Poverty and contamination combine to form an unhealthy environment for children living near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion of 1986. Though almost two decades have passed since the fatal chemical accident in Ukraine, the air, soil and produce in the neighboring areas remain polluted.
The poor residing in the affected areas in bordering Belarus have not had the opportunity nor the funds to strengthen their immune system. In response to this issue, the national non-profit Children of Chernobyl Program was formed, with the purpose of providing health recuperation respite for the
children.
Fairfax Station's Christ United Methodist Church has been involved with the program for the past five years. Through contact with an organization in Belarus, the church organizes a six-week visit to Virginia for a group of low-income children. This year, the church is hosting 13 of the neediest Belarusians. Christ United's members volunteer to house the children, agreeing to be their designated child's temporary American family.
"The fresh air and good food boosts the children's immune systems to keep them from getting sick," explained Christ United's program coordinator, Maria Supko. "It's an opportunity to see a more advanced life style, which gives them hope."
DEPRIVED OF SIMPLE luxuries, such as health care and running water, the children are treated to eye and dental check-ups at no cost. Every year, between $15,000 and $20,000 worth of treatment is donated to services.
"There are usually no dentists in their area," dentist and church member Tom Winkler said. "[So] some have never been to the dentist, and a lot of the children don't understand what it is." The most common problems are tooth
decay, cavities and gum damage, which are caused by nutritional deficiencies and inadequate medical care.
"A child last year only ate with her front teeth and was very thin," Supko recalled. "After dental work, she thanked us for chewing without pain and being able to eat."
The visit is much more than a string of doctor's appointments, however. From their arrival on June 27 until they leave on Aug. 8, the children are basically on vacation. Between Bible teachings and church blessings, the children sightsee, swim, picnic, party and eat lots of fruit and ice cream.
Some children even take trips to Disney World and New York City, since they partake in any activity that their host family happens to engage in. But Anne Lopez, hosting a Belarusian girl, Katia Schmuk, observed that small, everyday conveniences seem to excite Katia the most. "She gets so excited to shower and likes short rides in the car," said Lopez.
Communication is the biggest challenge. Gestures, eye contact, dictionaries and the help of chaperone Svetlana Khamitsevich, an English professor at a university in Belarus, break the lingual blockade. Despite the language barrier, close bonds are formed. "It is very comfortable. My children don't want her to leave," said Lopez. "We embrace her as part of the family."
"They learn a lot," said Khamitsevich. "One of the children told me she learned so much she had enough stories to tell to last a whole winter."