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Roundhouse : Archived Features2004We will archive any features we publish on this site, so keep
checking back to read all about the activities involving the Orphan Train
Project. CHILDREN OF KULA FIND FRIENDS FROM SUN PRAIRIE, WISCONSINThe Rotary Club of Sun Prairie donated $2000 and the Interact Club of Sun Prairie High School put up $1000 and the children of Kula, Bulgaria received the aid reported by Evtim “Eddie” Stefanov in his letter to representatives from Sun Prairie Rotary Club that were in Bulgaria and presented the donations:
HASKOVO ORPHANAGES HELPED BY PLAY: A SPORTING EXCHANGEIn June, the Orphan Train Project received a note from Dorian Needham, explaining that he was the Assistant Expedition Leader for an organization known as “PLAY: A Sporting Exchange” (http://www.sportingexchange.org.uk). Dorian told us that they would be conducting a humanitarian expedition and would be passing through Bulgaria for one to one-and-a-half weeks. Needham said the group wanted to work with disadvantaged children, and while searching the Internet for suitable locations, came across a list of orphanages with which the Rotary Orphan Train Project worked. Dorian asked for contacts that might help them organize PLAY's visit to Bulgaria. While we did not know this group, we contacted our Orphan Train Intermediaries to see if anyone was interested in working with the group. Orphan Train Intermediary Nina Minkova responded, helping PLAY coordinate their work at Haskovo. Following their Bulgarian experience, we received this e-mail from Dorian:
The Orphan Train Project would like to thank “PLAY: A Sporting Exchange” for creating joy in the lives of the children of Haskovo. Thanks also to Orphan Train Intermediary Nina Minkova for facilitating this opportunity for children. Those wishing to find out more about PLAY may visit their website at http://www.sportingexchange.org.uk. 12/9/04
BULGARIAN CHILDREN OF KOSOVO GRATEFUL TO ST. JEROMEOver the years, we have reported many gifts by the children of St. Jerome School in Columbus, Wisconsin to the children living at an orphanage in Kosovo, Bulgaria. St. Jerome is the Orphan Train conductor for the Kosovo orphanage. In September, on our “Whistle Stops” page, we acknowledged the most recent gift of $2000, made possible by the hard work of many students and staff members of St. Jerome. The money was raised during the 2003-2004 school year. Until this year, Principal Kim Frederick, who is now principal of another school, led the fundraising at St. Jerome. We are grateful to St. Jerome, and share with them the report of Orphan Train Intermediary and Peace Corps Volunteer Liz Fertuck: December 1, 2004 …. I have attached the pictures and receipts for Kosovo in this and the following emails. I know that Kim Frederick is no longer the conductor, so I wasn’t sure who else to include on the email. I’m sure you can forward the emails on to whoever is in charge at the St. Jerome School. Unfortunately, the receipts we copied and scanned for you did not turn out very clear, so I will type the cost breakdown below (in English). All the invoices are attached as well. I have many more pictures of the children and products that were purchased, but I didn’t want to make the email attachments too large. I tried to pick out the best few pictures. If you would like the others just let me know. The staff and students/orphans truly appreciated the Rotary Club Orphan Train Project’s generous donation. I can’t say enough about what a wonderful thing you all are doing! The director put together another “needs” list that I can pass on as well to the person in charge for Kosovo. Let me or one of the other intermediaries know… Thanks so much from all of us here in Vidin! All the best, Liz Fertuck, US Peace Corps Volunteer
REPORT ON BELOGRADCHIK TO ROTARY CLUB OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS SUNRISEOn October 16th, at our “Whistle Stops” page, we reported on a $1000 gift from the Rotary Club of Wisconsin Rapids Sunrise to their orphanage at Belogradchik, Bulgaria. Orphan Train Intermediary Evtim Stefanov filed the following with receipts and pictures. Congratulations Wisconsin Rapids Sunrise on a wonderful project handled in the fashion all requested of all Orphan Train participants. Thanks to Evtim for his always gracious assistance. November 17, 2004 Dear Mrs. Lemke, Dear Ed, The money you sent for the children from Belogradchik orphanage have been used to buy jackets, shoes and socks for the 32 kids staying currently at the home. Mariela, Liz and me carried the jackets and socks on 20 October 2004 and ordered the shoes at a local shop. Their distribution we have left to the director of the home - Mitko Tonov. Please, find some pictures attached and the invoices that should read as follows:
