Pfälzische Kinderhilfe - Leben nach Tschernobyl e. V.

Qui sommes-nous

“Palatine Child Aid – life after Chernobyl” is a registered humanitarian non-profit organisation, active in Belarus.
The purpose of the organisation is the promotion and accomplishment of humanitarian aid for the people affected by the Chernobyl atomic reactor catastrophe, as well as the maintenance of contact between scientists, organisations and groups in Belarus and Germany who are addressing the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe and finding ways of coming to terms with them.

The aid consists of facilitating recuperation holidays in Germany and providing transport several times a year. In addition our programme “Friendship through contact” aims to enable people here and in Belarus to get to know each other, to help heal old wounds. Many close contacts and friendships have developed out of this.

Activities:
• Child recuperation: in the summer holidays we can only bring as many children with their accompanying carers for a recuperation holiday in Germany as there are host families willing to take one child, or better still two children, aged 9 to 13 or alternatively a carer, and to offer them free board and lodging with the family for about three or four weeks. We receive financial support for newly invited children and their carers from the Rheinland Palatinate Regional Social, Youth and Accommodation Office.
• Transport: We arrange transport to the radiation-contaminated region of southern Belarus four times a year. This serves the regions of the towns Shitkowitschi and Mosyr. Throughout the year we collect good-as-new clothing. Former host families also make food and clothing parcels for their earlier guests, which we take with us in the convoy. Added to these are small items of furniture, sewing machines and bicycles.
• Invitation to student teachers: our organisation has had a friendly partnership with the University School of Education in Mosyr for many years. Via the academic overseas office of Kaiserslautern University we have been inviting groups of students with a lecturer for a two week stay since 2005. With a balanced programme of activities, we try to convey something of Germany's young people, the German culture and German hospitality.
• Study trips: we offer educational trips at irregular intervals. Many German host families approach us, wanting to visit their guest children in Belarus. Thus our former hosts have a chance to get to know the land and its people and to experience the living situation of the children they had in their homes.
• Concert tours: so far we have organised seven successful concert tours with ensembles of Belorussian boys and girls, always over the Advent season.

Heribert Weimer is the president of Palatine Child Aid – Life after Chernobyl.

On request we can offer other net participants advice, give a presentation, and provide up-to-date information and contacts in the field of our work.