Institutions are still abandonment....
In her photo series "The Invisible People of Belarus", photographer Jadwiga Bronteexplored the effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the people of Belarus, specifically those living in governmental institutions called "internats". These institutions are a blend of an asylum, an orphanage and a hospice, where thousands of Belarusians spend their lives, often "handed over" to the government by relatives soon after birth.
Linda Walker, Executive Director of the Chernobyl Children's Project UK (CCPUK) – who has worked in Belarus for 20 years – says the situation in the country is changing for the better. Over the last decade many of the country's orphanages have closed, with more emphasis being put on placing children with foster parents. Walker also says there is an acknowledgement from authorities that more people should be living in the community rather than in institutions. To that end, CCPUK hope to set up a new project next year where they will work with a number of institutions in organising educational visits and training to try to ensure more young people are able to live independently and integrate into society at large.
I spoke to Jadwiga about her project.