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 Roundhouse
: Archived Features
2001
We will archive any features we publish on this site, so keep
checking back to read all about the activities involving the Orphan Train
Project.
Table of Contents
Archives: 2004
| 2003 |
2002: July - Dec |
2002: Jan - June |
2001 | 2000
BULGARIAN ORPHANAGE
DIRECTOR AND ROTARY ORPHAN TRAIN PROJECT INTERMEDIARY ON THEIR VISIT TO THE
USA
By Mitko Nenkov
PARTICIPATING COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CHILD
CARE STAFF
Because of the initiative and sponsorship of the Rotary Orphan Train Project,
the Rotary Club of Oregon, Wisconsin, the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton,
Wisconsin and Mooseheart, Mooseheart, Illinois, Bulgarians Dimiter Krumov
and Mitko Nenkov were able to spend a month in the United States. While in
the States, Dimiter and Mitko participated in a special training course entitled
"Teaching Social Skills to Youth" at Mooseheart, the famed "Child City. "
This is the same course taken by new staff members. Following their time at
Mooseheart, the team went to Madison and the nearby community of Oregon for
more relevant experiences. Krumov is the Director of the Ovcha Mogila Social
Home for Professional Training (near Svishtov). Nenkov is Orphan Train Project
Intermediary for Central North Bulgaria and has been associated with the Orphan
Train effort for its entire history. The training at Mooseheart started on
July 16th and finished August 1st.
Mooseheart campus welcomes Mitko and Dimiter
For three years, Mooseheart has utilized a new approach to building "the
whole person" for the children there. The purpose is to set up effective skills
for the child care staff.
The list of subjects studied included:
Professionalism,
Curriculum skills,
Principles of behavior,
Relationship development,
Tolerance levels,
Overview of the motivation systems,
Recognizing and describing behavior,
Rationales,
Effective praise,
Corrective, preventive and intensive teaching,
Problem solving,
Self governing, and
Youth rights.
Dimiter Krumov in class with other Mooseheart trainees
Within the program, the visitors from Bulgaria got acquainted with children's
homes, schools, cathedral, health center, stores, post office and utilities.
Special attention was paid to the farm, as the Social Home for Professional
Training at Ovcha Mogila has a similar, but smaller, farm than Mooseheart's.
Mitko and Dimiter visit with children from Mooseheart's Kinder Village
Keeping horses, cows, sheep, hens, pigs and rabbits are among the favorite
activities for kids at Mooseheart and Ovcha Mogila. The American style of
farming should be transferred to Bulgarian orphanage for all these common
activities.
The impressions and useful information from Mooseheart will be shared with
other orphanage directors. A special video was made for this purpose.
Many social activities were planned and enjoyed by the guests of Mooseheart.
They included visiting a recreational park at Wisconsin Dells, a trip to the
Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago, and tours of Aurora and Batavia,
Illinois. The visitors from Bulgaria were also guests at a meeting of the
Rotary Club of Aurora.
Mitko, Dimiter and children of Mooseheart visit Wisconsin Dells amusement
parks
Mitko, Dimiter and the children of Moosheart visit the Museum of Science and
Industry in Chicago
The Bulgarian visitors gave the children of Mooseheart a special Power
Point presentation on a variety of topics. It included the cross impacts of
the American and Bulgaria cultures. The presentation included pictures of
needy children in Bulgaria, and their life in orphanages. Children of Mooseheart
were also shown pictures of their counterparts from the Katia Vancheva Home
for Children and Teenagers in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria. The children saw pictures
of the children of Katia Vancheva unloading food provided with support from
the children of Mooseheart and the Rotary Club of Aurora.
Mitko and Dimiter are grateful to the faculty, staff and children of Mooseheart,
who were most gracious in their hospitality. In particular, they are grateful
to Beth Littrell, Bobby Gilliam and Scott Hartman, who made the visit possible.
