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SPRING
CONVOY 2003 |
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Cramped, uncomfortable,
living conditions and
irregular meal times, both
on the road and in the digs,
are all part of the “test”
of surviving a humanitarian
aid convoy. We are not out
there for home comforts and
fun, we are there to do a
job. Fortunately it is rare
for that concept to be
misconstrued. We use the
travelling time to start
developing the team spirit
and the united bond sees us
through many difficulties. |
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| The building of
relationships starts before the convoy
leaves, when individuals join forces to
help one another with fundraising or
processing humanitarian aid, but the
main sense of togetherness starts when
the journey begins – whether it be for
newcomers or the “old-hands”. |
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Pulling in at a Polish
service station to refuel
the vehicles and tummies can
be quite an experience and
you never know quite what
you are going to end up
eating for breakfast. But
you laugh about it and
decide that is the right
moment to take a “thank you”
publicity shot for a company
that may have sponsored a
member of the team before
shooting off on the next
stage of the journey. |
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| For me
personally, the drive is now simply a
routine but essential part of the trip.
I have lost count of how many times I
have driven that road; queue jumped at
borders; argued with arrogant border
guards; shown total frustration with
toll-gate keepers or wriggled out of the
fact that I was speeding through the
traffic police check point, but this
part of the trip is so important. It is
during these times that we become a
team. I rely on this. It is crucial that
the team grow while travelling those
long roads. I rely on the humour, the
giggles and the sense of “what the heck”
and I thank every single person who has
ever travelled that journey with me.
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| This time, our
first team consisted of me and 5 other
adults. The job for them was to prepare
2 wards and the canteen for the team
following to decorate. |
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Normally this ghastly job is
done by our two faithful
workmen, Sergei and Sasha,
but they were already deep
in the throws of re-building
the bathroom so it was left
to the team of 5 ( I can
never be counted as I seem
to spend my days chasing
around sorting paperwork,
processing new laws to
ensure our safe attendance
in the country, buying tools
and equipment or attending
some meeting or other) to
tackle. |
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Scraping the tons of lime
from the ceilings, trying to
make them level, filling the
endless holes in the walls
and sanding them down ready
to take their first coat of
paint or simply coming to
terms with the bizarre
custom of tiling onto bare
brickwork were all
challenges the team had to
face. There were times when
the frustration of being
told that the job hadn’t
been done to a high enough
standard was more than any
of us could take,
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especially given
what they had been
happy to live with
previously, but we
took their
criticisms with the
right attitude
(after all we did
want it to be the
best!) and allowed
our “chill-out”
times in the
evenings to help us
through. |
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| We had intended
to make use of 2 small flats as our
living quarters, but after our 1st
night, when we had arrived in the early
hours of the morning so for ease just
piled into the one flat, the team
decided that they didn’t want to be
split up. |
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It was
discussed and agreed that we
would remain together. Sleeping
was interesting to say the
least. The two men had a single
bed each in the lounge and the
four women all piled into the
bedroom. How on earth we
survived the queue for the
bathroom in the morning or
tolerated the mess created by 6
people in one tiny flat is a
miracle, but we all pulled
together and laughed our way
through it and great friendships
developed as a result. |
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More on the Bathroom
Refurbishment |
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| The NGO
BelAPDIiMI, which works closely with our
Fostering Project, was enjoying the 5th
Anniversary of one of it’s many centres
across Belarus, “Open Door” in Minsk. We
had been invited to join the
celebrations and what a delightful
afternoon it was. |
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| The children, who
are so obviously happy because they live
with their parents and have somewhere to
go and something to do during the day,
put on plays and sang for us. Their
enthusiasm and pleasure passed on to the
many guests (including representatives
from Sweden and Russia) and we were all
moved by the talent and skills of these
so called “hopeless and helpless”
children. |
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| Another facet of
that same organisation “MARA” (Russian
for “dream”) in Kletsk, some 2 and a
half hours drive from Minsk, had asked
Luda for help with getting a computer.
