DECIN, Czech Republic, 7 July 2004 — It has already been a great summer for Svetlana, a gentle girl born 13 years ago amid fallout from the world’s worst nuclear disaster. Hiking in the woods, swimming in a pool, a trip to the zoo — Svetlana has done it all — courtesy of the small community of Decin in the Czech Republic which cares about the children of Chernobyl.
Svetlana, from Belarus, was one of 22 girls and 10 boys afflicted with radiation-related troubles who recently enjoyed two weeks at a summer camp sponsored by Decin. The town has been hosting young victims of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster every summer for the past decade.
Despite its own struggling economy in the depressed northern Czech Republic, Decin’s town hall sets aside about $9,000 annually for the children’s all-expenses-paid holiday away from their homes in the fallout region near Mogilev, eastern Belarus.
A spokeswoman for the town, Romana Silverova, said the camp is designed to improve the health and lift the spirits of the radiation- weakened youngsters. The children, aged between seven and 16, come from poor families and although they were all born years after the Chernobyl plant meltdown, are suffering from immune system disorders and chronic fatigue, ailments which are difficult to treat.
“The children come pale and tired, but here they regain energy and get a tan,” Silverova said. “They get fresh air in a clean environment,” she said. “The organizers prepare a program for the children that is interesting and reasonable, but it is also important that they rest.”
To ensure rest, the children stay in a country pension house - not in tents. They hike in the mountains and explore the shore of the Labe River.
There’s also time for visiting museums, feeding the monkeys at Decin’s small zoo and a sightseeing trip to Prague.
Simple pleasures mean a lot. Wide-eyed Dasa, 14, said she liked to eat Czech food. Frail-boned Ilja, 10, said his favorite activity was football. “I loved the whole program but especially the zoo,” said Svetlana.
Over the years, young victims of the Chernobyl disaster have received help from scores of organizations, from famous rock bands to the United Nations. Silverova said Decin’s residents acknowledge they cannot do much, but they want to do something.
“Over the years Decin has provided these recuperative stays for more than 300 children,” she said. “But this is only a fraction of the population afflicted by the gruesome tragedy.” Nevertheless, every young smile pleases residents of Decin. “They are so enthusiastic about our country and this environment,” Silverova said. “They tell us ‘thank you’ many times.”
