Report from Romania 22nd October 2010

It went very cold here last night and today there is ice on all the car windscreens.

We are in the Veritas Cafe having breakfast before driving back to Gageni School to complete the paperwork for the furniture we have delivered.

Some of the new desks and chairs set up in class rooms at Gageni School

Internet connection is not good back at Perla  so this may be the last report before we arrive in Bucharest on Sunday.

We have some great new pictures to show you so come back again to check them out.

Roy & Peter  Veritas Cafe, Sighisoara, Transylvania

Report from Romania 21st October 2010

 After a good nights sleep we were up early and off to Gageni school to await the arrival of the wagon with all the furniture.

Wait is what we did. The wagon arrived six hours late despite telephone calls to the transport company.

Some of the older boys had waited after classes had finished to help and the Mayor had sent some of his men to help unload the wagon also.

It took just over an hour to unload the wagon and carry everything into the safety of the school.

These are the desks and chairs used by the children at gageni school. They are about 60 years old - from when the school was built.

The tops of the desks have been covered with material to make a safe surface to work on.

We loaded up the consignment for the school in Danes into our van and set off at 5pm, several hours later than planned. It was hoped that we would have been able to complete this difficult journey in daylight but that was not to be. Not only did it go dark but it started to rain heavily.

However we arrived at Sighisoara at around 8pm, found our hotel, dropped our bags and went for something to eat.

This morning we set off to Danes School where the enthusiastic boys emptied the van of the furniture in double quick time.

Maria, the head teacher, had found five more families in need of our help and so we went off to find them.

The roads and tracks were aleady starting to deteriorate and were thick in slimey mud.

The families were found and the Family Information Sheets completed along with photographs.

A couple of the children from the new families in Danes that OTF will be helping

We discussed various issues with the head then made our farewells and headed back to the music school in Sighisoara to deliver the recorders we had for them.

We were welcomed by Stanca, and after completing the paperwork were were able to sit in on one of the lessons hearing one of the pupils playing the saxaphone and then with his friend playing a traditional piece of music on the marimba.

By mid afternoon we had completed all we had to do in Transylvania.

Tomorrow morning we will drive back to Gageni to complete the paperwork and attend a reception given by the Mayor of Paulesti.

For now goodbye from Sighisoara.

Roy & Peter - Veritas Internet cafe, Citdel Square, Sighisoara, Romania.

Report from Romania 20th October 2010

Peter & I arrived at Bucharest airport at 1315hrs yesterday,collected the rental van and set off for Gageni School.

The teachers and children are eagerly await the arrival of the wagon from England and are ready to help unload the three and a half tons of desks, tables, chairs and cupboards.

After checking with the school we then went off to the Perla Hotel in the next village for a good nights sleep ready for todays events.

I will try and report again this evening after the unloading at Gageni, the six hour drive to Danes and the delievry of school furniture there.

Roy Bowden      Paulesti, Romania 7am Wednesday 20th October

Sunday 6th June 2340hrs Paulesti, Jud Prahova, Romania

The team were up bright and early on Saturday morning and set out into the village of Gageni to deliver the family boxes.

Our memories of some of the houses worked very well and many of the families were located quite quickly.

There is a sort of sytem to the house numbering - it starts on the right on one street then numbers one after the other, going down side streets and back up the other side to continue on the original street.

Some years ago all the houses were re-numbered but some of the families have not changed the number outside their house and so some confusion does appear from time to time.

Although the above is what the numbering should be it does not always work that way and as the village is split into two by a main road this also causes us some problems in locating individual houses.

Between the combined team memory and the help of our translators we were able to visit all but three of the families to deliver their boxes which were all eagerly welcomed.

We have again reviewed all the families and we are pleased that several have reached a point that they no longer need our support. Despite the economic problems in Romania, as everywhere else, some of the adults in the families have secured full time jobs which has enabled them to reach a level of independance which moves them out of OTF's ratings for continued help.

This is a very welcome sign in the village but, before we get too exited, we have added a few more families to our list as we have found on previous trips, there are always new families who need assistance.

At 5pm on Saturday evening Roy & Jim held a small reception in a local restaurant in Paulesti to recognise their 20 years of taking aid to Romania. ( It should be noted that this reception was paid for by Roy & Jim personally and not from OTF funds.)

The intention was to thank a small number of local people from the villages of Paulesti & Gageni who, over the last twenty years, have helped the many teams who have been to the area delivering aid for without there help, guidance and support no aid could have been delivered to the poor families, schools, surgery, hospital or dissabled association.

