BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/11/2007

Gifts lorry sent to Belarus kids

Exclusive By John Ballard

A LORRY packed full of much-needed equipment has left west Wiltshire bound for Belarus, where its contents will improve the lives of children suffering the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The lorry, containing everything from bicycles to educational items and crockery to toilets, was loaded by more than 20 volunteers on the West Wilts Trading Estate on Friday, on behalf of Westbury-based charity Chernobyl Children in Need (CCIN).

CCIN, set up by Adrian Walker in 1999, supports children in and around the village of Ozarichi, Belarus by providing assistance in numerous ways, including undertaking building projects and providing medical supplies, toys and money.

Mr Walker said: "I was delighted with the amount of volunteers we had turning up to load the lorry, so it only took us about an hour and 25 minutes, and it sometimes takes a lot longer.

"We had five people from the Army in Warminster, a couple of people who even came from as far away as Hull, and a guy who runs a youth group in Westbury helped out with some of the older youngsters.

"After it was all loaded the lorry was sent up to Hull and put on a ferry for Lithuania, and from there it gets driven to Belarus and it should arrive by Monday."

The 1986 Chernobyl disaster was the world's worst nuclear accident, with a massive amount of radioactive gas being thrown into the atmosphere when the nuclear reactor exploded.

Due to the direction of the wind, much of the fallout fell onto Belarus and the more than 20 years later the country is still suffering the impact.

Many children are born with a host of problems with thyroid abnormalities, cancer and impaired physical development being particularly common.

The problems are made worse as many people in Belarus live in extreme poverty and lack the most basic necessities such as adequate food and running water. They rely heavily on charities like CCIN to provide help.

Mr Walker said: "Being able to send the lorries makes a massive difference and it helps the children's health.

"We try and take on a new school every year and they often don't have running water or drains and toilets, so it is very important that business and individuals donate items so we can make a difference.

Anybody interested in donating supplies or sponsoring a child in the Ozarichi area at a cost of ?10 per month, should contact Mr Walker on (01373) 858584.

Source:

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/westburynews/display.var.1860825.0.gifts_lorry_sent_to_belarus_kids.php

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