ROTARY CLUB OF BANBRIDGE
CHERNOBYL CHILDREN'S PROJECT (IRELAND)
HOW IT STARTED
The charity was born as a result of receiving a heart-
THE DISASTER
On 26 April 1986 at 1:23am an explosion took place in Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine.
The radioactive cloud released from the burning reactor drifted north into the neighbouring country of Belarus, and then moved east across Western Russia and west across Europe.
Over 70% of the radiation fell on Belarus. The people have been exposed to radioactivity 90 times greater that that released by the Hiroshima bomb.
More than 2000 towns and villages were evacuated and now lie abandoned and uninhabitable; this situation will continue forever.
LIFE IN THE CONTAMINATED ZONES
People must change their clothes twice a day, and may not walk in the woods more than two hours a month.
Radiation level charts are printed in the newspapers and dictate decisions such as whether children can be allowed out to play.
People are told to wash food at least 5 times in "clean water" but nobody is told where this clean water is to be found.
Farmers are told to separate cream and use fatless milk, but are not told how or where to dispose of the remaining liquid.
Cattle are not supposed to graze in areas where the grass is less than 10cm (4") high so their mouths won't touch the ground.
Most people find it impossible to adhere to these elaborate and inconsistent instructions, and simply give up trying.
Since it was founded by Adi Roche in 1991 the Chernobyl Children's Project has developed a number of programmes which aim to help those affected by the tragedy:
REST AND RECUPERATION
MEDICAL AND HUMANITARIAN AID
LIFE SAVING OPERATIONS
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
"Although we receive excellent support from our government, we receive no state funding. Without your help our work cannot continue.
"It is only with your generosity that we can supply vitamins to boost damaged immune systems; send life-
This quotation comes directly from one of the leaflets published by the Chernobyl Children's Project.