From the beginning....

We have been working to support families and orphans in Belarus, as a registered charity (Reg. No. 1116762) since 2006, and for several years before that. We are Alan, Carol and Janet, three friends who lost their hearts to the people of Belarus and so set up The Belarus Fund.

Since the charity became registered, it has seen it grow in numbers and to date, the charity has several volunteers who make annual trips to Belarus.

On 26th April 1986, Belarus was devastated by over 70% of the fallout from the Chernobyl disaster. Radiation contaminated the land, the water & compromised the health of the nation. Children were born with limbs missing and birth defects. Of those that were born healthy, a percentage went on to develop cancers. Belarus is the country most polluted by radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The country is affected by people having poor immune systems, dying younger and being weakened by this castatrophe. Research shows that the radiation will continue to affect the people of Belarus, the land that they farm, the water that they drink, for at least 200 years...

The people of Belarus are blighted with these health problems but also with problems that living in such a compromised society brings. Orphanages & institutions are prevalent here in every town. The Belarusian people are doing their absolute best to help each other, they just need a little help from outside the country. We have been so encouraged to see young Belarusian families coming forward to adopt abandoned children from the orphanages. As well as adoptions, there are families fostering children.

We can't take away their problems, nor do we make that promise. But what we are able to do is offer small projects a 'hand up' rather than a 'hand out', we help them develop exisiting ideas and give them support. 

The Belarus Fund is a small charity working alongside a Belarusian charity called White Flower which was set up by a wonderful Christian man called Nicolai Balbutski. The Belarus Fund has NO overheads and so all the funding goes directly to people who are in great need. Everyone who works for the charity is a volunteer and pays their own expenses - a very committed group of people who get great joy from what they do.

There are big needs in this country, and as a small charity with no overheads we can ensure every penny raised goes directly to Belarus to support these small projects. For example, providing elderly people who live alone with winter food parcels, new shoes and fresh fruit for children in the abandoned babies home. More information about our projects can be found on our projects and supporters page

Belarus is a beautiful country, if we can support them just a little, it will make a huge difference.