GETTING KNOWLEDGE DURING THE OREGON / MADISON AREA VISITS
The second part of the stay was principally in the Oregon and Madison,
Wisconsin communities, where the visitors enjoyed the hospitality of many
people and organizations. Mitko and Dimiter were guests and speakers at the
Rotary Club of Fitchburg-Verona, the Rotary Club Oregon, the Rotary Club of
Madison West Towne- Middleton, the Rotary Club of Middleton Area Sunrise and
the Rotary Club Madison Breakfast, all conductors of the Rotary Orphan Train
Project. The visitors were also given tours by members of the Madison Central
Lions Club and a past district governor of Lions from Beaver Dam. The Rotary
Club of Oregon, Orphan Train conductor for the Social Home for Professional
Training at Ovcha Mogila, coordinated a busy schedule for the guests.
Mitko and Dimiter with members of the Rotary Club of Oregon, Wisconsin
Mitko and Dimiter spoke to the Rotary Club of Fitchburg-Verona. (L to R) Orphan
Train Committee Members Mary Egan, Jill Mack and Caryl Hesslink, with Mitko
and Dimiter
While in Wisconsin, emphasis was placed on giving the Bulgarian visitors
agricultural experiences that might be transferred to the orphanage's farm
at Ovcha Mogila and elsewhere. In addition, childcare and children's activities
were shown to the guests. The Wisconsin observations included:
A Private sapling (tree) farm near Oregon,
A visit to the Wisconsin State Fair at West Allis (near Milwaukee) and many
exhibits there
including cattle, rabbits, hogs, horses and farm machinery,
State Fair performance of "Kids From Wisconsin," a musical ensemble of teenagers
from various parts of the State,
Mueller Implement Inc. Oregon,
La Petite Academy, Madison - a daycare facility for children,,
Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Center at Rosholt
Wisconsin Lions Camp for handicapped children at Rosholt,
Green Valley Enterprises Inc. , a job center for handicapped people at Beaver
Dam,
Larry Mahr's Country View Veterinary Service in Oregon,
University of Wisconsin Hog and poultry Farm,
Horsemanship school for handicapped people near Oregon,
University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine,
4-H Youth Development Program, University of Wisconsin Extension,
Children and Family Center, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families,
Children's Day Care Center, Stoughton,
University of Wisconsin Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory, Madison,
University of Wisconsin Soils Department, Madison,
University of Wisconsin's West Madison Agricultural Research Station, Stoughton
Trailer Factory,
Oregon School District's Rome Corners Middle School,
Private Dairy Farm near Verona,
First National Bank of Stoughton, and
Offices of UBS PaineWebber , Madison.
Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, where eyeglasses are cleaned and packaged
Director Jeanne Koepp, with baby, shows Dimiter and Mitko La Petite Academy
daycare facility
Inside of Stoughton Day Care Center
Dimiter Krumov and Mitko Nenkov with faculty and staff of University of Wisconsin
Soil Science Department
The interesting discoveries and rich knowledge the guests received from
their visits to all the above places are included in a special presentation
directed both to the local government of the Svishtov Municipality and the
Government Department of Social Care of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Due to volunteering Rotarians, the guests were shown places of business,
research, education and a rich social program. Among the places of entertainment
were:
Lake Mendota - motor boating , Madison Capitol tour, Madison Farmers Market,
Old Stamm House in Middleton for dinner, a visit to Wisconsin Museum of History,
Historical Artistic Memorial Sculpture Park show, an elegant evening meal
at Johnny Delmonico's Restaurant, Mount Horeb landscape viewing, Cave of the
Mounds excursion, and the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum visit, and a back yard
barbeque.
Hearty gratitude and appreciation by Dimiter and Mitko are directed to
all Rotary volunteers, their families and others participating in the busy
schedule, by sharing their homes, precious time, dinners and personal interests.