Ann Lock, Community Education Officer
from The Powerhouse in Llanedeyrn,
Cardiff had raised the funds to provide
them with a full computer, a printer,
spare ink cartridges and paper. Luda,
Ann and I set off to make the precious
and desperately needed delivery. |
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| The first thing
that struck Ann and me on arriving in
Kletsk was how “old fashioned” the town
was and how very primitive it was in
many ways. It was truly like time
travelling. |
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We were
to meet Valentina Rusentchik, a
hairdresser who taught disabled
youngsters basic hairdressing
skills and was herself the
mother of a child physically
disabled, purely as a result of
Chernobyl. We toured the
“Hairdressing Salon” and then
went to a tiny office set in the
back of a hospital where Ann
presented the computer to the
families who had been waiting
patiently for our arrival. |
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| They were all
very excited, and a little in awe of all
the equipment Ann had got for them. It
was a wonderful moment and everybody
wanted to say something to Ann in
gratitude. We insisted on a group
photograph, outside that tiny office,
and promised to visit them again.
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| Our next port of
call was to the school of Valentina’s
daughter, Lena, to discuss the problems
she was having with her disability. The
school was dire, and the “playground”
left us in shock and disbelief.
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It
completely confirmed for us
the total poverty of the
area.
Lena was born with half of
her right arm missing and
Valentina was having
problems getting the right
prosthesis for her. Living
on a wage of $25 per month
and having to buy a new arm
at $100 a time every 6
months (because of the
child’s growth) was not only
proving financially very
difficult, but the type of
arms available are extremely
limited. Valya sends off to
Moscow for a special arm
that, working with a series
of strapping attached to the
other shoulder, in theory
should give a thumb
movement. |
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| The arm was
extremely heavy and it took Ann and me a
lot of pulling and tugging between us to
make the thing work. How on earth this
delightfully beautiful 8 year old was
expected to cope was beyond us, and her
mother confirmed that she preferred to
wear an arm too small rather than try to
manage with this cumbersome handicap. We
are investigating the problem at home to
see if we can do something to help Valya
and Lena. |
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| Back at
Borovliani things were hotting up. The
first team was coming to the end of
their stay and emotions were running
high at having to say goodbye to new
found friends and, of course, the
beautiful babies in the abandoned baby
ward. The regular visits to Novinki
always clarify just how desperate their
future is, and any child nearing the age
of 1 is getting close to being put into
that ghastly system only to be lost
forever. |
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| Extra pressure
was on the staff as a huge delegation of
Officials from all over Belarus was due
to visit the following Friday. It seemed
to me to be a week of total panic and
constant change of plans. Blood
pressures and temperatures of the staff
were running very high.
Due to the poor
conditions of the walls in the wards we
had found that some of the paint in the
rooms decorated on our previous trips
was peeling off and it was decided that
the first duty of our 2nd team would be
to repair this damage before starting
work on the wards and canteen.
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| They had been
given between 9am and 2pm on Thursday to
do this, so when they arrived in Minsk
on the Wednesday night I took a section
of the convoy team leaders into the
hospital so they could plan the day to
its utmost efficiency. The team
consisted of 5 youngsters from Bristol
YIP and 1 from Llanrumney YIP plus staff
and volunteers from both. Despite
tiredness from their long journey,
everybody was up early next morning to
tackle the job ahead of them. They threw
themselves enthusiastically into their
work and achieved miracles, every ward
being transformed. |
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The
biggest laugh came when
Lynda, Andrea and Jamie were
called upon to sweep, wash
and paint the road outside,
a duty they fulfilled with
very confused expressions
but with no questions as to
the importance or relevance
given the state of the rest
of the hospital. (Although
it has to be said that we
have noticed vast
improvements being made
around the hospital as
funding allows.) |
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| Sasha, Sergei,
Peggy and Chrissy put the finishing
touches to the bathroom and everything
fell into place for the staff to tidy up
after us ready for the hoards of VIP’s
due next day. |
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As
representatives of “Leaves
of Hope”, Luda, Lynda and I
had to be in the Children’s
Unit first thing in the
morning to greet the
delegates, and the
expressions of pride on the
faces of the Borovliani
staff as they were showing
the guests around were worth
every ounce of sweat lost in
making that unit the place
that it is. |
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| We were also both
amused and flattered by the number of
people who came up to us after their
tour to congratulate us on the standard
of work and beg us to “please come and
work with us next!” Business cards
seemed to be being thrust into my hand
from every corner. |
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| VIP visit over
and the team could settle into doing the
jobs they had come over for. Walls were
painted, woodwork glossed, OHP and
acetates set up and the transformation
began. |
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| An evening of
“backing” players at Twister in the
hostel, raised enough money for us to
buy brighter table cloths for the newly
decorated canteen. |
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| It has become
almost customary now for us to hold some
sort of small fundraiser and for the
team to decide for themselves what they
want to buy with the money raised. It
seems to put the finishing touches to
the work and give that extra sense of
“We did that!”. |
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| Our last day was
to be full of ceremony. We were to start
with the official opening at Borovliani
and the team spent every precious moment
possible with the abandoned babies.
