Chernobyl Children's Lifeline charity confirm the ongoing struggle of those in Ukraine

The charity has been running since 1991 and has continued to stay in touch with those it has helped while the war continues in Ukraine

Ukraine people protesting in London for greater sanctions on Russia
Author: Jasmine OakPublished 4th Mar 2022
Last updated 7th Mar 2022

With war continuing in Ukraine, we spoke to Dennis Vystavkin the Chief Executive of Chernobyl Children's Lifeline in Mid Suffolk to ask about those the charity helps, and what contact they have had with those in Ukraine.

The charity started in 1991 and helps those effected by the radiation of Chernobyl. They started in Belarus and have since expanded to locations alongside the northern border of Ukraine as these are the territories most affected from the Chernobyl disaster.

Dennis explained: "The idea was to help families, children with whatever needs and consequences and issues that they may be facing as a result of the Chernobyl disaster.

"Maybe health matters. Maybe welfare matters, maybe all sorts of economic aftermath effects. Matters there, where lasting... first four years, then for decades.

"And we're helping families both in Belarus and in Ukraine, or with various projects supporting schools, medical units and social shelters for children.

"But one of the main directions for the charity was to organize, rest bite, break holidays for children to come and stay with volunteer host families in the UK and we've got a number of volunteer groups which are called links. They all functioning purely on the voluntary basis.

"So it's a group of kind people who decide that it is a good idea to join forces to raise funds and invite a group of children to come over, stay with the host families normally in groups, in pairs for up to four weeks to improve their health... but also to help them build their self esteem and and help build there and their confidence and help them in all sorts of ways."

Regarding the current situation Dennis told us his phone has been exploding with messages from the people in Ukraine they have been helping.

He said: "The pictures rather bleak. One lady yesterday morning was actually fetching water early in the morning from well and she could see a missile fly high past her house.

"It is something that you would possibly not even imagine in the bleak and science fiction movie.""

Dennis also told us that many of them were now using Cellers, previously used for vegetables, as shelters as a way of protecting themselves from any potential threats.

"They're finding it really difficult to get even most basic supplies... such as matches or salt or sugar or or any non perishable foods."

Other precautions they are taking are to prepare escape bags, filled with essential items like matches and tinned goods. As well as going to bed fully dressed just in case they need to leave in the middle of the night.

One mother called Dennis and said she was hugging her children in the celler and "they could see the ground shaking."

"They don't know how far away the danger is some of them estimated that the ground was shaking because some some military action was taken place as far as 40 miles away.

"And their fear was, and remains to be if it is felt so noticeably when something is occurring 40 miles away from you.

"What is it gonna be like, if it's gonna get nearer to you."

Due to the charities work, they have formed relationships between people, Dennis told us his concern about families who "have got disabled children, children with diabetes, type one."

"They've got to worry about the type of food that they can feed to their disabled children and they can't get some proper supplies. Even most basic supplies. "

Dennis also shared with us another account of another mother she told him: "She was reflecting on her life. She is relatively young. She's in her late 30s and she said, what is it that she has done as a human being or what is it that had children have done as human beings to be exposed to everything that they are currently going through?

"Without actually known where and how and when it's gonna end. They say the only thing that they have done is they were born into families in these areas.

"One of the biggest and the few things that we cannot actually as human beings have a choice or have an influence on. Is where we are actually being born and which family we're being born into? It could have been you. It could have been somebody you know. We don't know, we don't choose that."

The Chernobyl Children's Lifeline is hoping to provide as much help as possible when they are able to get resources out to Ukraine.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.