In this 7-minute video you'll see how, with your support, Chernobyl Children's Project International volunteers are helping children and families who continue to live with the medical, social, and economic effects of the Chernobyl disaster. (If you can't see the video above, click here.)
This month marks the 23rd anniversary of the accident, a disaster that displaced hundreds of thousands of people and put many regions of Belarus and Ukraine under severe economic strain. The video describes CCPI's programs with some of the most vulnerable people in the region -- children with mental and physical disabilities, children living in institutions, and children with severe medical conditions. You'll see our volunteer cardiac surgery teams at work, meet disabled young adults we are helping to live independently for the first time, and meet families created by joining children who lived in orphanages with loving and foster parents.
This photograph shows 10 young men who grew up in the Vesnova Mental Asylum in Belarus, in the living room of their new home. This time last year, the boys were about to be transfered to a dismal and crowded adult mental institution where they would spend the rest of their lives, segregated from society. Today, they are learning to live independently in a terrace of five accessible apartments. This is the first project of its kind in Belarus, and we hope it will serve as "proof of concept" that children with a variety of mental and physical abilities can, with support and training, live independently.
The young men are (from left to right, Sasha, Sasha, Misha, Sasha, Vanya, Oleg, Grisha, Sasha, Kolya, and Vasia.) CCPI founder Adi Roche joins them.
Click here to learn more and to see a video of one of the young men, Sasha Levkin, at the opening ceremony for the homes this past October. (You can see more videos of the children of Vesnova on the CCPI Channel on YouTube.)
Sasha understands that he and the other young men are in a true sense "pioneers" for the disabled in his country. As I watched him thank the gathered volunteers and supporters in October, I kept thinking back to when I first met them as young boys in October 2003, the conditions they were living in, and how things have changed. The photos show the kids as we found them -- sitting on rotting, urine soaked mattresses, covered in flies, and endlessly rocking, moaning and picking at themselves. In the years since (and with your financial support), CCPI volunteers have physically transformed the institution to meet and exceed standards of of safety,
hygiene and dignity. At the same time, CCPI developed a standard of medical and therapeutic care, sending teams of volunteers to care for children and train their peers, and hiring and training caregivers. Vesnova is a transformed place, but our goal is to put each child who lives there today on the path to independent living or life in a family home.
As a donor, volunteer, adviser or fan, your support has been critical this year. Last week, we featured 2008 accomplishments and future objectives for three programs: community centers, medical/therapeutic training,
and volunteer medical care. Today, we will focus on these: at home care for disabled children, children's cardiac surgeries, and the Soltanovka adult asylum.
At home care for disabled children: The community care program takes disabled children off waiting lists for orphanages and provides their families with the support they need to care for their children at home. Click here to meet some of the kids you've helped.
In 2008, your support allowed us to expand the program from 18 to 24 families, provided a wheelchair accessible van so that home bound children could go on outings, allowed us to add therapeutic staff, and made it possible for several children to attend a summer camp for the first time. In 2009, we hope to continue to expand and improve this program, but your financial sponsorship is needed for children and for staff. Email me for more information.
Soltanovka Adult Asylum: Over the years, our volunteers and staff watched in dread and dismay as disabled children we love turned 18 and were moved to Soltanovka. Tragically, once committed, this is their final home. While we continue to develop alternatives to institutionalization, we cannot turn our backs on the almost 200 disabled adults of all ages who live here. In 2008, CCPI volunteers began a dental program, replaced old
drafty windows and renovated showers and toilets, and built a bright new unit to replace a dank and dismal one. In 2009, with your support, we hope to replace another unit and a leaky roof, and develop training programs for staff that will raise the quality of life for the residents. Institutionalization strips away so much dignity -- we hope this photo album will give insight into the humanity and individuality of each resident of Soltanovka.
Kids' cardiac surgeries and training: This year, we expanded our cardiac surgery program into Ukraine where we saved scores of young lives and trained local medical teams to operate on children who are very small or have the most complicated defects. Next year, with your support, we will send volunteer surgical teams twice to Belarus, and 4 times to Ukraine. Please make a donation to support this life saving program, or email me to learn how to sponsor a mission.
As 2008 draws to a close, we acknowledge with gratitude that you -- as a donor, volunteer, adviser, or fan -- touched thousands of lives in Chernobyl affected regions of Belarus and Ukraine, and achieve breakthroughs we never thought possible.
Times are hard economically, but with your confidence and support we can continue to invest in the future of children and families who are so much less fortunate than us. In this first of three updates on what we have accomplished together in 2008, we feature three programs: community centers, medical/therapeutic training, and volunteer medical teams.
Community Centers. In spring 2008, the government of Ireland granted CCPI funds to build 3 communities centers over the next two years. We evaluated many potential communities and selected sites in impoverished, at risk regions that have visionary and committed local leadership. This year, volunteers traveled to Belarus to start construction of a center in Glutsk, and centers in Buda Koshalova and Gorki will follow in 2009 . The centers will serve a wide variety of needs . . . day care for working parents, therapeutic services for disabled children, child care classes, vocational training, employment services, homework help, and more. The new buildings will follow on the success of our center in Zhytkovichi, funded by Pfizer International and built by CCPI volunteers. (Have you seen the film Return to Chernobyl? You can learn more about Zhytkovichi as you watch the story of architect and broadcaster Duncan Stewart's near fatal accident and rescue while designing this community center in 2003. You'll find the film on the CCPI Channel on YouTube.