We were honoured by the attendance of the Mayor of Paulesti - Mr Ion Dragusin, John & Maria Mafti - long time friends and a wealth of local information, Catalin Decu - translator & friend, Ovidue Radulescu Head of Gageni School and his wife Raluca, Simona Maican - former head of the school in Gageni and her husband, Florin, who is a physiotherapist at the Dissabled Association in Ploiesti, Andreea Sylvestru & Leah Dinu translators from Bucharest. and Romica Semplrelli from Slanic.

A digital slide show was on display giving information and pictures of the work that has been carried out in Romania over the last twenty years and was followed by a buffet and drinks.

Mayor Dragusin kindly made a speech in which he thanked Roy & Jim plus all the other volunteers who have travelled to Romania, and particularly to his district, bringing the much needed aid over the last twenty years. Mr Mayor has know of the work OTF has carried out as he has been Mayor, and Deputy Mayor previously, for many years. He gave  a warm thank you to everyone in the UK who has helped the OTF distribute the aid in the area and confirmed his committment to assist and work with the OTF in any future aid trips.

Roy & Jim thanked the Mayor and went on to thank all of those who were present at the reception and, those who were unable to attend, for all the support, help and assistance they had given both Roy & Jim over the last twenty years and in particular the friendship and hospitality they had all shown to them.

It was explained that without their help non of the aid trip would have been possible and that they were an important part of any humanitarian aid trip into Romania.

Today, Sunday, ahead of schedule, the team were able to deliver the remaining and final family aid boxes in Gageni.

One of our translators, Leah, has returned to Bucharest  and also Romica back to his home in Slanic.

The rest of the evening was taken up with paperwork for the Romanian authorities.

Early tomorrow Corrine has to return to the UK on the first flight out in time to return to her work in Calderdale later in the day.

Roy will travel into the centre of Bucharest to visit our Romanian Accountants and hand over all the documents required to be lodged with them in relation to the Drop in the Ocean Humanitarian Aid Trip 2010.

So we come to the end of the aid trip. As always it has been a tiring but fulfilling operation which could not have happened if it had not been for all the many helpers and supporters back home.

The success of the trip is all down to you - and on behalf of the many Romanian people, young and old, I thank you. What you have done has made a difference to their lives and I hope yours also.

I am very proud to be a member of the Oak Tree Foundation not just for what it achieves in Romania but for the support it receives from the many differing sources in the UK.

This is the last report from Romania as we will be home by Tuesday afternoon but, I look forward to speaking/seeing many of you on our return to give you an update on 'your' family and have the opportunity of showing the many new pictures.

Regards to all

Roy

Co-ordinator Oak Tree Foundation.

Friday 4th June 2240hrs Paulesti, Jud Prahova, Romania

The five hour journey yesterday from Sighisoara to Paulesti went very smoothly with no problems - although we were grateful that we were travelling towards Bucharest and not towards Brasov. On the mountain top the road was being resurfaced and a line of traffic several miles long was leading back down the winding mountain road in the opposite direction. Had the delay had been last saturdayon when we travelled to Sighisoara last Saturday that journey would have taken at least two or three hours more.

We went directly to the Dissabled Association in Ploiesti arriving at arround 1530hrs and delivered the educational supplies and wheelchair. The group now cares for over 270 children with a varying degrees of problems. During our chat they intimated that the large 'colouring in' books were extremely popular and useful with their children as it helped with their manilpulative and dexterity skills. This will probably be one of our major projects in the coming months.

Corinne, one of our OTF voluteers arrived with Andreea, one of our young translators from Bucharest. Corinne had flown out to join us with the second stage of our aid trip and Andreea had collected her from the airport and together thay had taken a train to Ploiesti.

The team then set off for Paulesti wondering if there would be accomodation this time at the 'pension' in the village. ( last time there had been a mix up with the bookings and we were turned away at 2300hrs that night). Fortunately our booking was good and we were welcomed by the owner as we entered.

After showering the sweat of the days drive away we went for a meal then called on our long time friends in the village, John & Maria. I met this couple in November 1990 and have remained very good friend since. They were shocked to see us but pleased that we had visited even at such a late hour.

After a good nights sleep last night we were off to the school in Gageni this morning to deliver all the educational supplies, desks & chairs and sports equipment. Romica, an out of work teacher and friend, joined us to help deliver the Family Boxes. Even as an experienced teacher he has been unable to find a teaching post within travelling distance of his home in the village of Slanic. The State workers last Monday had been on strike as the Romanian Goverment had decided to cut all the state workers salerlies by 25%. As a teacher earns less than 300 RON a month, about £66, they would lose a lot of their income plus 50% of their pensions.