The donation of 1000USD have been exchanged at arrival in the account of Doverie Association at the bank exchange rate of the day. As you could see from the pictures, the kids were very happy to receive these gifts and I'd like to send their thanks and the thanks of the director of the home for your generosity. best regards Eddie P.S. invoices in next file
PERUVIANS AND BULGARIANS AT MOOSEHEART AND IN WISCONSINThe Orphan Train is best known for matching service clubs, schools and other groups to orphanages. There are other aspects to the Orphan Train, however, and one of these is education. Over the past several years, the Orphan Train and Mooseheart, the famed Child-City in Illinois, have worked cooperatively to change lives through education and experiential opportunities for caregivers. In past year’s participants have come from Bulgaria, Guatemala and Romania. Participants in the this year’s program were Sister Mary Ann Leininger Avilez, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Father Crisanto Guerra Calixto, Nina Minkova and Boris Borisov. Sister Mary Ann is a U.S. citizen, who has worked in Peru for more than 32 years, and is director of an orphanage called Pillco Mozo in Huanuco. She is also an Orphan Train Intermediary for other Peruvian orphanages. Father Crisanto is director of a Peruvian orphanage called San Juan Bosco. Nina Minkova, an attorney from Sofia, Bulgaria, is an Orphan Train Intermediary for several Orphan Train matches and practices adoption law. Boris Borisov is the director of an orphanage at Strazhitza called the Hostel for Bringing Up Children Without Parents Care. For two weeks in July, the participants lived on the beautiful Mooseheart campus and were exposed to the Mooseheart philosophy and curriculum, the same having its origins in the Boys Town/Girls Town model. Under the able tutelage of Training Director Beth Littrell, the foursome trained to be “Family Teachers,” the same as newly arrived staffers at Mooseheart. This was the first time participants in a session were from more than one foreign country. One of the many positives is that it allowed an interaction of people doing similar work in three different cultures. In addition to time spent in the classroom, the foursome had the opportunity to interact with Mooseheart students and staff, allowing everyone to learn about other cultures. One of the challenges for everyone involved in the program is making sure translation services are available. Neither Boris Borisov nor Father Crisanto Guerra Calixto speaks English. So, Nina handled the translations from and to Bulgarian. Several people aided in translations to and from Spanish for Father Crisanto. During the group’s stay at Mooseheart, they were joined by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh faculty member Marcia Fry and Edith " Edie" Jacobsen, whose translation of the lessons into Spanish, were of great assistance. Once in Wisconsin, Andres Trevino, Elizabeth Elder and others helped Sister Mary Ann with her translation tasks. It was fun to participate in conversations in which three languages were being spoken in quick succession. After completing the program at Mooseheart, which included a visit to Chicago, participants arrived in Wisconsin for another two-week stay. While in Wisconsin, the visit was orchestrated by the Orphan Train Team from the Wisconsin Rotary Clubs of Madison West Towne-Middleton, Fitchburg-Verona, Plymouth and Sun Prairie, with participation from the Rotary Club of Prairie du Chien and members of various Lions organizations. Key people to the organizational and hospitality efforts were Mary Van Hout, Bret Parks, Mindy Mulryan, Jeannine Desautels, Virgie Schulte, Tom Slater, Mary Kay Von Allmen, Richard Wright, Susan and Robert Titus, Jacque and Jim Schutz, Jackie and Andres Trevino, as well as Nathan and Kristin Considine. Also making our visitors feel welcome were Peder and Jeanne Moren, Mary Felt, Jennifer and Kevin Helt, Stuart Herro, Rachelle Richardson, Barb Mueller, Jim Langdon and many others, to whom we apologize for missing their names. While in Wisconsin, the visitors spoke at several Rotary club meetings and traveled to a number of places where they were shown a variety of childcare approaches. Included were the Lions Camp at Rosholt (for the visually handicapped), University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, the Lori Knapp Homes (a community based residential living environment), Wyalusing Academy (a comprehensive residential treatment center for adolescents), PreSchool of the Arts (providing an early learning experience for children age 18 months to 5 years of age, integrating music, art and dance into a curriculum whose philosophy is based on a model from Reggio, Italy), Green Valley (a sheltered workshop), Wisconsin International Adoption Project, the Waisman Center, Centro Guadalupano, Boys and Girls Club, Reins (a riding program for the handicapped near Plymouth) and visit to a goat farm. Recreational activities included stops at the