Special thanks to Al and Gail Brown, Sandy Miller, Helen and Gordon Baldwin,
Dick Ihlenfeldt, Alison Fry, Valentin Georgiev, Jim and Roberta Vellucci,
Ron and Connie Morken, Caryl and Bob Hesslink, Jim and Jacque Schutz, Linda
and Richard Barrows, Jerry Tyler, Mark Riese, Larry Mahr, Kay, Mary and Richard
Gesteland, Peder E. Moren, Russ and Millie Andolina, Chester Albright, the
Rotary Club of Aurora, Illinois, John Parsen, Susan Titus, Harold and Phyllis
Nagler, Jeanne and Glenn Koepp and Prof. Lennart Backstrom and anyone we inadvertently
failed to mention. 9/12/01
Rotary barbeque at Diane and Ed Fink's with (L to R - Top Row): Mary Egan,
Jefker Gruning (Rotary Exchange Student from Denmark), Ed Desautels, Caryl
Hesslink, Bob Hesslink and MWTM President Stuart Herro. (L to R - Bottom Row):
Millie Andolina, Ed Fink, Mitko Nenkov, Helen Baldwin, Alex Pantaleev, Cvety
Cekova, Dimiter Krumov, Russ Andolina and Jeannine Desautels
COMMENTS BY Dr. MITKO NENKOV ABOUT RECENT EVENTS
Subsequent to the submission of the foregoing article, and after the recent
tragic events in the United States, Mitko Nenkov forwarded the following remarks:
" We are shocked by the brutal terrorist act in New York and Washington. Give
our condolences to all American people and symbolically to the families of
the victims." 9/12/01
MI REFUGIO AND ROTARIANS OF REEDSBURG-WESTERN
SAUK COUNTY
Shortly after the Orphan Train Project began, the Rotary Club of Reedsburg-Western
Sauk County (WI) climbed aboard. The facility they agreed to work with is
in Guatemala, the "Land of Eternal Spring," at a kid's place known as Mi Refugio.
Technically, Mi Refugio is not an orphanage, but a refuge for about 200 children
who live in the garbage dump of Guatemala City. In the dump, the children
and their families lead a mean existence of scavenging for food and salvageable
items. Mi Refugio itself is located some distance from the dump in the mountainous
area above Guatemala City, near San Pedro. During the rainy season, from April
till October, severe runoff impacts the area. Vehicular travel in and out
is difficult even in dry weather. It is at Mi Refugio that an American named
Kari Engen works to better the lives of these children. Her daily routine
is to bus the children to her facility, where she provides them food, showers
and schooling. At the end of the day, Kari returns the children to their families
at the dump. Kari is sensitive to the families and is careful not to interfere.
However, she is available to parents and children wanting her help.
How did the Rotarians of Reedsburg get involved? Past Club President Dennis
Schulte and member Dan Farber, joined by Madison West Towne-Middleton Rotarian
Hugh Hayes, decided to check out Mi Refugio by going there. In 1999, they
flew to Guatemala and joined a construction crew, helping Kari improve the
place where children find respite from life's daily battle for survival. There,
among other things, they helped construct canopies over the walkways connecting
classrooms, restrooms and the kitchen/dining building. Since school is held
during the rainy season, and bathrooms are some distance from the classrooms
and dining facilities, waiting in line and moving between structures is now
a bit more comfortable. The crew also helped build retaining walls, protecting
the facility from potential mud slides.
As one team member described it, when the main access to Mi Refugio gets
blocked by the inevitable mud slides, there is no way that supplies or students
can be brought in other than by using the crude path up the tortuous incline
to Mi Refugio. While the Rotarians were there during the dry season, most
of the building supplies used by the crew were hand carried up to the site.
Often vehicles would run out of power and drop their load at the bottom of
the steep terrain.
Rotarians were touched by the appreciation of those who received their
help. Dennis Shulte said: " Sending money or clothes is a great way to
help, but to make a real impact, one needs to remove himself or herself from
the comfort zone of life and get personally involved. I cannot begin to explain
the rewards that come with personal contact. My eyes well up when I see the
appreciation of those on the receiving end of volunteerism, i.e. a child receiving
a pencil and a pad of paper, a family receiving clothes, a young girl receiving
a hair brush, or a mother receiving food and clothes for her child." Schulte
also remembers seeing a roof covering a pile of tin called "home" and
"that look from experienced eyes that have seen much more than one should
see at any age."
