Fighting for the children of Chernobyl
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 22 May 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Forty years ago, the world’s worst nuclear accident took place at Chernobyl, in what was then the Soviet Union. When news of the disaster began to emerge beyond the Iron Curtain, one of those paying close attention was Adi Roche in Ireland. At the time, Adi was working as a peace educator, teaching about nuclear weapons and Cold War tensions. She went on to found Chernobyl Children International, which became one of the most significant and sustained humanitarian responses to the disaster. Over the years, she brought aid and medical support to Ukraine, Belarus and other affected regions, established a paediatric cardiac programme for children born with heart defects, and helped arrange for children from Belarus to be adopted in Ireland. Colm Flynn meets Adi Roche to hear about the work that has shaped her life, and the Christian faith that she says has sustained her through it. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:07.3 | On BBC Sounds, there are podcasts to help you look after your body and your mind. |
| 0:12.7 | From increasing your immunity to feeling more confident. |
| 0:16.6 | Or tips on how to focus. |
| 0:18.5 | Sorry, what will you say? |
| 0:19.7 | If it matters to you, it matters to us. |
| 0:22.6 | Feel good inside of it. |
| 0:24.3 | With What's Up Docs. |
| 0:25.9 | And Complex with Kimberly Wilson. |
| 0:27.9 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:32.6 | Eddie Roach was sitting in her office in Cork in the south of Ireland |
| 0:36.8 | when all of a sudden the fax machine |
| 0:39.4 | lit up. Well first of all |
| 0:41.3 | can I just say in terms of technology |
| 0:42.9 | it was the first fax machine we had |
| 0:45.2 | ever seen. We didn't know anybody |
| 0:47.2 | with the fax number and |
| 0:49.3 | we used to wait in case |
| 0:51.1 | somebody miraculously |
| 0:53.0 | might send us a fax message, but it actually happened. |
| 1:00.6 | And it just said, S-O-S-appeal, for God's sake, help us to get the children out. |
| 1:09.7 | No, what's not said? No, no, no, no. No. No. children out. |
... |
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