Chernobyl children arrive for Christmas

A GROUP of children from the Chernobyl affected regions of Belarus will travel to Ireland this week to begin a Rest and Recuperation stay with Irish families for Christmas. 

The programme gives the children, who come from impoverished backgrounds and State-run institutions, a health boosting reprieve from the toxic environment and high levels of radiation to which they are exposed.

Maryna Malinovskaya (15), who will be among the 40-strong group, is staying with Trina and Peter Rooney in Oldtown, north county Dublin. 

Despite being segregated in a State-run institution for her entire life, Maryna can look forward to a very bright future. 

Maryna has been selected for a pioneering Life-Skills Home, which was developed and established by the Chernobyl Children International (CCI).

Adi Roche’s charity is providing her with a formal education and skill-building opportunities that will enable her to retain her rights and live independently once she reaches adulthood.  

Her visits to Ireland have given her many opportunities and most importantly it has given her the sense of family that Maryna had been missing.

This summer, Maryna put her newly acquired skills to good use as she dressed her bed, made her breakfast and studied every day, with the support of her loving host parents Trina and Peter.

What may seem like everyday tasks for many 15-year-olds is a gargantuan achievement for Maryna and one she is very proud of.

The Rooneys are just one of CCI’s hundreds of volunteer families who, each Christmas, open their hearts and homes to children who have been affected by the fallout of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Host families from nine counties will welcome the children for the start of their life-prolonging respite holiday, during which time radiation levels in the children drop by nearly 50 per cent and up to two years is added to their life expectancy. 

For the charity’s founder and voluntary chief executive, Adi Roche, the arrival of the Rest and Recuperation children signals the real beginning of Christmas. 

“For many of these children, nothing as magical as this will ever have happened in their lives,” said Ms Roche.

“This is the true meaning of Christmas – it’s about family and sharing. The positive impact these stays have on the children is a testament to three generations of truly remarkable Irish volunteers.”

Ms Roche also heaped high praise on CCI’s army of dedicated volunteers.  

“The humanitarian footprint of Irish volunteers and donors is truly immeasurable, but has improved the life-chances and outcomes for tens of thousands of children who have been affected by Chernobyl over the past 32 years,” she added.