Since their members' return, the Rotary Club of Reedsburg-Western Sauk
County has collected over $1400 to donate to Mi Refugio. Much of this is due
to Dan and Dennis speaking to local church groups, schools and civic groups,
gathering donations along the way. Contributors include: St John's Lutheran,
Rock Springs; Zion Lutheran Church, Loganville; Sacred Heart Catholic Parish
in Reedsburg; Leland Methodist Church; St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Loganville;
St Peter's Lutheran Church and School, Reedsburg; Cazenovia Senior Citizens;
Cazenovia American Legion; LaValle American Legion; and, First Presbyterian
Church, Reedsburg. Donations are used for school supplies, medical supplies,
food, construction of sanitary facilities and student scholarships. The Rotarians
have also forwarded some clothing to Kari's father, who has taken it with
him to Guatemala. To learn more about how you and your group can help the
children at Mi Refugio, contact Dan Farber at (608) 524-2339.
COMPUTER PURCHASED
FOR LA DIVINA PROVIDENCIA
Recently, the Madison Jaycees and their friends purchased a computer for
their children's home called La Divina Providencia, in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.
In the past, videos and other items were purchased by the Jaycees, Ridgeway
Elementary and the Dodgeville Kiwanis, all conductors for this home. Thank
you notes from the children were numerous and beautiful. All asked God's blessings
upon those involved in helping them. The thank you notes all came with beautiful
artwork. Unfortunately, we can't show all of them. A few examples follow:
Glendy
"…First, I want to thank you for the computer that we are enjoying very
much, and we want very much to learn to use the computer…Etelvina"
"…The computer was your last gift and we are enjoying it very much.
May God bless you, your family and friends. May he watch over and protect
you always. With attention, Jesica and the young ladies of the home."
"…With much affection I send my thanks for the computer and the videos
that are beautiful. The video that I like best is the Lady and the Tramp and
Mickey Mouse and the Beanstalk. I love you with all my heart. May God bless
you and I will keep you in my prayers. With attention, Angelica Maria R."
Orphan Train Intermediary Polly Reyna, who lives in Guatemala and translated
the children's notes from Spanish to English, wrote:
"…As I translate these notes, it brings home to me that these girls
have such a capacity to love and are so innocent in their expression of love.
It literally brings tears to my eyes. They have so much love to give and need
so much to receive love. I truly believe that you, your fellow Rotarians,
the Jaycees and all the Orphan Train Conductors through this great work are
giving concrete expressions of love to these children. 8/29/01
YEAH!!! The computer is delivered! (L to R) Maria Angelica, Sarai, Ester and
volunteer computer installers Marisa and Jose Raul
Marisa and Jose Raul install the computer
The computer is ready to go. Ready to teach are: Jose, Maria de los Angeles,
Nora (social worker), Maribel (novice sister) and Marisa
ST. MARIA GORETTI
HELPS SANTA MARIA DE JESUS HOME
MADISON - During the past school year, students at St. Maria Goretti School
have been raising funds for girls at the Santa Maria de Jesus Home for Girls
in Mazatenango, Guatemala.
The home is for girls who are victims of domestic abuse or neglect and
is sponsored by the Madison West-Middleton Rotary through the Orphan Train
Project.
Girls of Santa Maria de Jesus with staff and Orphan Train Intermediary Polly
Reyna (rear left), (to her right) Lee Ann Lopez and Orphan Train and Madison
Jaycee Representative Tracey Anton (right)
Rotary representative Ed Fink came to the school May 29 to receive a check
for the Santa Maria de Jesus Home for Girls. Through bake sales, popcorn sales,
candy "Hugs" sales, Guatemalan bracelet sales, and earning money for chores,
students raised a total of $2436. "The Orphan Train Project gives our students
the opportunity to reach out to those in need and to live as Jesus did," said
teacher Jill Dove.
The Children of St. Maria Goretti presented this big check to Orphan Train
Chairman Ed Fink for the children of Santa Maria de Jesus
St. Maria Goretti Faculty members present the check. (L to R) Michael Maguire,
Stephanie Moser, Jill Dove with OT representatives Tracey Anton and Ed Fink
The text of the foregoing article appeared, without the pictures, in
The Catholic Herald of the Madison, Wisconsin Diocese on June 14, 2001, and
is used with permission.