historic Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, followed by a picnic with Mayor Cheryl Mader and her family, Elkhart Lake’s Road America Race Track, the Kohler Company’s museum and showroom, Whistling Straits Golf Course (site of this year’s PGA Championship) the University of Wisconsin Campus, the Wisconsin Capitol, Madison’s famed State Street, a Milwaukee Brewers’ Game, Concerts on the Square, an airplane flight over the City of Madison, etc., etc., along with meals hosted by Rotarians and others. Most of the fun activities involved all four Orphan Train guests, though a few were limited to those who happened to be staying with a particular host families or who happened to be available at the time. The Orphan Train Project is grateful to the generosity of Mooseheart and the many people and institutions that welcomed our guests. We also know that it is a sacrifice for the participants, who spent four weeks in the States, and the children who lost out on their care giving this summer. We learned a lot, and are humbled by those who serve children so unselfishly. Mary Ann, Nina, Boris and Crisanto make a difference in the world, because they are important in the lives of children. We are fortunate to have learned from them! ejf 10/19/04
VISION TEAM BUYS WASHING MACHINE FOR RABIISHARecently, the Rotary Club of Sun Prairie sent its vision team to Bulgaria, in support of the Orphan Train Project. In addition to fitting many children with eyeglasses, the team saw the need for a washing machine at the orphanage in Rabiisha. They purchased it, with the assistance of Orphan Train Intermediary Evtim Stefanov and the NGO known as Doverie. Team members Bob and Ruth Wopat, Mary Kay Von Allmen, and Dr. Richard Wright, received a copy of the receipt, pictures and the following report: Dear vision team members, Bob, Ruth, Mary Kay, Dr. Richard, Dear friends and intermediaries, The Rabisha orphanage do now have a washing machine. On the 15.07.04 a washing machine was bought in the presence of Lidya Kamenova from association "Doverie." It costs 340lv., what is approximately 200USD and is a special donation from the vision team members. Special thanks from the part of Rabisha home manager and kids. Attached you may find some photos picturing the washing machine and its transportation and the invoice. Thank you for helping the orphan kids of Bulgaria. Best regards Evtim Stefanov 7/27/04
ROTARY ORPHAN TRAIN PROJECT SENDS VISION TEAM TO BULGARIABy Mary Kay VonAllmen Member: Rotary Club of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Three Sun Prairie Rotarians, Dr. Richard Wright, Mary Kay VonAllmen and Robert Wopat with Ruth, Bob’s wife recently returned from a 10-day trip to Bulgaria. While in Bulgaria, they visited eight orphanages. The orphanages are all a part of a Rotary project called Orphan Train and Sun Prairie and several other local Rotary clubs are “conductors” which help support their individual orphanages. The Sun Prairie Rotary Club and the Sun Prairie High School Interact club are both conductors for an orphanage in Kula, an orphanage for special needs children in northwestern Bulgaria. While these groups have supported Kula for several years and Bob has personally visited the orphanage on two other occasions to access their needs and meet staff, this is the first time Sun Prairie has sent a team to do vision screening. The team’s goal was to visit as many orphanages as possible in the time frame, access the needs, report them to their corresponding conductor clubs, and perform vision screening on as many children as we could see. Used prescription eyeglasses were donated by the Lions Club and we checked, cataloged and packed 350 pair before leaving on April 28th. Bob applied for a grant from Rotary International and made all travel arrangements. More support for the trip was received from friends, family and other Rotarians. The Interact Club at the Sun Prairie High School donated $1000 to the Kula orphanage to purchase sewing machines, kitchen utensils, and trees to start an orchard so the orphans can learn to care for and pick the fruit to eat and sell. The Sun Prairie High School cheerleaders donated another $500. Mayor Dave Hannamann also showed support by sending proclamations with greetings of international friendship and hope for the future of our children to the mayors of the cities we visited in Bulgaria. The vision team arrived in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on Thursday, April 29th. We checked into our hotel and exchanged our currency to Leva. After dinner, we met another Rotarian in the elevator from Bulgaria who invited us to a meeting in the hotel at that very moment. We were honored to speak and exchange flags of our local clubs and tell why we were visiting their country. Our schedule was very tight, and we were introduced to our driver/interpreter early the next morning. We were accompanied to Doganova, east of Sofia by