Medical and therapeutic training. This year, volunteer nurses, dentists, surgeons and physical/occupational therapists traveled (at their own expense) to Belarus and Ukraine to work directly with children in understaffed institutions and hospitals and to train to their local counterparts. Training is a very important part of CCPI's mission -- it allows our peers in country to become self sufficient and adept at solving their own problems. In 2008, CCPI volunteers trained therapeutic and nursing staff at the Vesnova Children's Asylum in Belarus, and cardiac surgical teams at hospitals in Ukraine. We worked with the Belarus State University to train Belarusian students who will now be able to practice their skills in their own communities. Training in international best practices will continue to be a focus for our programs in 2009 -- it's the key to long term change.
Volunteer medical teams. This year, CCPI medical and therapeutic professionals traveled monthly from Ireland and the United States to work directly with children at an orphanage in Vesnova village, in a home care program for disabled children in Minsk, and in a children's hospice program in Gomel. The regular volunteer visits have dramatically improved quality of life for the children, and have become a life line of training and peer support for local medical and care giving staff who are on the job every day. Please help support this program by making a donation now, or apply to volunteer by emailing us your CV. Click here to see a video of CCPI volunteers in action. Click here to see photos of CCPI volunteers. And in this 2006 CBS News video, a CCPI volunteer describes her first time on a CCPI project.
Stay tuned: at home care for disabled children, cardiac programs, and Soltanovka
In too many places across the world, mentally and physically disabled people are segregated from society for the rest of their lives in dismal institutions. (And not so long ago, this was true in the United States as well.)
On October 23 I witnessed history as Sasha Levkin, a 19 year old resident of the Vesnova Children's Asylum, along with seven other disabled young adults, moved into homes of their own. The terrace of accessible apartments was built (and furnished and decorated) by volunteers of Chernobyl Children's Project International and is the first project of its kind in Belarus.
Sasha: "I won't let you down." The video shows Sasha, who has cerebral palsy, addressing remarks to the volunteers and donors who helped him fulfill his dream of a home of his own. A few weeks ago, a "mental institution" was the only home he'd ever known or ever would know. Today, he is learning to live independently and looks forward to a career as a translator and writer. (If you don't see a video above view click here to go to the CCPI website.)
I had a long chat with Sasha (shown left in the group photo), who taught himself simple English using language CDs given him by volunteers. He's writing a book now (by painstaking dictation); memoirs of his early life in a violent, alcoholic home and subsequent institutionalization at Vesnova after his mother beat him until he could no longer function independently. He yearns for a way to "repay" those who have shown him kindness and does not seem to fully appreciate that his life story is a gift of inspiration to all who know him. He is persistent in his desire to support himself financially, and believes that he will soon be able to contribute to the work of CCPI as a translator.
Sasha understands that he and the other young men are in a real sense "pioneers" for the disabled in his country. He realizes that all eyes are on him and his success could open doors for other disabled people in Belarus. He recognizes, and we all do, that the most difficult challenges are ahead as he learns to care for himself and prepare for his future. CCPI and its volunteers will be with him all the way.
Two weeks ago a volunteer surgical team completed our second successful children's cardiac surgery mission to Ukraine, this time to Odessa. Fifteen young lives were saved. You can see some of the young patients in the Odessa Cardiac Kids photo gallery. Our first Ukrainian trip, to Kharkiv, was completed in June.
Every year in Ukraine, 6,000 children are born with heart defects that will kill them in 3 to 5 years without surgery. Few cardiac surgery programs in Ukraine perform surgery on children, and none routinely operate on the smallest or those with the most complicated defects. Thank you for the support that has made continuing this program possible!
Long time CCPI supporter, model, and photographer Helena Christensen is hosting a charity auction in New York to benefit Chernobyl Children's Project International. Her partner is Danish design company VIPP, a family owned business whose handcrafted stainless steel waste bins have been objects of desire for decades.
Leaders from the worlds of fashion, design, art, and entertainment -- Helena, Bono, Michael Stipe of REM, Christy Turlington, Greta
Monahan, Dale Chihuly, and Mario Batali are a few -- will make custom designed waste bins that will be auctioned at an event in September. Do you live in NYC? The bins will be on display for public viewing and pre-bidding at The Conran Shop at 407 East 59th Street at First Avenue, September 4 - September 17. Please come out, these bins are well worth a look!
One of my favorites is by artist Mattia Biagi, whose tar dipped bin is pictured above. He told Blackbook Magazine that it "represents the relationship between human beings and their own pollution in modern society." Other designers, like Alice Temperley (the pink and bejeweled bin pictured) took a decorative and whimsical approach. We are so grateful to the artists for participating, and to VIPP for their leadership and trust.
We feel a special gratitude to Helena, who has been very "hands on" with her support of CCPI for years, and always surprises us with her fun, creative approach to giving.
In the summer of 2003, architect, broadcaster, and Chernobyl Children's Project International volunteer Duncan Stewart was in Belarus to design two buildings for Chernobyl affected communities, and to film a documentary. He suffered a near fatal accident.
Two years later, in recovery from massive injuries, he returned to see the completed work, reconstruct his broken memory, and learn more about the impact of Chernobyl on children and families in Belarus. This video tells the shocking story of Duncan's accident and rescue, his emotional reunion with the Belarusian doctors who saved him, and the CCPI mission that brought him to Belarus in the first place.
