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April of this year will bring the 20th anniversary of the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl reactor in what was then the Soviet Union.
The individuals affected by the Chernobyl accident of 1986, particularly the children, continue to need assistance to recover their health. I've learned that Ireland is one of the places where the children find help and a respite from the contaminated environment in which they live.
Rest and recuperation visits for children are one of many Chernobyl assistance programs operated by the nonprofit Chernobyl Children's Project, founded by Adi Roche in Cork, Ireland, in 1991, and its United States sister organization Chernobyl Children's Project International (CCPI). CCP/CCPI focuses on the needs of young Chernobyl victims in Belarus, the nation most deeply and directly impacted by the radiation from accident. It is estimated that Belarus received 70% of the radiation that was released from Chernobyl.
Since CCP was founded in 1991, more than 10,000 children of Chernobyl have been brought to Ireland for "recuperative holidays."
Carried out largely by volunteers from Ireland and other nations, CCPI's other programs include medical assistance projects that bring volunteer physicians and nurses to Belarus, construction of facilities to care for disabled children, maintenance of a fleet of ambulances to provide access to medical care for children who live in remote regions, foster care programs, and other humanitarian aid.
These programs, described in detail on CCPI's web site, are supported through donations from individuals and organizations. U2 support and promote CCP/CCPI (see the Hearts and Minds page on the U2 web site).
For more information:
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