On April 26th at 1.23a.m. a nuclear accident occurred in the Ukraine, across the border from Belarus. As a result 800,000 children live in radioactive contaminated areas, eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water and breathing contaminated air. Thyroid disease and leukemia, as well as unexplained growths are commonplace for these people. Unbelievable poverty has also taken hold in the towns and villages around the twenty years old disaster.

The Corofin/ North Galway Branch of the Children of Chernobyl was established in March 2002. The first children from Chuchevichi arrived in Corofin in July 2002. Following an initial notice in the parish newsletter, eight families signed up to become host families for the Belarusian. Sixteen children spent the month of July in Corofin and Belclare. At Christmas of that year six children spent four weeks in the area. Children now stay with host families in Corofin, Belclare, Headford, Corrandulla, Oughterard, Dunmore and Killanin. Forty children arrived this summer to thirty four host families. A total of two hundred children will have visited Ireland and benefited as a result of the work of the Corofin / North Galway Branch of the Friends of the Children of Chernobyl, and the kindness and generosity of the host families, doctors, dentists, opticians, benefactors and the many businesses who contribute to the group financially. The voluntary branch would not survive without them.

Martin Fleming, a member of the committee visited a primary school in Chuchevichi in September 2002. Twenty of the students who attended this school stay in living accommodation attached to the school. This school had no toilets, kitchenette or running water. The Corofin / North Galway group, in conjunction with the Ballinasloe group, decided to send trade's people to the school to install toilets and a kitchenette. This came about in September 2003. During another visit in 2004, the group of trade's people rewired the main kitchen in the school. The group have now employed a local electrician to look after the upkeep of the school and the wiring.

A real success story for the Corofin / North Galway group is Nicholai Binko who suffers from cerebral palsy. In 2003 he and his mother were brought to UCHG by our group. Thanks to the intervention of the charity, Nicholai will eventually be able to walk.

Corofin / North Galway branch also became involved in a second school- Redigerovo, a school of 180 pupils with no toilet facilities. Work began here in April 2006.

In 2006 while installing toilets in Redigerovo school we were asked to visit a school called Luban, where 40 of the children there have the highest reading of radiation. We are bringing 12 of those children to Galway this July (2007). We also decided to replace 14 toilets and 10 sinks not working in the school. We also visited the Exclusion Zone and saw first hand exactly the conditions in which people live. While there we met a man with no hands or feet and noboby to care for him. In October 2006 we went back and brought this man a wheel chair. We are also repairing some homes down there and hope to give additional assistance there over the next few Years.

A third school was added to our list of works when the trade's people installed new toilet facilities and a boiler in a school in Mikachevichy in April 2006. We renovated a day care centre here also, in conjunction with the Ballinasloe group, installing a new kitchen, toilet facilities and floors. Thirty five handicapped children occupy this facility.

The group has also been involved with an orphanage in Minsk, called Noviki, where disabled children are confined to their beds almost permanently. Together with the Ballinasloe group we funded some of the cost of painting and decorating, and supplied clothing to the children.

The Corofin / North Galway branch of the Friends of the Children of Chernobyl would like to sincerely thank the host families, sponsors and fundraisers who work so hard throughout the year. Without them the group would not be as successful as it is.

Spaspia (thank you) from all the Belarusian children and their families.