BEFORE THAT, STRAZHITSA RECEIVED
COMPUTERS FROM ST. MARIA GORETTI
St. Maria Goretti School had been associated with a Bulgarian orphanage
called the Hostel for Children and Teenagers, near Svishtov, for the past
several years. Last year's classes raised money for the orphanage in Bulgaria,
only to have it close before the money was spent. Since the funds were raised
for Bulgarian children, it was decided the money would be spent on Bulgarian
children. The orphanage chosen was one at Strazhitsa, to which many of the
children from the old orphanage were transferred. Because of the closing of
the Hostel for Children and Teenagers, St. Maria Goretti decided to work with
Santa Maria de Jesus in Mazatenango, Guatemala, as both schools taught Spanish.
The children at St. Maria Goretti wanted to buy computers for their friends
in Bulgaria, and so three computers, other equipment and software was purchased.
When Rotarians from the Orphan Train visited Strazhitsa in October, 2000,
they dedicated the computer lab purchased by the St. Maria Goretti students.
Later, when the public school in Strazhitsa obtained computers, a Rotarian
commented that "it was the first time the orphans were one up on the local
kids." 6/14/01
Children of Strazhitsa sing at dedication of computer lab
Gifts of thanks from Strazhitsa to St. Maria Goretti School
THE LONGEST SUMMER VACATION WE EVER
HAD WAS THE WEEK WE SPENT IN PERU
By Caryn Cain, Oshkosh Rotary Southwest
My first reaction to hearing about Oshkosh Rotarians traveling to Lima
for seven days, for basically the price of airfare, was, “Hey, that’s a cheap
vacation! I think I’ll go!” The side trip to the Andes was extra but I’d wanted
to visit Machu Picchu for years so the whole thing looked like a bargain --
and a place I could take my daughter who just happened to finish her last
(as in graduating) final at college that day and just happens to speak fluent
Spanish, which I do not.
After a raucous greeting party on Saturday evening (hosted by possibly
the most fun Rotary club on the planet, La Molina Vieja) we were hit smack
in the face by reality the next day when we visited La Sagrada Familia (Holy
Family) orphanage. Miguel, the founder and director, was described by folks
in our group as, “Ghandi-like,” and “Mother Theresa with a MBA.” His story
is one that can bring tears to even the most hardened curmudgeon.
Orphanage Director Miguel
Miguel, who was a professional man - lots of money, prestige, nice digs
in a nice neighborhood - lost his son to heart disease when the boy was just
an infant. Miguel’s story, as translated by a Rotarian named Walter (we nicknamed
him Kojak because of his pate and demeanor), is one of reaching out to others
to kill the pain of his loss. Very soon after the baby’s death, Miguel came
across two smelly, dirty ragamuffins on the street. The kids were homeless
(as are 10,000 other kids in Lima) so Miguel took them home to live with him
and his wife. The next day the kids were gone and once again Miguel felt the
pain of loss. But the strangest thing happened. Those two kids returned with
four more and that six soon doubled to twelve. We got goose bumps and teary
as a choked-up Walter translated every word. The only sound in the room besides
the two men’s voices was the sound of sniffling and purses opening to retrieve
more tissues.
Just to prove that no good deed goes unpunished, Miguel’s neighbors complained
about all the orphans living in their nice neighborhood. So Miguel acquired
a piece of property in the northern slums of Lima, a bad hour’s drive from
downtown, and set up cardboard shacks with grass mat roofs. The cardboard
and grass mats fare pretty well because the “rainy season” in Lima is during
August when they get a whole .1 inch of rain. The compound now consists of
a commons area with a concrete floor and actual roof, a “kitchen” with a couple
of natural gas burners, boys and girls dormitories (the cardboard and grass
mat variety), and a nursery area for the infants and toddlers. They do have
electricity but water is delivered by truck, COD. No cash, no water - a market
economy at it’s worst.
A home in slums of Peru
The kids at the orphanage, who are amazingly well-adjusted thanks to the
love lavished on them by Miguel and his helpers, range in age from a few months
to 18 years. By the time they leave La Sagrada Familia they have a high school
education (Miguel established an elementary school next to the orphanage but
the high school is about 3.5 miles away) and have learned a trade. The three
trade areas are baking, pottery, and furniture making. The goods are transported
to local markets and the proceeds provide income for the orphanage. Their
goal is to become self-sufficient although with the shaky Peruvian economy
that probably won’t happen in the near future. The fact that they are even
trying for some level of self-sufficiency impressed the heck out of us!