two local lawyers who did adoptions. We stopped to buy bananas, apples, oranges and soccer balls to give to each orphanage we visited and also took stickers, tattoos, and other toys for the children. Dr Wright was able to acquire an instrument called an auto refractor that allowed us to automatically read each child’s prescription within a matter of minutes, so that screening was more streamlined than in the past. We tested approximately 55 children at Dogonova and fitted four for glasses. We also tested the staff at each orphanage. We worked through lunch and left at 2:30 P.M. on our way to Vidin, almost 4.5 hours down the very, very bumpy roads. Viden is located in the northwestern part of Bulgaria on the Danube River. The weather was great, much like late May in Wisconsin. The scenery is very beautiful with rolling hills and mountain ranges. We passed fields with sheep and a shepherd with every herd. We asked directions from farmers in carts pulled by donkeys, and we didn’t see a piece of farm machinery. The team stayed in Vidin for three nights and visited three more orphanages, located in nearby villages of Kula, Rabisha and Belgradochek. The Kula Orphanage is on a large property with several buildings. The residence is over 100 years old and needs much repair. They have remodeled a small building in the back with the help of an Italian organization. It is the first of its kind in Bulgaria and is called a protection house. It is meant to serve those with special needs who are over 18 years of age and cannot leave the orphanage. It is very modern and the boys were happy and working in the gardens when we arrived. We also toured the rehabilitation center, which is a building that was recently donated to the orphanage and has learning centers and rooms to keep children overnight if necessary for a respite for parents of other special needs children. On Sunday we drove to Rabisha orphanage, which serves 70 children, ages 3-7. They sang songs and recited to us. They were very happy and clean and when one little girl got glasses, they all pretended they couldn’t see so they could have glasses, too. Their laundry was hanging out and we were told they did all the laundry by hand, so we left money for them to buy a used washer and dryer. We skipped lunch again to get to our next destination in Belgradochek, a home for older children 8 years to 18 years old. Belgradochek was in disrepair and we had to do the testing in a very small office. We met a young artist there and bought a few of his drawings. We had three young people from the Peace Corps assist us with the Vidin area orphanages and left t-shirts from Sun Prairie for them. They had many ideas for youth programs but were discouraged with the lack of available funds to support their projects. We left them with new ideas that we hope will succeed. We left Vidin on Tuesday morning for another 4.5 hour drive to The Ovcha Mogila Orphanage, not too far from a major city known as Svishtov. We met the mayor and he gave us a traditional welcoming of bread dipped in salt. We presented the mayor with a proclamation from our mayor in Sun Prairie. After vision screening we were expected at a Rotary meeting in Svishtov at 7 P.M. We were asked to speak and exchanged flags. The Svisthtov Rotarians provided a special dinner in our honor, which included roasted lamb. We were all given our own interpreters and made many new friends. Our mission continued early the next morning to Strazitsha. We were delighted to see some Roman Ruins from the second century along the way. The director at Strazitsha was very organized, and we were impressed with the orphanage. We were told of their need for shoes for winter months and their hope for a computer to teach the older children. At Veilko Tarnova, another community with an orphanage, we were impressed with some talented orphans, one a self-taught piano player, another who had learned tailoring and a still another that set up a little barber shop in a closet at the orphanage. Our last orphanage was at Gabrovo and we took more time to play games and dance with the kids. They showed us their sparse but clean rooms and shared one of their precious few stuffed animals with us. The children at Gabrovo spoke more English than any of the other orphanages due to weekly visits from Kalina, our intermediary there. She worked at the YMCA in Gabrovo for approximately $50/month. Rent for a modest flat is $75/month. We traveled approximately 1000 miles by van in Bulgaria. We tested over 350 children and gave glasses to approximately 55 people at eight orphanages. Mission accomplished, our interpreter, Vesco, drove us back to Sophia to catch our flight back to the USA. Vesco was not a professional interpreter, but an electrician who agreed to assist us for eight days. He was an awesome young man that attended to our every need and told great jokes and kept us safe. It is amazing how quickly you can bond with