Along with other charities, SAM Chernobyl Relief seeks to get alongside the people of Belarus to encourage and help in any ways we can to make life a bit more bearable for the people we meet. SAM is a Christian Charity seeking to show the love of God in word and action. Our motto is "Encourage one another and build each other up". (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Who is SAM ?
SAMgrew out of a visit in 1995 of children from Belarus who came to Scotland for a recuperative holiday. This visit, called Kids Aloft, was organised by the Baptist Union of Scotland and opened up the hearts of many people to the plight of the people of Belarus . In 1998, following another Kids Aloft visit in 1997, the Charity Servants Aloft Ministries (SAM) was formed. A full time worker was employed between 2001and 2005 enabling the Charity to develop more deeply the increasing number of projects that were happening. In order to make the Charity name more readily recognisable, the name was changed in 2004 to SAM Chernobyl Relief. Currently all workers are voluntary.
What does SAM do ?
> Organise Kids Aloft recuperative holidays to Scotland
> Funding recuperative children's holidays to the Ukraine
> Organising medical treatments and operations for children in Belarus
> Practical projects in Hospitals, Sanatoriums and Orphanages
> Complete refurbishment of building for a Christian orphan home
> Organising aid, including medical and dental, to hospitals, orphanages and sanatoriums
> Taking voluntary work teams for practical work in hospitals, churches etc.
> Leading Christian conferences for pastors, ladies and youth
> Singing at youth concerts
> Established & Funding a Day Centre for disabled children
+ funding for two others
> Help towards a rehabilitation home for ex-prisoners
> General visits to churches throughout Belarus seeking to encourage pastors and people.
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also Kids Aloft 2010
Chernobyl Disaster
Ever since the Chernobyl accident on the 26th April 1986, the country of Belarus has struggled to come to terms with the effects of the radiation poisons that fell on the country. 70% of the fallout landed on Belarus, contaminating soil, rivers, trees, and in the course of time finding its way into the food chain and contaminating the lives of the population. 1986 may seem a long time ago now, and indeed it is in the light of so many tragedies since. In many cases, some kind of normality can return in the years that follow disasters. However, Chernobyl created a situation that will affect the surrounding population for generations to come effectively rendering the environment and food chain unsafe for many years. Children have been most seriously affected, their developing bodies being more susceptible to the radiation. Thyroid cancer in children - normally very rare, has been escalating at an alarming rate since the accident. Children's immune systems in Belarus are very low and the expectant life span could be around 40, and possibly lower. In addition, 20% of the forests are contaminated in Belarus , so a forest fire could further spread contamination. Flooding could release top soil in contaminated areas and thereby release the radionuclides.
Hope Centre (Grodno, Belarus)
"In 1996, a young pastor stood with me in the midst of a clump of trees as we prayed for his vision to be fulfilled - a vision to see a church that would hold his growing congregation." No-one at that time envisaged how that vision would be realised, but in the intervening years something much bigger emerged.
At the begining of 2004 Pavel's dream of helping the growing number of disabled children he and his wife Sveta had made contact with over the past few years, was made known to SAM. It was therefore a great thrill for the Grodno church and us to see a Day Centre for disabled children be officially opened in June 2004. Even more so was it a delight for the forty families who gathered for the opening ceremony and afterwards to view and sample the facilities.
Anna is a lovely young woman 31 years old. She married and had twins, both girls Olga & Natasha who were born with severe cerebral palsy. Her husband could not cope and left. The girls are now 10 years old and Anna takes care of them 24/7. She lives in an upstairs flat on the 4th floor and cannot get out because the lift is not large enough to get herself and the 2 girls in it.
As we visited and talked with her today she sat and cried telling us how people told her to put the girls in an orphange and have a life, but she couldn't do that because she loves the girls and wants to care for them. They have no completed sitting room so we are hoping to raise enough money for her from donations this Christmas to have the room completed. She also has a desire to have a TV that girls could watch to try and stimulate them.
Please remember Anna, Olga & Natasha in your prayers. This situation really touched us as we looked at her. Cindy thought of her own daughter and thought of what if had been her and it made her want to reach out and help. Today In Grodno there are over 400 children with this disease (Unoffical figure)
Cindy Mackenzie gives daily short devotions on her site: http://www.cindy-mackenzie.com/. Above is one of them related to another set of twins in Belarus with cerebral palsy.
(Below) Cindy's husband Colin sings the title track of his latest cd, Another day of grace. This is a live recording of the song from a concert earlier this year.
Food parcels given to the needy
Vitalik
Since 1997 SAM has been supporting Vitalik with medication. He has suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis for the past ten years. He is 21 years old. In 2004 he had his left hip replaced and in November his left knee. In 2005 his right hip and knee were also done. The operations were done in Belarus and SAM funded all the parts and medication. Everything went very well and Vitalik has responded excellently. SAM is most grateful for all monies that have been given towards the costs.