Shortly after his accident and in honor of the Belarusian medical professionals who saved his life, Duncan and his wife Agneta hosted a "Chernobyl Heart Ball" in Ireland that raised significant funds in support of our children's cardiac surgery program in Minsk.
Return to Chernobyl is a survival story and an emotional personal journey. And it's a great way to learn about the Chernobyl accident, the zeal of CCPI volunteers, and CCPI projects in Belarus that are making a difference in the lives of children and families who are rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of Chernobyl.
A vivid memory of my first visit to the Vesnova Mental Asylum for Children some 6 years ago was the heart breaking state of the children's teeth. The sight and smell of over one hundred sets of rotting teeth -- and the suffering that undoubtedly goes with it -- is impossible to forget.
That is why we are glad to announce, starting this month, a dental program at both Vesnova and at the Soltanokva Asylum for adults. A volunteer team headed up by Teresa Cronin and Mary Sugrue will
travel to Belarus twice a year to give dental care to children and adults living in these institutions, and to train caregivers on hygiene.
Chernobyl Children's Project International hires and trains nurses and caregivers
to improve quality of care in understaffed institutions in Chernobyl affected regions. Teams of medical and therapeutic volunteers travel monthly to work with children and -- most important -- to train their peers in the community in techniques to improve the care of the children year round.
These photos demonstrate how critical is this program. If you would like to make a donation to support the CCPI dental care program, click here. Sponsorships are available, email me for details.
Photos include Vadim (bravely having his first dental exam), Maxim (a wonderful boy from Vesnova with terribly rotten teeth), Igor (at top, full of personality) from Vesnova, and a young adult from the Soltanovka.
We've just posted a gallery of photos of some of the 18 children whose lives were saved by a volunteer cardiac surgery team that visited Ukraine last month. Visit the Kharkiv Cardiac Kids photo album to see the kids and learn more. You can also view this short video of 2 and a half year old patient Sofia. (If you are reading this on a feed or in email, you can click to the Chernobyl Children's Project International website to see the video, or visit the CCPI Channel on YouTube.)
Every year over 6000 children are born in Ukraine with genetic heart disease, a dramatic increase since the
Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986. Over half of these will not receive the surgery they need to survive. Our
program works because we combine life saving surgeries with local training, so that Ukrainian surgeons in rural areas can build expertise to save the youngest and most complicated cases. We plan three more surgical missions to Ukraine thorough the end of 2008, and we hope -- with your support -- to continue the program in 2009. Please help by donating now, or contact us if you would like to help us raise funds.
Over 200 volunteer Pfizer employees and friends cycled from Cork, Ireland to Galway on June 14 to benefit Chernobyl Children's Project International. Pfizer is a long time supporter of CCPI. The Annual Pfizer
Cycle for Chernobyl is in its sixth year and again raised over 100,000 euro to support CCPI's efforts in Chernobyl affected regions. This year, funding will be directed towards a community center to be built in Petrikov. CCPI builds community centers in under served and poverty stricken communities of Belarus, where we work in partnership with residents to address local problems.
The photo shows CCPI founder Adi Roche with Olga and Kristina. The girls live at the Vesnova Children's Mental Asylum in rural Belarus, and are in Ireland for holidays and medical care.
Do you have an idea for a fund raising event or activity? Email us.
This haunting and charming music video by Arkansas based band Cedar-N-Sage captures a moment when a teenage girl shakes off her melancholy by getting involved in a larger purpose: Helping the most vulnerable children who suffer the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The video of Times Like These -- originally recorded by the Foo Fighters -- cuts real footage of "our" kids in Chernobyl regions with scenes of the girl transforming herself through awareness, then action.
Cedar-N-Sage produced the video and song to raise funds for children of Chernobyl. After you watch the video, click on the name of the song to select it and on the "$" sign on the player below to download the song. Artists proceeds will be donated to Chernobyl Children's Project International.
Pediatric physical and occupational therapist Marisa C. Birkmeier is one of hundreds of Chernobyl Children's Project Internationalvolunteers who donate their professional skills to help children affected by the Chernobyl
disaster. Marisa, who holds a doctorate and practices at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC, recently returned from a trip to Minsk. She was a guest at the Belarusian State Sports University, where she lectured to scores of students and professors on current best practices in their field.
Afterwards, Marisa accompanied CCPI medical care program coordinators Marie Cox and Valentin Chernyakevich to visit children in our Minsk community care program, a program that helps families take care of their disabled children at home, rather than resort to the nightmare of institutionalization. The photos show Marisa working with children and sharing techniques to prevent further disability with one of our Belarusian team members. Click here to learn more about the community care program. If you can, please click here to make a donation to support the program.
CCPI camps bring fun and hope to disabled children and children recovering from heart disease and cancer.
Again this summer, your donations are making it possible for 200 children who live in contaminated areas of Belarus to attend summer camp on healthy soil. And we have a special commitment to send kids who would not otherwise be able to go. At our Healthy Hearts camp, we teach good health and fitness habits to children who have received life saving surgery through the cardiac program. Most of these children lived severely restricted lives prior to surgery. Camp is a place where they can, in many cases for the first time, revel in their new health and socialize with other kids. Our Rainbow of Hope camp is for children in recovering from cancer. Two very special camps welcome children from our community care program and the Vesnova Children's Mental Asylum.
