Chernobyl Children International (CCI) launched its annual Christmas gift campaign last week, appealing for support from the Irish public to help light up the lives of children in need.
The CCI is the leading United Nations NGO accredited organisation working in Belarus, Ukraine and Western Russia.
The organisation has raised over €90m in aid and assisted over one million children and adults since the catastrophe in 1986 through a range of actions, including funding thousands of medical interventions, bringing 21,000 children to Ireland for rest, recuperation and treatment and community care facilities from affected areas.
This year, the charity has some unique gifts to choose from, all of which will help thousands more children and families with humanitarian aid, medical care, housing and respite and education throughout the Chernobyl regions.
Most importantly according to the charity, the Irish public is giving communities hope for the future by supporting CCI’s Christmas campaign.
”From just €30, a gift or a donation no matter how big or small will illuminate the darkness for many children who have no hope this Christmas,” says Adi Roche, CEO of CCI.
”Sponsor a nurse or a doctor to help save more lives, buy a life-saving gift of surgery for children on critical waiting lists or support our new baby hospice programme.
”Your precious gift will give magic and sparkle to children whose lives have been darkened by the shadow of Chernobyl.”
Among CCI’s key programme areas are medical care (including child cardiac surgeries, hospice and community care, nursing care programme and life-saving operations and surgery); de-institutionalisation programme (including ‘Homes of Hope’ projects and independent living programmes); building and construction programmes and day care centre development.
Although it is now 25 years since the Chernobyl disaster, the accident continues to affect millions of people in the surrounding regions.
In the past 25 years, CCI has effected some truly incredible changes in the lives of Chernobyl’s children, but the group says that need is still great, and that ”none of the work undertaken by the organisation in its 25 year history could have been undertaken without the help and tremendous support of the Irish public”.
For more information on how to buy a gift, call 0818 25 25 25 or visit Chernobyl-international.com online and donate a gift of your choice. Corporate gifts are also available.
