Large group from Chernobyl set to arrive to Kilkenny next week

Following the conclusion of the HBO ‘Chernobyl’ mini-series, a very special group of 120 children from the Chernobyl-affected regions of Belarus will fly into Shannon Airport on Tuesday with Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International, as part of a longstanding efforts of Irish host families to prolong their lives against the ongoing effects of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

Among this group is Sasha Levkin - a very special young man who has been the centre of a human-rights victory in Belarus in recent months. Sasha has had his right to live an independent life restored, despite being wheelchair-bound and having lived in an orphanage for his entire life. 

Chernobyl Children International’s Kilkenny Outreach Group are hosting Sasha for four weeks of rest and recuperation and are planning to celebrate this historic breakthrough when Sasha arrives to Kilkenny as part of a group of 27 children and young adults.

Sasha has been supported by CCI from a young age, and has lived in the CCI pioneered Independent Living Home in Vesnova since 2009. The Independent Living Home enabled Sasha to escape a bleak future of adult institutions and gave him the opportunity to live an independent life in a shared house with other young adults.

In recent years, Sasha has used his voice to advocate for the support of the children who have inherited the legacy of Chernobyl.  He is a strong spokesperson for CCI and is beloved by all who meet him, both in Belarus and Ireland.  It is through Sasha’s advocacy that CCI placed such a strong emphasis on de-institutionalisation.

“Sasha is our hero and has set precedence for so many others behind him to have their independence restored. It’s a light at the end of a tunnel that we never thought we would see," said CCI’s Voluntary CEO, Adi Roche.

 “Our work on de-institutionalisation and finding alternatives to orphanages, is the most important body of work that we have ever undertaken.  It is amazing to see some of the children and young adults here learn to read and write and, for the first time, have their abilities and skills be the focus, rather than any disabilities they may have."

Since 1991, over 25,500 children from Belarus and Western Russia have come to Ireland through Adi Roche’s charity on this Rest and Recuperation programme.