BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 9:38 AM EDT

Children of Belarus return to Habersham

By Kimberly Brown, kbrown@thenortheastgeorgian.com

On June 1, 10 children, ages 7 to 13, and their interpreter traveled from the Republic of Belarus, a country of the former USSR, to Habersham County to spend six weeks with local host families.

Almost everyone has heard of the world's worst nuclear disaster, which happened on April 26, 1986. On that day, a nuclear explosion destroyed the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near the Ukraine. This explosion released 190 tons of radioactive uranium and graphite into the atmosphere. And Belarus was almost ground zero for the blast.

The population of Belarus was exposed to 70 percent of this radiation - 100 times greater than that released by the Hiroshima bomb. There has been a 250-percent increase in congenital birth defects, 100-percent increase in cancer and leukemia, a 200-percent increase in suicide and a 2,400-percent increase in thyroid cancer.

It has been proven that leaving that poison environment for six weeks can add two to three years to a child's life. The American Belarus Relief Organization (ABRO) helps make that possible.

"[The children] come here because they live where the worst radiation contamination from the Chernobyl accident is," said Claudia Lacy, one of the host mothers. "Chernobyl is almost in Belarus. That day [of the accident] the wind was blowing to the northeast and blew all over Belarus. Everything they come into contact with is [still] contaminated. They can't get away from it, [it's in] their food, everything."

This year there are 10 host families and 10 Belarusian children in Habersham County, plus one interpreter. "The number of children coming has doubled from last year," Lacy said. "Our goal is to bring as many children as we can. To do that, we need more host families."

"They love the United States," said Laura Miller, another host mother. "While they are visiting here, we do a little bit of everything. We do some things together as a group; some families go on vacation with the child. We go to a skating rink in Cleveland. Danny Otter provides free bowling at the Old Clarkesville Mill. We've taken them to Six Flags, to water parks, to Tallulah Gorge State Park, and to Lake Russell."

The traditional first stop when coming from the airport, Miller said, is McDonald's in Oakwood.

There are approximately 700 children who come from Belarus to various places in the United States.

"We like getting the same child year after year," Miller said. "You build a bond. The child we have had for two years is a 10-year-old boy, whose mother died of thyroid cancer. I have two children, 7 and 12, and they just picked up where they left off from last year."

"These children are really special," Lacy said. "They are beautiful and well-behaved." But because of the contamination they live with, their immune systems are affected.

"They just aren't as strong as our children," Lacy said. "They bloom while they're here. They come over here and appreciate everything."

Locally, there are three sponsor churches for the program this year: River Point Community Church in Cornelia, Christ Presbyterian in Clarkesville, and Line Baptist Church in Banks County. Also, local physicians donate medical care to the children while they are here. Dr. Randy Jackson provides dental care; Dr. Eric Colegrove provides eyecare, and Dr. Everett Roseberry of Gainesville provides pediatric care.

In addition to the medical care, ExpressMed in Clarkesville donated medicine and vitamins.

"We like to send as much medicine as we can, especially cold medicine and vitamins, home with them," Miller said.

Other local individuals and companies have donated money.

"It costs about $1,100 to bring one of the children here," Miller said. "That covers a long bus trip, airfare and insurance." The families also have to pay the interpreter, who visits each doctor with each child. When the interpreter isn't available, host families communicate with the children through hand motions.

"These are very obedient and very intelligent children," Miller said. "It's amazing what they understand."

The community can help by donating money or items like restaurant or grocery store gift certificates. Since everything in Belarus still is contaminated with radiation, the nutritious, non-contaminated food they get here makes them stronger.

"These children eat and eat while they're here," Lacy said.

An account has been set up at Community Bank & Trust to handle monetary donations. Anyone wishing to donate may visit the bank and ask for the ABRO fund.

For details about donating other items or about becoming a host family next year, call Claudia Lacy at 754-7664.

Source:

http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2005/06/07/news/top_stories/01topstory.txt