Meanwhile, CCPI welcomed 1000 children from Chernobyl regions to Ireland this past Sunday, where they will spend summer holidays. Some of the children will be guests at Paul Newman's Barretstown Castle camp for children facing cancer and other life threatening illness.
I'm glad to announce that, through your financial support, a volunteer surgical team led by William Novick MD has completed our first successful children's cardiac surgery mission in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Seventeen children's lives have been saved.
I just got off the phone with CCPI founder Adi Roche, who attended surgery on a young girl. "It was such a privilege to witness ... a miracle ... we simply must recommit ourselves to continuing the program." I could hear in her voice how shaken she was by the experience.
As I have previously posted, Chernobyl Children's Project International will sponsor three more surgical trips to Ukraine this year, investing over $300,000 for surgeries and training of local physicians. The next teams will travel to Odessa, Donetsk, and Kyiv. Your support is very much needed to complete these missions -- you can Donate Now by clicking on the button to your right, or follow this link for our postal address. Click here to read the stories of other donors to our children's cardiac surgery program.
Yearly in Ukraine, 6,000 children are born with heart defects that will kill them in 3 to 5 years if they do not receive surgery. Few cardiac surgery programs in Ukraine perform surgery on children, and none routinely operate on the smallest or those with the most
complicated defects. Cardiac defects have dramatically increased in Ukraine and Belarus since the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
CCPI's successful children's surgery program in Belarus has reduced the waiting list for children needing life saving surgery from over 7000 to 2400, through a combination of surgeries and training. We hope to see this same success repeated in Ukraine.
Tomorrow, Adi -- along with my colleagues Sherrie and Jim Douglas from the CCPI board of directors-- will visit with the first lady of Ukraine Katerina Yushchenko to underscore our commitment to the health of the children in Chernobyl affected regions of both Ukraine and Belarus. Photos in this post (aside from the one of Sherrie and Adi in scrubs) are of Belarusian heart patients, you can see more in the cardiac kids gallery, and as soon as I have fresh photos of children who received surgeries in the past week, I will post them here.
You can click on the video above to watch an emotional theatrical reading from Voices from Chornobyl. (If you are reading this on a feed or email you might need to go directly to our website.) The video is a short taste of the full performance piece.
You can perform this reading (needs only 9 readers/actors) to raise funds for Chernobyl Children's Project International, or even simply to raise awareness. You can find out how on Cindy's Voices from Chornobyl website. This is a true labor of love for Cindy, who put many unpaid creative hours into developing this fundraising tool and educational opportunity.
I know that many students and teachers read this blog. This would be a great project for a high school to take on, particularly for Chernobyl anniversary month in April. Email me to let us know if you decide to take this on!
Riley went online, found our website, and learned about our drive to raise funds for life saving children's heart surgeries in Ukraine. Mother and daughter sprang into action. Julie owns the Adventure Kids Summer Day Camp in Wilmington, and Riley is a junior counselor. They organized a screening of Chernobyl Heart, and quickly convinced the camp staff to dedicate summer 2007 to one child's heart.
All summer long, the camp sold candy and lemonade to raise funds for one heart surgery, and made bracelets for all the young patients. Pictured above, you can see a photo of a bulletin board the campers put together to rally everyone around the cause.
I hope the kids of Adventure Kids Summer Day Camp fully realize that, through their direct action, they will save the life another child -- one of the 6000 children born yearly in Ukraine with heart defects. More than 50% of the children in Ukraine who need life saving operations will not get them. Between now and the end of the year, the support of donors like the Adventure Kids will allow us to send volunteer surgical teams to 4 different regions of Ukraine to perform operations and train their fellow professionals. The first team arrives at Kharkiv's Institute of General and Urgent Surgery this May 25th.
On the CCPI Channel on You Tube, you can watch Chernobyl Heart, the Academy Award winning film that follows Chernobyl Children's Project International through Belarus. We also pulled together into one channel the best Chernobyl-related videos from around the Internet. You'll find Paul Fusco's moving Chernobyl Legacy video essay, a BBC video feature on Cooking in the Danger Zone, a Greenpeace video about how Chernobyl impacts people today, and many more. You can subscribe to the CCPI Channel, and we'll notify you when we add something new.
Lots of people are using social networks -- such as Facebook -- to stay in touch with friends and families and let them know what they find interesting and important. Now you can join a Chernobyl Children's Project International Page on Facebook. Click on the button to the right to go there, and then click on "Become a Fan" to show your support and spread the word in your network.
One of the children prominently featured in the piece -- Victor, the little boy with the cleft palate and tracheotomy tube -- died shortly after the filming. (Here is a photo I took of his grave last month). His loss was a terrible reminder that children belong in families, not in institutions.
Along those lines, the film also introduces Ina Gudkovskie, who lived in an orphanage before joining a real family in one of CCPI's "homes of hope." You can click here to learn more about the Gudkovskie family, and watch the video to hear Ina (who speaks English) talk about how having a mother and father has changed her life. Click the links to read the about the Zhila and Savin families -- happy homes made up of children who had suffered lives of neglect and abuse. If you want to learn more about sponsoring a family home for children who have been living in orphanages, please email me.
