Fresh air and healthy food boosts immune system
Eight children from Ukraine’s Borodianka district – just 43 miles from the ill-fated Chernobyl nuclear reactor site – have been visiting the Stirling area.
During their stay, the children visited Stirling Fire Station, Stirling Castle, Engine Shed and Wallace Monument.
The teacher escorting the children on their visit Nina Kachalenko last week told of the devastating affect Chernobyl has had on people’s health.
Nina had lost her husband Yuriy almost six years ago to stomach cancer aged just 55.
She said the three-week respite trip had been hugely beneficial to the children –three of whom received glasses on a visit to an optician and five received dental treatment.
Nina explained: “This trip is very important for their health because they breathe fresh air and eat healthy food that is not contaminated.
“The benefit is their immune system is strengthened. This trip opens up the world to the children and they can see that the world is kind.
“These children in general are okay with slight problems – eyesight, heart and breathing issues, but these problems are slight compared to other children in Ukraine and they are a very happy group.”
Pupil Andriy Shulhach, 12, said: “. Scotland is a beautiful country. Everything is very clean. I feel healthier being here.
“The fire station has been great fun and my favourite moment so far was climbing the Wallace Monument. Being on a plane was very cool. I was very excited by your driving rules. You are on the wrong side.”
Nina (60) said Chernobyl’s effects are ever present with many young people dying of cancer.
She said:“My cousin’s daughter-in-law died on August 20. She was going to be 30 this month so was a young lady.
“The influence of the Chernobyl tragedy is felt by everybody because our health is not very good. Some of our friends moved away to different areas all over Ukraine but we have stayed.
“We don’t think about the risks. We simply live and try to be happy. The children go to school, their parents work and life goes on. We don’t think about the danger of Chernobyl.
“We know that it is not very good for our health but still the area is our motherland and we can’t change anything. If we moved away we would miss all of our lifelong friends.”
One of the four nuclear reactors at Chernobyl Power Station exploded in the early hours of April 26, 1986. Some say the death toll from what is acknowledged as the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation was two while others claim the figure was closer to 50. Dozens more contracted radiation sickness and some of them died. A 1600 square mile exclusion zone now surrounds the site of the power station.