BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/11/2008

Embattled exchange student returns to Belarus

by Erin Snelgrove

The future of humanitarian programs in Yakima and Ellensburg remains bright, now that a Belarus teenager has returned home after an extended stay in the United States.

Tanya Kazyra, 16, had visited a family in Petaluma, Calif., for the past nine summers through a program that aids victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Her decision to stay with her host family last August caused an international uproar, with the Belarus government suspending all programs affiliated with the Chernobyl Children's Project -- including two in the Yakima Valley.

Now that she's returned home, there is hope the two summer programs will resume in 2009.

"She just returned Saturday," said Cecelia Calhoun, Belarus liaison for the Children of Chernobyl U.S. Alliance and director of the Ellensburg program. "It all came down to being homesick. She just wanted to go home to see her grandmother and her family."

Before the programs can begin again, Calhoun said, many changes must take place. First, the Belarus government is requiring every participating country to sign a treaty, ensuring the situation never repeats itself.

Age restrictions will be tightened, limiting participation to 7- to 13-year-olds instead of 7- to 16-year-olds. Children also will be allowed to enroll in the program only three times. No such limitation had been in effect before this summer's incident.

"It's been a huge drama," Calhoun said. "What she did affected everyone in all countries. It's a tragedy that the host family didn't follow the proper procedures from the beginning, then none of this would have happened."

According to news reports from the Los Angeles Times and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Tanya's home life in Belarus had been rife with abuse. She last lived with her grandmother, to whom she has returned.

She had wanted to remain in the United States to carve out a better life for herself and to escape the extreme poverty of her home land. Her host family, the Zapatas, had supported her decision and had even hired an immigration attorney to try to get her a student visa. The Zapatas have not spoken to the media since Tanya returned home of her own free will, Calhoun said.

Laura Robertson, who directs the Yakima chapter, said she's relieved by Tanya's decision. Robertson had visited Belarus, a landlocked country bordered by Ukraine and Poland, and was familiar with the hardships found there.

Still, the actions of one 16-year-old girl came close to shutting down the programs worldwide, she said.

"I just think providence stepped in," Robertson said. "Now she's home, and we're able to pursue the next step. ... I hope she has the best life she possibly can in Belarus with her grandmother. I worry about the situation."

Each year, about 1,400 children from the Chernobyl region affected by the 1986 nuclear accident have traveled to America.

Locally, the Ellensburg program has had an educational focus. With help from Central Washington University, 15- to 17-year-olds visited Ellensburg for one summer only to gain leadership skills and learn about America's customs and government.

The Yakima chapter was established in 1996 and had served about 50 children for one or more visits. It's enabled boys and girls to stay with local host families to obtain clean water, fresh produce and medical care.

Source:

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2008/11/27/embattled-exchange-student-returns-to-belarus

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