Finally, the film updates the story of Vesnova asylum resident Sasha
Levkin, who along with his friend Sasha appeared in the film Chernobyl Heart. (Both boys are pictured here -- Sasha Levkin is seen holding a photo of Chernobyl's Hero, a Karakorum race horse whose winnings are donated to CCPI.) Both boys have reached the age when they would typically be transfered to an adult asylum, where they
would be warehoused until death. The boys have feared and dreaded this prospect for the 7 years we have known them. In the film, you will see CCPI founder Adi Roche promising Sasha (as he weeps with happiness) that CCPI volunteers will build them a home of their own. As I write this, that promise is coming true -- a CCPI volunteer team is in Mogilev right now building a disability accessible home for the two Sashas, and for 8 other disabled young adults who will be able to live with dignity, rather than being transfered to an adult institution.
When I talked to the two Sashas last month, however, "dignity" was not the word rolling off their lips -- it was more like: "Party!" (Don't worry, we've hired staff to assist the young people and provide supervision!) They were brimming over with excitement and anticipation. After all of the difficulties Sasha has been through, it is almost surreal to realize that when I next see him, he will be able to serve me tea in his very own home.
In previous updates we've shown how devastating life is for mentally or physically disabled children who live out their lives in orphanages. And, without intervention, the grim future they face as institutionalized adults segregated from society forever. Thanks to your financial support, we've also been able to tell you happier stories -- stories of our foster families. These amazing families have joined children -- all of whom lived in orphanages and have histories of loss, abuse and neglect -- with parents eager to share their love and provide a secure and nurturing home.
This update is about our Community Care program. This program -- serving 18 children in Minsk, Belarus but set for expansion -- takes disabled children off the waiting lists for orphanages, and provides their families with the support they need to care for their children at home.
Visiting these families last month, I was struck by the unique determination of these parents -- often single mothers -- who care for their children at home in a region where institutionalization is the norm. Chernobyl Children's Project International provides therapeutic home visits, training and supplies for families, outings and other types of support, such as swimming pool visits, accessible home adaptations, and camping experiences for the children. But the passion to overcome obstacles and make it all work comes from the parents themselves.
Andrei, pictured at the top of this post, is an 11 year old with cerebral palsy and autism. He's a happy and well cared for boy, and his mother is delighted with him -- but clearly exhausted by his activity level. He is in constant, exhuberant, and barely controlled motion. It was great to see their loving bond, but I couldn't help but think what a handful he will be as they both get older. They will need all the support they can get.
Ignat, the calm and handsome boy pictured in my lap to the right , is 6 years old and like many of our children in the program has cerebral palsy. He lives with his mother, who is single, and his grandmother in a tiny, one bedroom apartment. A wheelchair lift on the stairs built by CCPI volunteers, and a wheelchair accessible van (paid for with your donations) make it possible for him to enjoy pool therapy visits and trips to McDonald's (a popular treat for the kids and their parents!)
The little girl pictured in the pink jacket is 6 year old Nadya. She has cerebral palsy and suffers frequent seizures. In the photo she is held by CCPIboard member Michael Rodin -- but I enlarged the photo to focus on her lovely face and eyes. Her eyes are the only responsive part of her, until we turn on her music box and her mouth explodes into a smile. Their apartment had no furniture or comforts and Tanya, Nadya's mother, seemed to be extraordinarily stressed, on "on the edge." She told us she was not sure how long she would be able to continue caring for Nadya at home. This is clearly a family we need to observe and support carefully in the coming months.
Thirteen year old Marguerita is pictured with medical care program coordinator Valentin Chernyakevich, who manages the staff of Belarusian therapists who make home visits to our children. An inoperable tumor on her spine has taken away her ability to walk. But she uses a wheelchair provided by your donations, and a ramp built by CCPI building program volunteers allows her to get out with her mother and participate in fun activities organized by Valentin and his staff. Last summer, she attended one of our camps for disabled children, and she loves her regular trips to the swimming pool. She told us she would like to have a chance to ride a horse. Marguerita speaks a bit of English -- it's her favorite subject when a teacher comes in to visit her, and she loves to get letters written in English. She is proud of her mother's singing voice, and urged her to sing Belarusian folks songs to us. She is a very happy and optimistic girl.
Eighteen children, and families who critically need professional and social support in order to care for them at home. All of them would be in institutions without this program. Cared for by strangers, they would be extremely vulnerable. Please consider making a donation to help us continue this program, and expand it to help more disabled children avoid the horror of institutionalization and stay with their families where they belong.
This CBS video report is on the status of the 10 year and running project to safely contain the destroyed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. We picked up the clip from Mark Resnicoff's excellent Chernobyl and Eastern Europe blog.
In the two minute video, (if you reading this on email or a feed you may need to click here to view it), reporter Katie Couric describes the Chernobyl accident as "a nightmare from the Soviet era" that will continue to haunt the region "for generations." The cost to contain the Chernobyl reactor is over $1.5 billion so far, with the USA being the largest single country donor.
The clip starts with a brief advertisement that was embedded by CBS -- we are grateful to be able to share the clip at no charge, but it is not a product endorsement by Chernobyl Children's Project International.
You can read the stories of the Savin and Gudkovskie families -- remarkable families with amazing stories of survival.
