This project grew from our awareness that we would wish for more children to be removed from the orphanage situation.

The Belarussian authorities started a fostering scheme whereby a family would foster a child from an orphanage. For each child fostered they would pay a very small allowance, which was insufficient to pay for the upkeep of the child. Consequently there was very little uptake on this scheme.

This project allows the children a healthy respite from their dangerous environment. Clean air, pure water and uncontaminated food results in a substantial improvement in the condition of the children. Typically visible changes in the children include improvements in skin colouring , disappearance of bruises and sores and relief from coughing bouts. Less visible, but more important, are the reductions in radiation levels and improvements to the immune systems of the children.

In September 2001 we initiated a scheme whereby we subsidize an approved foster family in Belarus to take a child from an orphanage to live with them for one year.

We subsidize the foster family in the amount of $50 per child per month. The authorities in Belarus vet the foster families and continue to monitor the progress of the child with the foster family. Our only role in this scheme is to encourage families to foster by way of subsidy.

We currently have ten children, removed from orphanages, in foster care which we subsidise, the total cost to us being $700 per month at present. This figure breaks down to $50 per child per month, the remaining $20 being taken up in administrative cost in Belarus. (distribution of the money, bank charges etc)

For this project the Irish co-ordinator sends requests to the Belarusian co-ordinator for specific numbers of children according to age and sex as invited by prospective Irish host families (see Application Form). All Irish host families are vetted as to their suitability by the police and the local Health Authority. In Belarus these requests are passed on to different local charity organisations and orphanages that the Belarussian co-ordinator deals with. The Belarussian co-ordinator chooses the children that they believe will be most likely to benefit from our program and will fit in with the host families.

The more funds we are able to raise, the more foster families we can subsidise.

The most direct way to help is by donating money, organising a fundraiser or simply attending one of the many ongoing fundraising events.

The children selected for our program are considered healthy. They have passed a standard health examination required to enter Ireland. However their immune systems are weakened due to the lack of vitamins in food and the accumulation of doses of radiation.

These children pose no health risk for others. Host families may find their visitors will tire faster than Irish children will. Headaches, nosebleeds, sore throat, running nose, poor skin colour, many bruises and slow-healing sores are reported often by our host families

The most direct way to help is to host a child from Belarus. For more information on hosting a child see here, or alternatively download our guide (on the right).