Volunteers at Belarussian orphanage

ROSIE Byrne has returned to Shannon after spending some time volunteering in a Belarussian orphanage.
She travelled with her 18-year-old daughter, Ruth, and they had been due to go to Goradiche, which is supported by Shannon, as its Jubilee 2000 Parish Project.
“When we were en route to Goradiche, we got a text to say that the orphanage there was closed to volunteers because of an infection so we were re-routed to another orphanage under the Burren Chernobyl umbrella, Cherven. We were based in Minsk and travelled there daily,” she says.
Rosie had already been to Goradiche on four occasions and said that she was struck by the differences between it and Cherven.
“I couldn’t help comparing the two orphanages. Cherven is a more modern building, it’s better equipped, so from that point of view it’s streets ahead of Goradiche but you still have kids who are in need of love and attention and they need loads of volunteers. Cherven wouldn’t have as many volunteers going for some reason.”
She said that the contrast between the two orphanages shows two different sides of life in Belarus.
“The area around Goradiche is definitely a poorer area from what I saw. We would have seen the more affluent side of it this time, being based in the suburbs of the capital city. We were beside supermarkets and you could access everything. On previous trips to Goradiche you would have been taking basic foodstuffs with you because you could only get limited food there. Not to make it sound like third world but it was quite basic. There’s definite poverty there but there’s affluence as well.”
The volunteers tried to provide a bit of stimulation for the young people. While better equipped than Goradiche, there was still a need for a little extra help in Cherven, she said.
“You could average 20-30 kids in a group and about three taking care of them. Each group would vary in their needs and how dependent they are on help. Their basic needs are met very well but the extra bit of care that they get when volunteers are there is welcome,” she concluded.