarusian children may cause some sibling rivalry problems. Your own children should be warned well in advance that the visitor may not speak English, and that he will require a lot of extra attention from Mum and Dad. Families with older children of their own fare well for several reasons. The older children are able to take some of the responsibility away from the parents (taking them to a movie, or bowling, etc.) and for young children; it is always a treat to hang out with older children. Host parents with no children also manage well because the visiting children received lots of attention.
Very early in the visit, it is important to establish the house rules by which you expect your visitor to abide. You are less likely to be challenged on an issue if you have been consistent from the start and have not spoiled the child with special privileges at the beginning of the visit, which can set the tone for future expectations. Some children (like our own) are very timid and may never challenge your authority. Others may become very stubborn about having to wear seat belts, putting on lifejackets or getting to sit in the front seat. One host mother laughed as she told the story of how east met west when her eleven year-old visitor refused to take her turn in the back seat of the car. Her own three children had been kindly giving up their turns in the front seat for the first few weeks, but now wanted them back. The visitor wouldn’t hear of it and refused to get into the car. The standoff between the host mother and the visitor lasted well over an hour, until finally the visitor gave in. It is important to remember that children use two main tools to communicate - language and behaviour. Their ability to use language has been reduced. Expect the behavioural expressions of feelings, wants and needs to increase. Being aware of this simple fact can often help us to adjust our own expectations of the child. Sometimes, with this in mind, behaviour might not be confused with “behavioural problem”. If behavioural problems are serious, call the interpreter to try and determine the root cause of the difficulty.
8. Emergencies
We advise all host families to contact their own family doctor and let them know that they are hosting a child from Belarus and ask if the doctor will treat the child should it become ill. We have never yet had a doctor who has turned down this request. Then if your child becomes ill and requires a doctor it is only a matter of a phone call and they will be treated, or if it is an emergency they contact the doctor on call. In the case of a real emergency the child is taken to the nearest Hospital Casualty Department. In other words your Belarusian child is treated exactly the same as our own children if they become ill and need any medical treatment. In the case of dental problems, contact your own dentist and ask if he would consider treating your childfree. If you are turned down, call your group leader who will most likely have names of dentists who are willing to treat the children at no cost.
If an emergency in your own family means the Belarusian visitor can no longer stay in your home (either short- or long-term), contact your group leader.
9. Language problems & Interpreters
Is there a language problem?
Some of the older Belarusian children have a very basic knowledge of our language but the majority of the children do not. However, Belarusian children and our Irish children will probably begin to communicate with each other within hours. Each group of children has an interpreter with them who can be contacted by mobile phone at any time during the three weeks. We also supply a list of phrases in English/Russian to each host family. These are useful phrases and as they are written down phonetically the host family can easily learn them. We have printed a small booklet for use by the Belarusian children and the host family. The booklet consists of phrases in Russian with their English translation directly opposite it. This means that the child can point to a Russian phrase for example: “ I want to speak to my interpreter” and the host family can immediately read the English translation. We feel it is important to ensure that the children are able to communicate at some level with their host family, and we appreciate the effort host families make to ensure that they have even a few phrases of Russian before the children arrive. The children must have confidence in their interpreter and discuss any concerns that they have with the interpreter at any time during their stay in Ireland.
Who are the interpreters?
Most of our interpreters are mature students or persons studying languages at university level. They all have excellent linguistic skills coupled with an ability to cope with children and they also have a good understanding of the Chernobyl accident. All interpreters are issued with a mobile telephone for the duration of their visit to Ireland.
What are the interpreters’ responsibilities?
The interpreters sign a contract with CCA and are responsible for the well being of the children they accompany to and from Ireland. They are in fact acting as the children’s guardians.
The other aspect of their "job" is translation and interpretation duties, for the child, host family, group leaders, and directors. Most families like to write a letter to their child’s parents at the end of the summer and the interpreters try to translate these before getting on the plane home.
What are the Host Families responsibilities towards interpreters?
Host families must always let their interpreters know about any times the child will be away from their home for more than a couple of days, and when away the child must contact the interpreter on a daily basis. Host families should contact their interpreter for any medical emergencies with their child, and hopefully for dental visits that may be stressful for the child.
Many families invite the interpreter to accompany them on trips or excursions. As when inviting someone to be your guest it is usual for the hosts to cover the costs of the event.