Speeches were made and the champagne
corks popped, but I think the most
moving moments for me were listening to
the words of Dr Anna Victorovna, Chief
Executive and Dr Tereza Ivanovna, Head
Paediatrician. They explained how, over
the last 12 months, our presence had
made so much of a difference, not only
to their lives, but the lives of their
staff, the children in their care and
the parents of these children. Our work
has given them spirit and a belief in
the impossible happening. The
stimulating environment has given them a
new attitude to life and it has inspired
them to try to make improvements for
themselves. Perhaps the “leaves” are
beginning to give “hope”! |
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| From Borovliani
we were to attend the British Embassy at
the Residence of the new British
Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Brian
Bennett. |
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His
Excellency had very kindly
invited us along as he was
very keen to meet the
youngsters from the Youth
Inclusion Projects that he
had heard so much about. He
did us the honour of
presenting each boy with a
framed Certificate of
Achievement, and that did so
much for the self-esteem of
these young men, it was
astounding. All we could
hear for some time
afterwards was “how proud
Mum and Dad would be…”. |
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| It wasn’t only
the Mums and Dads who would be proud, I,
as always, was hugely proud of these six
youngsters who had travelled to Belarus
under very difficult conditions, worked
so very hard and taken all that was
thrown at them in their stride. Well
done lads, you deserve the recognition.
Thanking His
Excellency for his hospitality we then
made our way to Novinki for the final
disco and poldnik party. This was
followed by the solemn ritual of going
to the Novinki Convent to light a candle
for the children. Leaving the church is
the point at which most of us will shed
a tear. The reality of all we have
witnessed sets in and the thought of
leaving the innocents behind is heart
breaking for all. It is probably one of
the most difficult memories to come to
terms with upon our return to Britain,
but it is an important part of saying
goodbye. |
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| My special
thanks, as always, goes to Luda Tagay
and Margaret Bamford for their personal
strength and support and also to: |
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| Team A |
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Chris
Francis, Jackie Liburd, Ann
Lock,
Lynda Rosser and Bern
Stacey. |
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| Team B |
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The
Boys:
Kye Hemmings, Liam Miller,
Jamie Mills, Christopher
Smith, Jamel Stevens and
Jamie Tovey.
The Volunteers:
Angie Browne, Richard
Headley, Lucy Hill, Lorraine
McKenzie, Peggy Murphy, Dave
Perkins, Lisa Rake,
Andrea Tuck, Steve
Tunnicliffe, Lynda Williams
and Carley Woods. |
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| Dr Anna
Victorovna, Dr Tereza Ivanovna and the
staff of Borovliani who are always so
patient and helpful when we “take over”
their hospital. |
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| His Excellency
Ambassador Brian Bennett and the staff
at the British Embassy. |
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| Sergei and Sasha
our faithful and brilliant builders. |
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The
Powerhouse Community Education Centre,
Llanedeyrn;
Pantmawr Inn Charity Committee;
Computers in the Community;
Members of Glenwood Church, Pentwyn;
Penny and Howard Mellett;
Danielle Card;
Gareth Coates;
Staff at Companies House, Cardiff;
Compuserve;
Ian Wilson, Manager of The Range,
Newport Road, Cardiff;
Peacock Group;
Staff at the Corn Exchange, Newport;
Staff and members at Malpas Unionist
Club, Newport;
Members of llanrumney Community Church;
The Salvation Army, Walker Road, Splott,
Cardiff;
Jeanette and Malcolm Aspinall;
Joan Mears;
R & J Computer Services;
Pathway Care Ltd;
Unilox Hair Design;
Butetown Health Centre;
Catholic Children’s Society;
Merlin Cambrian Cardiff Civic
Regeneration;
CRI Triers;
and all who have made a contribution of
any kind to the success of our project.
With your help, we ARE making a
difference. Thank you all. |
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