There is a new head at the school but we knew each other, Ovidiu was one of the teachers at when we last visited.

The desks and chairs were a particular needed as the ones being used by the students were old and coming apart. Many had splits in the wooden frame which damaged the childrens clothes when used.

The OTF team then distributed the Goodie Bags to all the children in the school. As with the last trip the favourites out of the bags were the soft toys received by the girls and the Yo Yo's and Frisbees received by the boys.

In the afternoon we started to deliver the Family Boxes to the designated families Although it was pleasing to see so many familier faces and deliver the boxes, I cannot remember a previous trip when were heard of so many personal tragedies such as fires, deaths of children and the murder of the 24 years son of one family in a domestic situation.

The weather had been extremely hot all day and so eight dirty, tired souls made their way back to the pension for a shower and a good meal.

Tomorow we continue to deliver the family boxes and then at 1700hrs Jim and I are hollding a small buffet with invited guests such at the Mayor of Paulesti, the head of the school at Gageni, the local doctor, Sanda, and other people who have given us so much support, help and advice over the last twenty years.

As always the OTF team have worked very well together and have achieved all the tasks set them to date. I expect and intend for this to continue and we are on our way back home on Tuesday.

I will report again in a couple of days time.

Regards

Roy

Wednesday 2nd June 0845hrs Sighisoara, Transylvania, Romania

I am pleased to report that we arrived in Romania last Saturday afternoon without any problems and the drive to Sighisoara also went without any problems.

At 9am the following morning Sunday 30th May we arrived in Danes to find our wagon full of aid waiting to be unloaded.

The head teacher from the school, Maria, and about 50 of the older ( and not so older ) children were also ready and waiting keenly to help unload almost 7 tons of aid into the sports hall at the school.

With great speed and enthusiasm the boxes , furniture, boxes and other aid were duly unloaded in just over 1 hour. Where these children get their speed and agility from I cannot say but the rest of the OTF team were exhausted by the end.

All the aid we loaded in Manchester a few days previously was checked off against our manifest as the aid was unloaded and everything was in order - no damaged or split boxes thanks to you who packed them doing such a great job.

The first job was to sort through the family boxes for both villages putting them in some sort of delivery order and then sorting through all the other aid.

The hall was set up for us to fill the Goodie Bags for the children and the gifts sorted through and packed.

A meeting with the head teacher found that some of the children from the poorest families were not attending school and a plan of action was devised. Maria would visit the families in Danes with us and we would use the aid as a 'carrot' to encourage the parents to send their children to school regularly.

So next morning the vans were loaded with aid and as we set off it started raining. Not a problem on the main roads but we had to drive uop the hillside to get to some of the families.

Sliding and slipping up hill we got as close as we could to the commune above the main village consisting of mainly the Gabor families. By the time we had spent a couple of hours on the hill side in all the mud it was beginning to be difficult to distinguish the local villages from us as we were all covered in the thick sticky mud.

As the rain got heavier we decided to get the vehicles off the hillside before we became stuck.

The rest of the day we continued to deliver the family boxes in the lower part of the village and then back to the sports hall to start filling the Goodie Bags for the children at the school.

Yesterday it was more of the same with a little more rain we ventured up onto the hillside again to complete the delivery of boxes in that area and then back into the main area of the village.

Today, Wednesday, we have been invited to meet the Mayor of Danes. This is an opportunity for us to request further help for the poor families in the village and for more help for the school. The rest of the day will be delivering the remaining family boxes, aid for the local charities Veritas and the House of Light - a day school for children with learning difficulties.

We leave for the Prahova region tomorrow, a journey across two mountain ranges lasting about 6 hours.

All the hard work that the OTF have put into this aid trip, along with the help of all the supporters in Kirklees, Calderdale, Stockport and beyond, has all been worth while.

I will try and email another report from Romania later in the week.

For now, from Romania, La Revedera

Roy

OAK TREE FOUNDATION UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2007

Report on Humanitarian Aid Trip May/June 2007

Roy & Simon flew out to Hungary a couple of days after the wagon left to pick up two hire vans and drive into Romania. The rest of the team, Kath, Pat, Sylvia, Christine, Jim and Martin flew direct to Bucharesti arriving on the Monday to blistering heat and sunshine.

Things went so well that in the afternoon we transported all the aid for the disabled association to their centre in Ploiesti. You can imagine their thoughts as the pile of special chairs, walking frames, exercise equipment, sewing machines, paper, pencils, toys and clothing got bigger and bigger. The smiles from the parents, children and staff were worth all the effort.