We spent the previous night at an orphanage. As our van navigated the country roads toward Ossipovichi, I knew that seeing children in a loving family would be a jarring and welcome contrast. But I was haunted by the knowledge that these 10 children -- ages 5 to 16 -- have shocking stories of loss and neglect.
As we arrived, Petr (the father), was putting finishing touches on a new porch. He had been busy since our last visit, building bookshelves and desks for the children, and expanding the family areas of the home. His wife Galina made tea and told us how the children are adapting to family life. (Go to our website to see video of sisters singing a song to us.)
The children pulled our hands and excitedly took us from one room to the next. They giggled as they showed off their bedrooms, their new desks, their school projects and personal treasures. Looking at their happy faces I remembered terrible stories from their recent pasts. About how the birth mother of Tanya (11), Sasha (10) , and Kirill (5) spent food money on alcohol and left the children to starve. They found bits of potato peel to fry on the fire. How their father beat them with a stick after they ran away, and how they watched as he broke their mother’s legs. How they rescued her when she tried to commit suicide by hanging, and by cutting her wrists.
When Andrea (11) and Roxana (7) lost their mother in an accident, their father medicated his grief with alcohol. He tried to quit but couldn't, and they moved to their beloved grandmother's home. A house fire killed their grandmother, and left Roxana with burns over 30% of her body. Scars from her burns peeked out from the neck of her blouse as she and the other children performed songs for us and played with each other.
In the parlour I spotted a small shrine to their dead 5 year old son, and I realized that Galina and Petr knew something themselves about loss and moving on.
No doubt many challenges are ahead for this newly formed family. And yet, today, it seems natural for them to be together. The children behave as if they’ve been together forever. And Galina and Petr are grateful for their large family, and determined to surround their children with love and prepare them for a hopeful future.
A few months ago, I received an email from Glenbard East High
student Hannah Reneau. Her teacher, Chris Vandenberg, had assigned his
Lombard, IL students to research a social need then take an action to
bring about positive change.
Hannah told me that she and her
friends Jenna Kenny and Michele Graham went online to learned about
the Chernobyl disaster and the work of Chernobyl Children's Project
International. They wanted to know what they could do to help kids
their age affected by the disaster.
(The photos show, from left to right, Jenna, Hannah, and Michele. )
When
I told them that CCPI is launching a children's cardiac surgery program in
Ukraine this year, the students found their goal: To raise enough money
to save one child's life.
I sent the girls a copy of the film Chernobyl Heart, and they arranged a screening for fellow students and the community. Hannah said "It really opened their eyes to what is going on in Chernobyl regions. Most were overwhelmed by what they saw." They rallied around the girls in supporting their mission.
Hannah, Jenna, and Michele: Not only have you saved a young life, but judging from the photos, it looks like you had a great time doing it! I promise to send you a picture of your "Chernobyl heart" child when we return from Kharkiv, Ukraine this May!
By clicking on the image below, you can listen to their latest single, What in the World, from their upcoming album, Reflection Pool.
If you download the single by clicking on the "$," or going here, the band's proceeds will go to CCPI.
Cedar-N-Sage means "healing through knowledge." The Arkansas based band consists of D'Lorah on vocals/keyboards, Earl McCool on bass, and T on guitars. T -- her given name is Tina -- grew up in Japan. As a schoolgirl, she remembers seeing repeated images of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima. She told me, "This was not the stock footage one sees in the US, of the mushroom cloud -- they showed everything." The images continued to haunt her, and when she saw the film Chernobyl Heart it "reactivated the anger and sadness I felt as a child." She and the band have been supporters ever since. They see What in the World as their environmental song, and decided to donate the proceeds to CCPI.
Thank you, Cedar-N-Sage, not only for this, but for the support you have shown these past years! I hope everyone will listen to the song, and join me in thanking the band for their contribution. You can learn more about how contributions help by clicking here.
Last week I was honored to receive a check from lounge/electronica band Thievery Corporation and Mondano ("World Citizen') Mondano is a Washington DC based alliance that ignites transnational cultural and artistic collaborations.
Pictured above: Andre Kravchenko (Mondano), Eric Hilton (Thievery Corporation), me, Rob Garza (TC) and Bill Crandall (Mondano) at ESL Music.
The team embarked last year on a project called Chernobyl 20 -- an effort to focus attention on Chernobyl's continuing consequences. The collaboration brought together photographers, musicians, and the final haunting recording of a beloved vocalist.
Robert Knoth's powerful affection for Annya Pesenko, who has a brain tumor, is captured in the photo shown here. We feel privileged to count Annya's family among those served by CCPI's hospice program in Gomel, Belarus. I was saddened to tell Robert about this brave girl's poor condition on my last visit to her. It was heartbreaking to see her struggle to remain conscious, and the pressure on her mother was enormous.
Thievery Corporation's The Passing Stars was the last song recorded by Pam Bricker. Pam was the voice behind Thievery Corporation's iconic song, Lebanese Blond. After her death, Eric and Rob kept the song from commercial release, and placed it on iTunes with all proceeds to help children affected by Chernobyl. Eric told us, "Pam would have been proud that her final track helped people in this way." Included with the download is a digital booklet of the Chernobyl 20 photo exhibition. You can find both on iTunes by searching for "Thievery Corporation" and selecting "The Passing Stars."
This effort brought together diverse talents in common cause. It not only raised funds that will be put to good use. It reached new audiences to broaden the understanding of the ongoing nature of the Chernobyl disaster.