When to call (and not call) the interpreter.
There should be specific "office hours" set by your group for calling the interpreters to make appointments for visits, dental work etc. Outside of these hours, calls should only be made in emergency situations.
Interpreters’ Schedule
While in Ireland, the interpreters are a wonderful source of information on Belarus, its culture, customs and history and are happy to share this information with host families. Many families invite the interpreters for dinner or to go on outings with them which they seem to enjoy. However there have been times when the interpreters seem to book up every hour of the day and become exhausted. To combat this, your group leader may designate a member of the group to become the "social secretary" and schedule dental and medical appointments and any other requests for the interpreter’s time.
10. Lines of Communications
To help streamline communications throughout the organization, a chain of information has been developed. To keep everyone properly updated, please follow this chain.
Each first year family should be “buddied” with an “experienced” family. This is a good starting place for problems like food dislikes, discipline, creative communicating etc.
Group Leader - Any problems not solved by the host family that they feel requires attention must be brought to the attention of your group leader, they are experienced persons who will do their best to help. If a group leader cannot solve a problem they must contact the Director who is on call.(The Directors of CCA share a 24 hour on call ROTA for the entire duration of the children’s visit to Ireland.)
Please Note: At no time should individual families call CCA office or any of the directors. They must first of all go through their Group Leader.
11. Helpful Hints
BELARUS Capital – Minsk: Population – 10.5 million
Time Zone – GMT +2 hours
Phoning Belarus – If your Belarusian child’s family has a telephone it will have a 5 or 6 digit local telephone number. It will also have a routing (area or city) code as well as a country code of “00375”.
12. Special Thank You
There may be several people or organizations that help in bringing the children over or while they are here, for example dentists, doctors, local business. These people may appreciate a special thank-you. Below are a few ways to do this or be creative.
Take a picture of your child and send it along or take a picture of the donor with the child and give them a copy. This helps personalise the help that was given. If your child has brought some gift from Belarus you do not have a use for, someone special may love it. Take your child to meet the person who donated to the group. It’s nice to be able to put a face to the help given.
Have your child draw a picture or some other artwork for the donor and give it to them.
13. Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye is more difficult for the host family than their visitors. Typically very strong bonds will have formed during the child's visit. Sending such young vulnerable children back to face the hardships of their homeland is hard for host parents. The children also feel the trauma of a difficult goodbye, but it is usually balanced by an equal desire to return to their parents and siblings, full of exciting stories of their summer in Ireland.
14. Gifts to Send Home
Don't feel as if you must spend hundreds of pounds on your child. Some families can, but many cannot. The most important gift you can give is sharing our healthy environment. With a little ingenuity, you can probably get many suitable gift items without going over your own budget.
The children themselves need winter clothing, coats, boots, socks and shoes. Sometimes neighbours, friends and relatives ask how they can help. You may consider asking them to buy clothes that you are not able or willing to buy. Many groups organize a clothing exchange where used clothing is collected and distributed to the children before they leave. These clothing exchanges usually provide sufficient donated items of clothing to ensure the children can bring home items for siblings. Winter boots area very difficult to get in Belarus. Our organisation has heard of more than one child unable to go to school on very cold day because they did not have boots.
Gifts for family members can include some common everyday items - taken for granted here, but impossible to find in Belarus and greatly appreciated. Please use common sense! A new bike would be great, but how practical will it be in comparison to new winter boots? The Belarusian lifestyle is one of harsh practicality it is not filled with designer or brand name items.
Sewing kits, thread, sewing needles, knitting needles, wool, soaps, gloves, Teflon pans, cooking spices, gloves and inexpensive perfumes are all wonderful gifts for Mothers and Grandmothers. For the men in your child's family, small tool kits, wrench sets, fishing poles (that can be disassembled) fishing line, gloves and utility knives make useful and welcomed presents. Dried fruit, art supplies and school supplies are also great items to send home with your child. Photo albums are greatly appreciated. Photos of daily life and special events make it easier for a young child to recall and explain what he or she has seen while in Ireland.
