VIP Treatment for Some Impoverished Children
Fourteen Belarusian children, all affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1992, were thrilled to receive the VIP treatment at Harrods earlier this summer thanks to Mr Al Fayed and the Chernobyl Child Life Line Charity.
Every year, the charity gives the most impoverished children of Belarus (the area worst affected by the disaster) the chance swap their heavily radiated home environment for a month of cleaner living at a family home in Britain. Since learning about the charity and its work, Mr Al Fayed has invited the children to tour Harrods and, this year, offered them a pair of shoes.
From pretty Chloe pumps to trendy Puma trainers, the excited group of youngsters busied themselves selecting their very own pair of designer shoes, before enjoying a bumper lunch at Mo’s Diner.
"The children were overwhelmed when they entered Harrods, and are delighted to be given some shoes and lunch,” said one of the charity’s organisers. “We are incredibly grateful for Mr Al Fayed’s continued support of our charity, and trips like this make such an enormous difference to the children."
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster
In 1986 a botched experiment at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station saw millions of people exposed to radiation. Strong winds drove the cloud of radiation north to Belarus, where it went into the ground, thereby contaminating the air, water, food and crops grown. The very nature of radiation exposure means the ground will remain contaminated for thousands of years and has already led to a large rise in cancer in the area. Since the experiment, the population has dropped from 11 million to 9.5 million and only a tiny percentage of children in the region are left healthy.
How you can help
The Chernobyl Child Life Line Charity relies on host families in the UK to provide a home away from home for these children for one month a year. Find out how you can make a difference to the lives of the children affected by the Chernobyl disaster by hosting a child for a month or by making a donation direct to the charity. For more information, visit www.ccll.org.uk.