The outings, which mobilized some of New York's largest financial services companies, were the inspiration (and hard work) of DEPFA managing director Jane Russell, with the support of DEPFA general manager Herb Jacobs.
The first outing was held on September 11, 2006 -- the 5th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. Sponsors attending, all of them residents of New York City , were vocal in their belief that they couldn't be doing anything better to honor the date and the memories of those lost. A second successful outing was held this past fall.
Major sponsors of two events included: Morgan Stanley, King & Spaulding LLP, Kutak Rock LLP, Allied Irish Bank, Nixon Peabody LLP, GFI Group, Lehman Bros, Stifel Nicolaus, Seattle Northwest Securities Group, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliff LLP, Packerkiss Securities, The Bond Buyer, Chapman & Cutler LLP, Citibank, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, Banc of America Securities.
We're proud of our work, and how smartly we invest our funding. But we know we are relatively small and unknown, and that the tragedy of Chernobyl is largely forgotten. Often it seems as though the big sponsorships always go the really large charities: The ones with celebrity endorsements, big ad campaigns and media "buzz." To receive this kind of support -- two years in a row -- and from such large and prestigious firms, was a "big deal" for us. And not just because of the funds raised (which were significant) but because of the confidence and trust placed in us, and the recognition that Chernobyl continues to affect so many.
I wrote a letter to Herb Jacobs, to express our gratitude for DEPFA BANK's endorsement, and to let him know how much it meant to us. His answer was short and elegant -- and it stays with me because of how well it sums of the feelings of the many supporters and hundreds of volunteers who have embraced this work: "It has meant more to us."
A young woman of Ukrainian heritage, Christina Stegura has grown up hearing stories about Chernobyl, and hoped that there might come a time when she could help.
Christina, a dean's list student who is vice president of her school's global citizenship program and pursuing degrees in sociology and anthropology, will be the first of a series of Lehigh University students to represent CCPI at the United Nations. She will visit the UN every month to represent CCPI's work in Chernobyl affected communities, attend briefings, and report back to us on how we can support the UN Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals are a set of quantifiable targets in spheres of development and poverty eradication that are to be achieved by 2015.
Thanks to Lehigh University for this wonderful donation of time and talent, and to Christina to advocating CCPI to be the beneficiary.
Several months ago I noted that Ukraine signed a $505 million contract with Novarka to build a new shelter for the ruined Chernobyl nuclear reactor. This new shelter is to replace the hastily constructed sarcophagus that started to crumble and leak radiation 10 years after it was constructed. It is hoped that the new shelter, due to be completed in 2015, will hold up for 100 years. The plan, price tag, and completion date have been moving targets for many years.
(This post is illustrated with images of a "walk-through" virtual reality model of the actual Chernobyl disaster site that is located on Second Life. The "Chernobyl Memorial" was created by virtual world building company Magrathean Technologies.)
On Tuesday, Itar-Tass News Agency expanded on Ukraine's plan for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel from the plant. The plan calls for the power plant's premises to be completely cleared sometime between 2046 - 2064. (That's what I call a flexible deadline.)
Also on Tuesday, the Security Council of Belarus announced their final decision to build the first nuclear power plant on their own territory. Belarus shares a border with Ukraine and was seriously damaged by radioactive winds that contaminated their territory in the days after the accident. Belarus' moratorium on building domestic nuclear power plants expired as of 2008. The planned nuclear plant will cost an estimated $4 billion, and will be built by Russian company Atomstroiexport.
Apparently the first choice -- near the village of Krasnaya Palyana -- had to be scrapped after a survey revealed that the land was too contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster to be safe for building.
Belarus urgently seeks energy independence after Russia's move last year to double the price Minsk pays for gas imports. At the same time, the people of Belarus suffered greatly in the aftermath of Chernobyl, and continue to pay a heavy medical and economic price. A number of my Belarusian friends and colleagues believe that the decision to move so quickly toward nuclear power -- especially without some sort of national public referendum -- is bound to stir fears and controversy in communities across Belarus.
CCPI supporters Derek Casari and Perry Norton recently surprised us with the gift of radio public service announcements (PSAs). Click on the player below to listen to one, and then read on for the story of how two strangers merged their talents to help children affected by Chernobyl. (If you're reading this post on email you may need to click here to see the audio player.)
Perry (pictured left) is the woman behind PanRight Productions, a one stop studio that creates audio for commercials, games, audio books, podcasts, and PSAs. Her mission is to "be a champion for artists and non profits for whom being heard is the most important task." In the spirit of last month's holidays, Perry offered her clients a special gift -- a free radio PSA for the favorite charity of the first 5 clients to respond.
Derek was first in line, requesting a PSA to benefit Chernobyl Children's Project International. Derek is a systems engineer for 20th Century Fox
post production in LA. Several years ago, Derek's six year old son Aaron died of a rare form of liver cancer. (With Derek's permission, here's a picture of Aaron and his grandfather at right.) Derek told me that two years of grueling chemo regimens and sleepless nights spent at Children's Hospital of LA -- and the ultimate loss of Aaron, who so desired to grow up -- destroyed his marriage, his finances, and almost his mind. His search to find meaning in his son's death led Derek to volunteer for sustainable business incubator Green2Gold. And he found a special attraction to CCPI programs that help seriously ill children, and an admiration for CCPI founder Adi Roche.
