By Pi Frisk – In April 1986 the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded and hundreds of thousands people became affected in the nuclear accident.
Even today, the situation is difficult for large parts of the population in the area. Although it would take another twenty years until Kostia was born, he and the other children of the Chernobyl summer camp in Västmanland are still affected by the consequences of the disaster. The children who may come to the summer camp has different types of difficulties in life. Some of them have no parents, others have siblings who are sick. And many of them come from unprivileged families.
– Here is the idea that children should be children, says a camp counselor.
Ruslan Kolik, Kontantin Sagradzen and Artiom Novik and David Gorschaarik are four of 27 children who has traveled from Belarus to Vstmanland in Sweden, to attend this years summer camp for unprivileged children affected by the Chernobyl accident.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentLast summer, the 10th camp in 20 years was organized. The camp is held every other summer. The Christian community that organizes the camp depends on sponsors and gifts. Denis had not yet received any swimwear yet.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentRuslan Kolik, Kontantin Sagradzen and Dennis Davidchik by the lake. The camp is held by the country side, about 22 kilometers from the nearest city.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentThe children take turns using the only snorkel and goggles.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentKontantin is 9 years old. He comes from Kamenets in Belarus, where he lives with his parents and two brothers. Along with 26 other children, he has traveled over 1200 kilometers to attend at this summers camp.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentLilija Sakharuk. The food is served in the dining room. After lunch there will be dessert, donated by a few private citizens who come to visit.
Photo: Pi Frisk / Kontinent- The best part of the camp is to swim in the lake. When I came here I knew no one, and now i know everyone. It's good here, but I miss my family sometimes, says Konstantin, or Kostja as his friends call him.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentLilija Sakharuk and Dasha Barmuta braids each others hair. The rooms are divided by boys and girls. In each room they sleep together in bunk beds. A total of 251 children have come to the camp under the last 20 years.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentDasha Charitonjok lives with her grandmother in the small town Visokaye in Belarus. Last fall she attended fifth grade. - When I grow up I'll become a chef. And I want to go to Paris, she says.
Photo: Pi Frisk / KontinentThe children are traveling without their families and they don't usually know each other before the summer camp.
Photo: Pi Frisk / Kontinent