THERE was sadness for the local branch of the Chernobyl Children's Aid North West charity this week, following the deaths of two of its key figures in Belarus.
Director of Cry of the Souls, the Belarussian branch of the Strabane based Chernobyl Children's Aid charity, Tatsiana Gusakova (42) and her deputy Galina Turmovich (37) both passed away last month. The women had been suffering from cancer, brought on by the high levels of radiation in the stricken Gomel region of the country.
Chernobyl Children's Aid North West and Cry of the Souls were set up over 15 years to help the people of Belarus, which was devestated following a nuclear explosion in 1986. Every year the charity brings hundreds of young children to the North West for a break away from the contamination which is part of every day life in Belarus.
Commenting on the loss of two of his charity's key figures, Chernobyl Children's Aid director Dominick Bradley said: "The work these ladies did was amazing. They themselves had nothing yet they were prepared to give selflessly of their time to help others trying to cope with the appalling conditions in Gomel. The water, the air, the food, everything contains massive amounts of radiation poisoning which puts the lives of thousands at risk everyday. The work Tatsiana and Galina did for their fellow countrymen and women will never be forgotten and we will carry on the legacy they leave behind. They will both sadly missed and are great loss to us, both as volunteers and friends," he said.
Looking to future fundraising projects aimed at improving life for the people of Chernobyl, Dominick explained: "A great deal of the village children don't get out of the contaminated area, so our charity is asking Irish people to supply us with any tents and camping equipment that they no longer use. These will be used to take the children to a clean zone for a four week camping holiday next year. Other items we would be interested in would be vegetable seeds and grow bags, as well as knitting needles. All these items will be used to improve the quality of life in Belarus," he said.
If you have anything you believe would be of use to Chernobyl Children's Aid North West, you can contact Dominick on 02871 383523.