Basic health care items we take for granted are practically nonexistent in most of our children's homes. Due to the harsh climate, poor living conditions and ongoing radiation Multivitamins, Vitamin C and Tylenol are items that are extremely useful for the entire family. Some group's canvas their area drug stores for donations and discount pricing for bulk purchases, ensuring they will send a year supply of vitamins home with the children, enough for the entire family. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, antiseptics, toilet paper, Band-Aids, are for the most part very limited; these items will be appreciated.
WHEN SENDING ANY HEALTH CARE ITEM HOME WITH A CHILD ENSURE THAT A COMPLETE TRANSLATION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IS ATTACHED TO THE CONTAINER!
If you choose to send money home with the child,
PLEASE. SEND AMERICAN DOLLARS OR EUROS ONLY, ALL BILLS MUST BE IN PERFECT CONDITION, TORN OR WORN BILLS WILL BE UNACCEPTABLE IN BELARUS
Money should be hidden inside the clothing the child wears, possibly sewn in a secret spot. Make sure your child knows where the money is so they can alert their parents when unpacking.
A letter should be sent home with the child explaining the items sent home and their uses. This will ensure they are distributed and used correctly.
15. Luggage Restrictions
Each passenger on our holiday program is permitted:
1 piece of carry-on hand luggage (this must be able to fit under the seat of the plane)
1 piece of checked luggage (20 Kilograms total weight)
It is critical you remember that the children must handle their own luggage during the return trip. Baggage must remain within the weight and size tolerances to ensure nothing is left at the airport.
No child or interpreter will be allowed to exceed the weight, size, or bag limits.
The departure at the airport is a stressful and confusing time for the volunteer members that help in organizing the children's departure. To improve the chances of your child's baggage arriving safely at its destination do not send new luggage home with the child. Should your child require additional luggage pick this up at a second hand shop, Salvation Army or a garage sale. Ensure your child's luggage is labelled well and they are familiar with it. It is recommended that groups individually weigh all luggage BEFORE loading onto the bus departing for the airport; this ensures they refuse no OVERWEIGHT luggage at the airport weigh in.
CARRY ON LUGGAGE DO'S & DON'TS
AIRLINES WILL NOT ALLOW THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ON THE AIRCRAFT IN CARRY ON BAGGAGE
String, rope, fishing line (even on the fishing reel), tape, knives, plastic or toy guns, sharp objects, anything that could be remotely considered a potential weapon. (Believe me they have a good imagination) Should any of these items be found in the child's carry on luggage they will remove it! Make sure these items are packed in the suitcase.
16. Letters to Belarus
Before your child leaves for Belarus ensure that he or she writes down (in Cyrillic letters) their home mailing address, this can be photocopied for future use as a label on any correspondence. Note that addresses in Belarus are written in reverse order (country, province, city, street, person). Most standard letters from Ireland are now getting to their destinations in Belarus in 8 to 14 days. Please be careful to use standard size envelopes, oversized or thick envelopes generally do not reach their destination, many are stolen with the assumption that they contain money. The inconsistency of the mail makes communication to the Belarusian families extremely frustrating although the result is worthwhile.
17. Hosting a Child from an Orphanage
If you have made the decision to host a child from an orphanage this year or are considering the possibility for the future, please read the following section carefully. Although children are children, and all of the children we invite to Ireland share the need for respite from the effects of the Chernobyl accident, the fact that these children live in institutions rather than families has a direct effect on the ways in which we meet their needs
The directors of the orphanages we support are very appreciative of the help we are providing for their children and will do their utmost to cooperate with us. In turn, we try to meet their needs when it comes to the children's travel. Regulations in Belarus require that each time a child or group of children leave the orphanage a staff member must accompany them.
18. The Orphanage
At the present time CCA supports an orphanage for disabled children in Belarus.
The orphanage is in a town called Cherven (about 60 miles from Minsk the capital of Belarus) and it caters for 240 children with less than basic amenities
The children are in orphanages for various reasons. Unlike Ireland, Belarus does not have a system of foster parenting so children who have lost their parents, been abandoned, or must be removed from the family home due to neglect, abuse, health problems or just the inability of their parents to cope with raising a family, are placed in an institutionalised setting. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, the need for this kind of care is great. Orphanages are filled to overflowing. Cherven was built to accommodate about 100 children and now houses 240 children. They often sleep six or ten to a room with beds in rows, head to foot. Storage space is limited and a child's only personal space is his or her bed. You may find that, even in Ireland, these children will keep any treasures they collect under their pillows.
