21 years and counting for Chernobyl charity
IT’S 21 years and counting for the ‘Children of Chernobyl Rathmore Branch’ as host familes welcomed another group of children from Belarus this month - and by the sounds of it, they have a jam packed schedule ahead of them!
This year, there will be 16 different host families from north Cork and east Kerry involved in housing the children - who range from the ages of 9-12 - they will spend the first two weeks with one group of familes before spending the final two weeks with the second group.
“One of first activities that we would do with them is take them to the Knocknagree GAA club where the kids there will play a bit off a game with the children. Afterwards then, the commitee will have cakes and sweets arranged for a bit of a party you know,” said branch member Eileen Buckley.
“After this, we have a wide range of different activities planned for them over the month - we’ll go to Crag Caves, the dentist, where they can get their teeth checked for fillings, they’ll get their eyes tested at Specsavers and we’d head to different places like Crag Caves, the beach if the weather is good.
“We’ll have a traditional mass in four different churches around the area where we bring up the Belarus flag to the altar and the children are invited to bring candles up aswell - just something that we’ve been doing for the last 21 years.
“It’s amazing the difference that the month here can have on these childrens lives - there was some recent study done that says a month here can add maybe three to four years to their life expectancy,” she continued.
“Their life expectancy is about 64/65 and when they meet my mother is turning 90 soon, they are amazed that people can live that long! We try to give them as much fruit, vegetables and fresh air as possible.”
“It can sometimes be a struggle finding host families but when we do, they are just amazing and they really enjoy having the children over,” she finished.