Summer Visit 2004
On 18th June 04, thirteen children aged between eight and thirteen flew into Edinburgh Airport to spend the next four weeks with host families in the Perth area. The attached photographs show some of the children with their new host families at the airport. The children, mostly from villages in the Stolin area of south west Belarus, were all presented with soft toys which in most cases were cuddled all the way back to Perth on the coach, the final part of what must have been a long, tiring and perhaps bewildering experience for them.
Next morning, after a well deserved long lie in bed, the children all met up again at Scone Old Parish Church hall where they were kitted out with clothes, which the Perth Link had been collecting.
Over the next few days the initial shyness shown by many of the children soon disappeared as they adapted to their new surroundings and got to know their new host families. Coming from rural villages in Belarus, our western lifestyle with all its creature comforts such as hot and cold running water, central heating, flush toilets, TV, video, DVD, computers, etc, etc (which we all take for granted) was a culture shock for these children but an experience they very quickly started to enjoy. A few years ago several host families from the Perth Link visited Belarus and stayed with some of the families whose children they had hosted. They experienced the change of lifestyle in reverse and returned home much more aware of what these young children are experiencing when they arrive in this country.
The main purpose of the children’s visit is a health break and early in the visit we arranged for all the children to visit the optician for eye tests and to be fitted with spectacles if required. Similarly, all the children visited the dentist for dental checks (not the most popular outing for the children despite us reassuring them that in Scotland there is no “ouch!!”) and received any remedial treatment that was required.
The much-improved diet, which the children were enjoying, soon started to show in terms of weight gain and much healthier looking children. As host families we often wish we could be flies on the wall when these children return home and their parents see them.
To the children, coming to this country is the holiday of a lifetime, probably the equivalent of our own children spending a month at Disneyworld, and in this respect we arrange for a wide variety of outings, events, BBQs etc to entertain the children when they are here. This summer the Scottish weather was appalling but the children were still able to enjoy themselves and return home with many happy memories.
All holidays have to come to an end sometime and this visit was no different. On 14th July our little visitors flew home to their families in Belarus. These children had become part of our families for the past month and saying goodbye was difficult but it had all been worthwhile.
Perth Link would like express our sincere thanks to all the local businesses, organisations, tourist attractions and Perth and Kinross Council whose help and support made the visit such a success.
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