 One nine year old boy looked puzzled by a large boxed tube of Colgate toothpaste. He carefully examined the box, then opened it and looked at the tube seeing that it had a screw cap. Once opened he slowly smelled it and clearly liked what he could smell. It was only the quick action of one of the teachers that stopped him squirting the toothpaste into his mouth. He thought it was food – he had never seen toothpaste before.

We then started to deliver the family boxes to the poor families in the village that had been previously identified. We were welcomed into the poorest of homes, hugged and thanked for the clothing and blankets. It was sad to see that the conditions some of the families were living in had deteriorated since our last trip.

On the Friday it was the ‘International Day of the Child’ which is celebrated in Romania. In the morning we were invited back to the school in Gageni where we broke a specially prepared loaf of bread and drank some local wine from a special jug. We then spend a wonderful couple of hours playing with the children who were all proudly wearing their new T shirts. Games were being played thanks to the donated balls and skipping ropes. There was tug of war and a competition of drawing in chalk on the concrete paths.

In the afternoon we went back into Ploiesti for the party with the children from the disabled association. This was to take place in the park in the centre of town. Some parents had travelled 70k just to attend this special day. It was lovely to see the children so happy despite their own problems. A band was playing and there was street theatre. Five minutes into the chalk drawing competition a thunder storm brought an early end to the festivities.

It was back to our base to sort and start to load up the vans with the aid to be taken the 5 hour drive to Sighisoara and Danes in Transylvania.

On the Saturday morning there was a quick trip to the old peoples hospital in Bacoi to deliver the exercise machines for the physiotherapy department and some other specialised equipment.

Sunday morning came early bringing back the sun and the heat making the journey across the mountains hard work. As soon as we arrived in Sighisoara we started to deliver the family boxes of aid to the families close by. We were met again with warm smiles and thanks. Even some of the local Romanians thanked us for helping what they could see were the very poor and needy amongst them.

Over the next couple of days we delivered the rest of the family boxes to the village of Danes meeting up with families we had know for some years and sad to say things were no better for them either. One family had to pull down half of their home as it was about to fall down by itself. There were now ten of them sharing one room 10 feet square.

A visit to the music school in Sighisoara brought mutual joy – the staff and the children for the new keyboards, organ, drum and music we had taken and the team in listening to the children play wonderful music at their end of term concert. The head explained that the portable, battery powered keyboard was her favourite as she could take that out with her to the outlying villages and play music for the children at the village schools.

During the aid trip we were helped by four Romanian students who acted as our interpretors. Nicu, Andrea, Leah, Ioana  were brilliant in the help they gave us, in getting involved in what we were doing – an eye opener for them all, and becoming good friends with all the team.

The end of the trip came too soon as always. Roy & Simon left the rest of the team in Sighisoara to make the 12 hour drive back to Hungary. The rest of the team drove back to Bucharesti to get the flight back to Manchester. As the flights arrived back within an hour of each other back at Manchester the team were reunited again to say their goodbyes to each other and set off back to their homes with mixed emotions - memories full of sad sad sights, awful smells and the good wishes and smiles of the many Romanians we touched on this aid trip. This had been the most successful aid trip I had been involved in in seventeen years as far as the planning, organisation and team work.

It was just ‘A Drop in the Ocean’ but together we did make a difference.

Roy Bowden

Co-ordinator Oak Tree Foundation- Helping Romania Children

This is the teeth of a 15 yrs old boy.....

Oak Tree Foundation has recognised that something has to be done.

For the last few years we have included in the Family Clothing Boxes delivered to the individual poor families in the villages of Gageni & Danes tooth brushes and toothpaste.

Most of these items were donated by collections made by schools or from other groups and individuals in the UK.

We realised that this was a start in helping the children and introducing them to the daily brushing of their teeth but we had to take this a stage further.

Negotiations and meetings with the heads and teachers at the schools has brought about a joint inititive to help reduce the numbers of children having  dental problems.

It is hoped that on our November 2008 humanitarian aid trip to deliver a bulk supply of toothpaste and brushes to each school who will, over the following months while we are not there, regularly give out the tooth paste and brushes to their pupils.

The teachers are introducing into the classroom, as part of the education of the children, continuous encouragement and help in getting all the children to brush their teeth daily.

It is a start and may be one that we will have to support for some time as the cost of a tube of toothpaste in Romania is far more than many can afford - it really is a case of either eating or brushing teeth - there is no choice!

Our campaign this year has been kick started by the children at St Thomas's School, Heaton Moor, Stockport who have generously collected and donated dozens of tubes of toothpaste and brushes.