Derek and Perry worked together to develop the public service announcement above, and presented it as a gift. This story is a reminder that doing good is not always about donating cash. It can be about thinking creatively, mining your talents, and combining your talents with other's. CCPI could never have afforded to pay for the creation of these PSAs on our own. And now you can help us get them out to be heard.
The PSA comes in 15 and 30 second versions, and a one minute version. Westwood One and Beasley Broadcast Group have already agreed to run them. Here's how you can help:
Blogger? Post our PSAs -- email me and I'll send them to you.
Radio station or media company contacts? Ask them to run the PSAs.
None of the above? Click on "email this link" at the bottom of this post and spread the word. As Perry says -- "being heard is the most important task." And the children affected by Chernobyl are well overdue to be heard. This post is in memory of Aaron Casari.
In March 2006 Unicef organized a photography workshop for children who live in Chernobyl affected communities in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. Each of the kids, aged 12 to 17, was born after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Each was asked to go back to their home country and take photographs to capture their personal experience of Chernobyl. I first saw the photos in Minsk in 2006.
Last month the photos were exhibited again at the United Nations in New York city. The UN General Assembly convened a meeting called "A World Fit for Children +5." At this meeting, world leaders reviewed progress against international initiatives to improve the health and well being of children. It was a fitting venue to revisit how the Chernobyl disaster has affected a new generation.
In November, I posted my observation that many of the most popular "genre" of Chernobyl photographs are taken by outsiders, and thus have a voyeuristic quality. I find these photos refreshing in contrast because they reflect each child's personal and ordinary experience. As the exhibition materials point out, "for these children Chernobyl is not statistics, it is daily life." For more on how children artistically address Chernobyl, click here to see the Chernobyl Child Artists photo gallery on this blog.
It would be an affront to minimize how Chernobyl affects children and families today. At the same time, these photographs underscore how important it is for organizations such as CCPI to help families focus on the future. Realistically, but with hope. As do these young photographers.
The photo of the baby (who has cancer) admiring the camera was taken by Anton Gordeichik of Belarus. Vitaliy Sigaev, age 13, of the Russian Federation took picture of the boy his age in the hospital. Both pictures are from the Unicef exhibit "Chernobyl Seen by Children."
The video speaks for itself, and I have two personal comments.
First: In October 2002, I visited the Vesnova Children's Mental Asylum (located in the Mogilev region of Belarus) for the first time. I lived and slept there, as I have many times since. I can personally attest that since 2002, CCPI has improved greatly the quality of life of kids who live there. As an unpaid volunteer and a board member, I value my professional reputation and simply would not stay involved if this were not true.
The condition of the building where the children live has improved dramatically since my first visit. This is because of a massive volunteer work force, provided by citizens of Ireland, that you can read about here. Organizations like the Toothfairy Foundation and Vodafone donated costs of materials. Monthly training and hands-on care from Irish and American medical professionals improved child care practices. And this was possible because of strongly motivated peers in Belarus.
We know (because you've told us) that you strongly support our programs that take children out of orphanages and place them in loving homes of their own. We agree and these programs will continue to be a strong focus entering into 2008. But the sad fact is that that, while these programs are an important source of hope for "typical" children, change will come more slowly for children with intellectual disabilities. (This is historically true, including in the United States.) So, we think it is very important to help the forgotten kids of Vesnova, while at the same time investing in the long view.
What also strikes me as I watch this video again is the disturbing image of Sasha, the little girl with the unusually large head. Sasha lives in the Gomel region of Belarus. Sasha's family is one client of our hospice program. This program provides medical and social support for families with the most seriously ill children.
Sasha has a condition called hydrocephalus. The common name for this is "water on the brain," and in the US it affects one in 500 births. It's a common birth defect, more common than Down's Syndrome. Since 1960 there has been a treatment for hydrocephalus, and while it remains a serious condition in the USA and Europe one does not see children like Sasha.
I've seem many children like Sasha (in various degrees) in Chernobyl affected regions. Why? Radiation? Deficiencies in diagnosis or treatment? Nutrition? I don't know, but would like to know more. In fact, if you know a medical expert on this birth defect, I would like to hear from them via email.) What I do know is this: Children with hydrocephalus, left untreated, suffer tremendously in their short lives. I've witnessed this myself. Imagine nurses trying to carefully turn the heads of tiny children with huge skulls . . . turning to prevent pressure sores, while the children moan in pain and the nurses themselves weep.
The unique situation of Sasha, however, does not come through in this video at all. Sasha's mother and father feel blessed to have her. They never considered handing her to an orphanage. They call her an angel and rush home from work to see her. Sasha's dad, Vitaly, says he can't imagine life without her. He describes the music she likes, how she responds to it, how they spend their day. As I look at her, I have to admit I hope she has no consciousness. But I get caught up in his belief. He sees moods, desires, preferences for certain foods, particular clothes. He talks about her like any of us would talk about our kids. After visiting them in April, my colleague Sherrie and I feverishly shopped for the specific foods and clothing Vitaly told us Sasha would like. I'm not sure what inspired our sense of urgency: Sasha herself, or Vitaly's devotion to Sasha and his belief that it mattered.
Vitaly's singular focus on his "angel" and lack of self pity are are so inspiring. I think it would be a great subject for another film.
