The Lions project
Children of Chernobyl
/ Novozybkov
The
project was established as a result of project manager Monica Antonsson´s
travels in the from the Chernobyl accident polluted area. After her first visit
to Novozybkov in October 1997 she returned in April 1999 with two Swedish
ambulances for the main hospital of Novozybkov thanks to Sven Nahlin and LC
Järna, district 101-M.
During
1997-2000 Sven Nahlin and LC Järna, LC Gnesta and LC Högalid sent around 10
transports of different kind of humanitarian aid to Novozybkov. During the same
time Monica Antonsson travelled to Belarus as well as Ukraine to learn about
the situation after the Chernobyl accident in these countries. Three times she
visited the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl and the forbidden, exclusion
zone.
In
June 2000 Monica Antonsson returned a second time with the help of her friends
and some mental support from LC Vallentuna, 101-U, with 4 minibuses for
wheelchairs (filled with different kinds of equipment) and one more ambulance.
Some months later she became the member of LC Vallentuna. The Lions project
Children of Chernobyl / Novozybkov was established in LC Vallentuna 2001, at
the district 101-U 2002 and at the Multi district 101 in May 2003.
In
Sweden the maternity hospital of Novozybkov is called Änglagård, which means
“the house of the angel”. We chosed the name, since we think that dr Lydia
Bavkunova is good as an angel.
The
official symbol for Chernobyl is a bell, since the accident was a wake-up-call
to the rest of the world. Or at least it should have been…
The
symbol for The Lions project Children of Chernobyl / Novozybkov is therefore a
bell with an angel, the hospitals Swedish name and the LC symbol.
How it
started
In October
1997 Monica Antonsson came to Novozybkov (and Chernobyl) as a journalist. On
the same tripe were, among others, Sven Nahlin LC Järna.
After the
trip Sven Nahlin LC Järna and some other Lions clubs started to send
long-distance trucks with humanitarian aid to Novozybkov. Monica Antonsson wrote
about it in several news papers. She and Sven became friends and together they
got a new friend - Rolf Sundevall, the owner of the SOS International. Rolf
became so fascinated of the Novozybkov story, that he gave away ambulance and
sold another one very cheap to LC Järna.
Therefore,
in April 1999 Sven and Monica went with the two ambulances by ferry over the
Baltic Sea, through Finland, into Russia at Vyborg and then 1200 kilometre
south to Novozybkov to give the two ambulances to the main hospital.
The two ambulances went with ferry over the Baltic Sea.
Some troubles at the Russian custom. Dr Alla Schaliaina saved us.
The Russians met with three drivers, two armed military escort men, one doctor/interpreter and vice mayor Vitaly Roschkov.
The fortress of Vyborg founded by Swedes 1293.
Our armed military escort and vice mayor Vitaly Roschkov.
Three ambulances - often with sirens and blue light - on Russian roads.
Travelling in Russia was like going 100 years back in time.
For lunch we had "capusta" - cabbage, bread and vodka.
A lot of people came to see the Swedish ambulances be given to the main hospital.
Sven Nahlin and dr Alla Schaliapina on stage. They are now married.
Mayor Ivan Nesterov and the other important men held loooong speeches.
