A farewell party for the Chernobyl Children was held at Moreleigh Village Hall last weekend.

The Belarusian children, who had spent a month in the South Hams with the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, sang Belarusian songs and danced for their host families, friends and supporters of their trip.

The children gave photographs of themselves, inserted in a card and decorated, as well as a plant for their garden to their host families.

Sue Wyeth, chairman of the Totnes and South Hams link said: “It was lovely for everybody to be together and close off the visit.

“It was a brilliant month, it went very well. The children look so much fitter, healthier and happier when they go back.

“We had ten children. Four children needed glasses, two had lazy eyes - the incidences of eye problems in Belarus is huge.

“In 1986, 86 per cent of children were considered to be almost healthy. But now, 86 per cent are considered to be unhealthy, with problems with their eyesight and immune systems.

“But we have the healthiest children coming here,” Sue continued. “There are a lot of other children who are severely disabled.”

After the farewell party, the children were taken up to Gatwick Airport.

“We stopped on the way to meet Dennis Vystavkin, chief executive of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline. And collected four extra bags from him, full of toys and articles for disabled children and also a wheelchair, which will be given to the children’s cancer hospital in Minsk.

“It’s difficult to get medical equipment to Belarus. It’s not a procurement issue, but the logistics of actually getting the equipment into the country is the problem,” Sue explained.

Sue said: “We’d like to say huge thank yous to all of the host families who did a fantastic job hosting children, and the local businesses and people who helped organise activities, and all the donors who make this possible - without your support we wouldn’t be doing this.”

Wednesday, April 26 marked the 31st anniversary of the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when Reactor No. 4 exploded at Pripyat in Ukraine, near the border with Belarus.

The Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline was founded 25 years ago to support children affected by the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 

For further information about the Chernobyl Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, please contact Sue Wyeth on 01548 561783, or visit www.ccll.org.uk/totnes.