Mike and Christine visited two orphanages in Rousse right in the north of Bulgaria on the Danube. There they found 160 boys and girls, mostly teenagers who were begging for something to eat. As parents and grandparents they could not walk away from that plea and arranged for food to be bought immediately and for a Greek Rotary Club to send more later in the year.
Christine had the idea of having a warm sweater knitted for each child, purchased wool and persuaded many friends to help but the project soon grew with the help of Rotarians and many friends. Many gave money to 'sponsor a mattress' for the elderly. Asda supermarket allowed us to collect there and their staff made a large contribution.
In the spring of 1998 they took a yanload of Aid toBulgaria, ten cubic meters! The following year they took a lorry but in the years since then Aid has been sent by sea in containers as this is the most efficient and cost effective way. Transprotation costs have been considerable but the value of the consignments much greater.
Many donations for transport have been received. The Bulgarian Rotarians have always helped Mike and Christine with the distribution of Aid in their local area. The many letters of thanks received prove the Aid was desperately needed and gratefully received.
Click link to read a summary of the Humanitarian Aid Delivered to Date.
The Aid has included all kinds of clothing and shoes for all ages, sheets, blankets, towels, curtains, cutlery, toiletries, soap powder and sanitary towels. Educational and soft toys, dressed dolls and games for the children. Wheelchairs, commodes, living aids for the disabled, 100 new waterproof mattressses and a large quantity of incontinence products for the elderly. Woodworking and gardening tools, sewing machines and textiles and computers for training and administration. Organs and other musical instruments for centres helping the mentally handicapped. Prams, pushchairs and a great quantity of baby clothes for the orphan babies. Hundreds of peral gift bags for the elderly and to date, 1500 Rotary Shoe Boxes for the orphans.
In addition, through Rotary Foundation Matching Grants the Hull Rotary Club has provided a laundry for the Ryna Gatteva Home for Girls in Rousse and purchased a tractor to help train handicapped yourg people to work in farming in a village in the north. Both these schemes were with the co-operation of the Rotary Club of Rousse. For the past two years the Charity has contributed money each month to help feed the children in two orphanages in Rousse, the few stotinki (Bulgarian currency) a day provided by the authorities being totally inadequate!