Life in the orphanage follows a strict routine. The children rise early, eat, work and play at specified times. They are not accustomed to long stretches of free time with television or a room full of toys and books. To some, the concept of entertaining yourself is quite foreign. Routines are familiar, comfortable and give the children a sense of security.
19. Welcoming an Orphan Child into Your Family
Meeting your child when he or she first arrives in Ireland is an event filled with excited anticipation and a little apprehension. The children feel that way too! Please remember that they will be watching you very closely and reading your body language carefully. Your feelings of concern for their health and how travel-weary they look could easily be misinterpreted as disapproval to a child who cannot understand your words, only your actions and expressions. It is very important that you convey to them that they are welcome and you are happy to see them safely here. Like any child in such a situation, they will react in their own way to the stress of this first meeting. They may be shy and very quiet at first. Give them a little time and space to find their bearings. We have very little idea of the family background of most of these children or if, in fact, they have ever lived in a family setting. Your best course is to be open and welcoming and to let them come to you when they are comfortable with the situation. You will see a big change after a good nights rest.
These children will arrive with very little in the way of luggage. You will find they bring very little with them in terms of clothing and it may not fit or might be totally inappropriate for the time of year. We have, in fact, expressed to the directors that we would prefer they bring as little as possible so that we do not have to be concerned about sending it back when they return home. Once again, be careful of your reaction. These children have very few personal belongings and they can be very possessive of them. It is a good idea to have a toothbrush and some pyjamas ready for the first night as well as a small welcome gift.
Like the children coming from families in Belarus, the orphan children arrive looking pale and tired. They cannot leave for Ireland if they are ill, so you shouldn't expect any major health problems when they arrive but keep in mind that these children have depressed immune systems and live in close quarters. We have seen cases of impetigo in one or two children each year, a problem easily dealt with if it is picked up right away and treated by your family doctor but that could become a bigger problem if left unchecked.
As the days go on, you will most likely find that this child fits right in to your family routine and thrives on the good food, fresh air and the experience of living as part of a family unit. Keep in mind that they spend virtually no time alone in the orphanage and at first may want to stick very close to you at all times. Even going outside to play will be a new experience if you live in a busy neighbourhood as their outdoor play at home will take place within the schoolyard. If you remember the situation that these children are coming from, it will help you to ease them into the new experience of life in a family.
20. Keeping in Touch with the Group
The children from orphanages travel to Ireland as a part of the group and we try, as much as possible, to place several children from the orphanage close to each other in their host families. To these children, their schoolmates are their family and they rely on each other a great deal for support. We really encourage host families to plan time to get together over the summer. This gives the children a chance to see each other and to speak and play in their own language. It also reassures them that their friends are all right. The added bonus for us as host parents is that it gives us time to share experiences and ideas with each other. It is interesting as well to see our Belarusian children interacting with their peers! This will often give you new insight to your young guest.
21. Saying Goodbye
Probably the greatest difference between hosting a child from an orphanage and hosting a child from a family is saying goodbye at the end of the summer visit. We are not sending these children home to Mum and Dad; we are sending them back to the orphanage. It is often difficult on both sides. However, from experience we know that the children settle quite quickly once the bus pulls away from us. They find their classmates and friends and begin to share their pictures and stories of the summer.
The children in this orphanage have a great need for stable relationships in their lives. We certainly encourage you to keep in contact with your child throughout the year. You may also wish to invite the same child back to your home next summer. If this is the case, it is a good idea to show the child that you will put some of their things in a special place to be there for them when they return. Let them help you pack a box, mark it with their name and put it away for next year. This will also help to ease the problem of what to take home to Belarus.
22. The Luggage That Goes Home
Another major difference in hosting a child from the Orphanage is in the luggage that goes home with your child. Our instincts as parents urge us to give them as much as we would provide for our own children. We want them to have new clothes and be warm through the winter. Remember the limited storage space and the numbers of children cared for in the orphanage. If a child returns with more than is deemed necessary, the extra will be shared with the others. Although this is understandable, it can be heartbreaking to the child.
23. Conclusion
Congratulations on your decision to host one of these special children! You are certain to find it a rewarding experience. Your group leaders will be a good source of support for your family this summer. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it or to pass on your questions and concerns. Have a wonderful summer!