Children of La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Orphanage)
Transportation to the markets and the high school are very real problems
which my club is addressing. Miguel has two trucks, one of which is dead while
the other is dying. Southwest Rotary is in the process of raising $15,000
to send to Peru for a truck purchase. We are working with my Lima host family
who happens to own an auto repair business and is throwing in five years of
free labor for the truck - Miguel must pay for parts. We will set up a $1,000
per year account so the truck can get regular oil changes, maintenance, and
perhaps some fuel. A lube job runs $80 and gasoline is at least 4 times more
than in the U.S., even at our current prices.
Any clubs wishing to help us with the truck purchase and maintenance will
be most welcome. My daughter and I will both return to Lima this summer -
my daughter as a volunteer English teacher at a Lima business school and I
to work on a project at the orphanage. The Peruvians will send an exchange
teacher to Oshkosh this fall in what we hope is the first year of a “Teacher
Exchange Program.”
A Rotary-based trip to Peru is like nothing you have ever experienced.
On one hand the locals want to show off what they have and on the other they
will pitch more fund raising projects than you’ll see at the international
convention. The needs are great, they have more than enough heart, but so
few resources to help their own. If you go, be prepared to be run ragged (and
love every minute of it!) and have your eyes opened to true desperation. All
of us came away changed by the experience, but not in a sad and helpless way
- we actually saw that there is hope through people like Miguel and organizations
like Rotary. This will never work as a government to government program. We
need real people getting involved. We, the Rotarians on both sides of the
equator as well as other like-minded people, must step up and make the difference.
A dog proved an interesting visitor for the children of La Sagrada
The Rotarians in Lima I trust with my life as well as my money so any contributing
club can rest assured that their dollars are being monitored carefully. I,
and my fellow Peru travelers, invite anyone to make the trip. The airfare
runs about $800 and you will be put up in a beautiful home by one of the La
Molina Rotarians. I have not met a friendlier people than the Peruvians nor
a group that more desperately needs our help. We have so much - probably too
much. Consider sharing it with those other people who call themselves Americans.
INTERACT CLUB OF SUN PRAIRIE RECOGNIZED
FOR HELPING KULA
The Interact Club of Sun Prairie High School of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
has been a consistent helper to the orphanage at Kula, Bulgaria, also assisted
by the Rotary Club of Sun Prairie. Over the past three years, the club has
made school year donations in the sums of $275, $250 and $525. Just recently,
the Interact Club raised $102 for Kula with a golf tournament. This consistency
of interest and activity was recognized at the District #6250 Rotary Convention,
with a citation presented to President Ross Weittenhiller by Orphan Train
Project Chairman Ed Fink, who named the Interact Club of Sun Prairie the first
Interact Club "conductor" on the Orphan Train. Consistency of interest, according
to Fink, is important to the children served by the Orphan Train Project.
The Interact Club of Sun Prairie has shown determination in helping the mentally
handicapped children of Kula.
President Ross Weittenhiller of the Interact Club of Sun Prairie High School
accepts citation from Orphan Train Project Chairman Ed Fink
ON TRACK TO HELP
KIDS ED FINK STARTED AN "ORPHAN TRAIN" PROJECT TO DELIVER ITEMS TO NEEDY CHILDREN
WORLDWIDE
ORPHAN TRAIN PROJECT UPDATE 6/01/01
Wisconsin State Journal; Madison,
Wis.; Apr 22, 2001; Lori Kurtzman Wisconsin State Journal
Even when he's at work, deep into the busy day of a stockbroker, Ed Fink
can't get the faces of the Bulgarian orphans out of his mind.
"I'm always thinking about it," he said. "The little faces, you know, they
haunt you. There are certain ones you never forget."
Fink's been to Bulgaria three times since 1997 and visited almost 30 orphanages.
He's seen buildings that were insulated with human hair, and ragamuffin, abandoned
children living in homes without heat.
He once stopped at a now-closed orphanage for the mentally handicapped that
had caretakers who looked like prison wardens and an overbearing stench of
urine and feces that was enough to drop anyone to their knees.
"I wrote a piece once in which I said that many people visualize what Hell
would look like or feel like, but perhaps you never considered what it might
smell like," he said.
So Fink, haunted by the dark eyes of the orphans and propelled by a sense
of community service that came from a pair of hard-working parents, has done
all he can to make life a little easier for these children.
For almost four years he's led a program that has matched 32 orphanages in
Bulgaria, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, Peru and Mexico with donor schools and groups
in six states and Bulgaria itself.
In the project's short existence, 10 groups have taken trips to the countries,
bringing food, medicine, clothes, toys, freezers and computers to the oft-hungry
and cold children.
Fink, a member of the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne- Middleton, started
this "Orphan Train" project with a few other members when the club was looking
to do some international work in 1997.
The project grabbed its moniker from the Orphan Train movement of the mid-19th
century, where abandoned and orphaned children were taken by train from New
York to the Midwest for adoption.
It's estimated that in the 75-year span of movement, almost 200,000 children
were relocated to new homes. Fink's own grandmother rode an orphan train.
But Fink's Orphan Train is different - it has a twist. The donors travel to
the children, not vice versa, and adoption isn't an option in the program.
Fink's Rotary Club is the Grand Central Station for the trains - it offers
potential "conductor" groups profiles of orphanages, lists of needs and costs
and an English-speaking intermediary, who is often a Peace Corps worker, international
Rotarian or an American living abroad.
"As the facilitator club, we make the matches and we push, cajole, encourage
both sides to create an ongoing relationship," he said.
It takes a lot of work.
Fink spends time e-mailing, calling or organizing presentations every day,
before and after he starts his work at UBS PaineWebber.
He says he spends at least two hours a day on the project, but his fellow
Rotarians say it must be more.
"We all joke about When does he work?" said Stuart Herro, the club's vice
president.
"He himself is kind of like a freight train," agreed Terry Siebert, who's
been in the same Rotary Club with Fink for more than 10 years.
When Fink recruits for the Orphan Train, he often heads to schools and clubs
wearing a conductor cap and whistle - and he's not bashful about the gimmick.
"Some people think it's undignified, but it doesn't bother me. I'm not too
concerned about my dignity," he says with a laugh.
In fact, Fink's tactics work.
He's crossed group lines - getting Kiwanis and Lions clubs as well as several
schools involved with the project. He has an uncanny ability to draw people
into his cause, Herro said.
"In a good sense, he's an incredible salesman," he said.
Credit that to Fink's past: He's got degrees in law, speech, and television
and radio broadcasting.
The 58-year-old's killer smile doesn't hurt either.
But there's more than just his charm. Fink has a way of communicating the
need of what he's seen firsthand.
"You see situations where children don't know whether they'll have enough
food or fuel to carry them through the winter," he said.
He speaks of the orphanage in Stob, Bulgaria, which was insulated with human
hair.
"Their one and only furnace was sitting in the middle of the yard - it didn't
work anymore," he said.
It often doesn't take much to help the children in Bulgaria's 200 orphanages.
"Your money goes a long way in these countries," he said, noting that one
donor gave $200 and got 15 mattresses for a home for mentally handicapped.
But the money isn't all that matters, Fink said.
"It's the people-to-people, and the fact that somebody out there far away
cares about you, thinks about you," he said. "That's important, and it's probably
as important as the amount of food or fuel or shoes that any club or school
can buy for them."
Profile: Ed Fink
Occupation: Account vice president at UBS PaineWebber
Age: 58
Family: Wife Diane, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Toki Middle School;
children Matthew, 31, and Kristine Prugh, 29
Hobbies and special interests: Orphan Train Project, Rotary Reading and Badger
basketball (men's and women's)
The best part of my job is: Helping clients realize their goals
The worst part of my job is: Down markets
The people I admire most are: My parents
Over the years, I've become more: Patient
If I could convince people of one thing, it would be: To look beyond their
comfortable corner of the world
What I miss most from my childhood is: Time spent with my six brothers and
sisters, summer basketball games in the driveway and my mother's apple pie
Archives: 2004
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2002: July - Dec |
2002: Jan - June |
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