someone. We all miss him and e-mail him regularly. We also met a young lady in Bulgaria that had been an orphan and is now in the university. She arrived here recently to work at the Wisconsin Dells for 5 months and Bob and Ruth met her at the airport. We learned what a small world we live in and no matter where you live there is hope for tomorrow. We all agreed that we would recommend a trip like this to others and that the experience was fulfilling and life changing. We think we’ve made a difference in the world. We tried to be good representatives of our Rotary Club, our city and the USA. Special thanks to our friends and family for your support and prayers. We will be happy to share our experiences with other groups by contacting us at our businesses or the Sun Prairie Rotary Club. COMMENTS FROM ABROADDuring the visit to Bulgaria and after, vision team members and our Orphan Train intermediaries in Bulgaria sent the following notes to the Orphan Train Project Chair: From Dr. Richard Wright, Rotarian and optometrist member of the vision team, written near the end of the journey: Hi Ed and others The vision team found an Internet cafe since the local Rotary meeting was cancelled. We are having a very busy but awesome time with the people and children at the orphanages. We have taken lots of photos and videos to share with plenty of stories. Marie, Nina, Peter, Mariella, Lydia, Peace Corp volunteers, Mitko, and our driver/interpreter have been great. All is going well and we have screened over 300 children from 3 years old to 21, dispensed over 59 pairs of eyeglasses and enjoyed them so much. Our days are very long, getting up around 6 am and retiring around 11 pm every night. Mitko was thinking Glenn would be here so he was slightly disappointed we think. He has been very helpful as has been the others. Tonight we met Elitza, the young lady who grew up in V. Tornivo and will be working in Wisconsin Dells this summer. She is wonderful and we look forward to seeing her in Wisconsin this summer. She will be accompanying us to Strinitza (Mary K thinks I spelled this wrong.) tomorrow for more children. Everyone is so generous and we received gifts from the children as well as proclamations. We attended 2 Rotary meetings, 1 in Sofia kind of by accident, and 1 in Svistov with Mitko. Their staffs also want to be screened so we have complied with their requests. Looking forward to seeing you and telling our stories as well as ideas for the Madison Clubs. Thanks again and we off to the hotel for sleep before we load up and head south. The Vision Team of Bob, Ruth, Mary Kay and Dr. Wright From Intermediary Marie Halbherr of the International Women’s Club of Sofia “…I was very happy to welcome the team at the airport and spend some time with them in downtown Sofia……..” Best regards, Marie From Intermediary Nina Minkova: The visit of the Orphan Train Vision Team to the Doganovo orphanage was very nice and beneficial. Dr. Wright screened 55 children and 15 staff members and prescribed eyeglasses for 5 children and 4 staff members. The members of the Orphan Train Vision Team brought the kids bananas, oranges and 3 soccer balls and the kids were very happy with the presents. The members of the Orphan Train Vision Team were very pleased with the kids and how good they were during the time of the screening, they were also very pleased with the achievements of the director of the orphanage. The director was able to find donors who sponsored 2 types of courses for the oldest kids of the orphanage - for cooks and for drivers. The kids who attend these courses are around 20 and they will be able to work as cooks and drivers after they finish the courses successfully. Also, the director was able to find money (also from donors) to repair two of the biggest rooms at the orphanage and his plans are one of the rooms to be equipped as a computer club where the kids will be able to take computer lessons, and the other room to be equipped as a movie theater. The director sends his best regards and his thankfulness to the Rotary club of Fitchburg-Verona for the toothpastes and the toothbrushes they had sent through the Vision Team. He is ready to work with the Rotary club of Fitchburg-Verona for the good of the children from the orphanage and hopes that the members of the Rotary club of Fitchburg-Verona will be able to visit Bulgaria and Doganovo soon. Have a very good day! Warmest regards from Bulgaria, Nina From Intermediary Mariela Valkova This morning I said goodbye and pleasant time in Bulgaria to our friends from Sun Prairie who left Vidin yearly in the morning traveling to Sfishtoff. I really enjoyed their company doing the eye -testing and accompanying them to Belogradchik and Rabisha. I much appreciate the professional work which was done by Dr. Richard Wright and the wonderful ideas of Mary Kay who is a really special woman. We discussed many ideas for future with her and probably we will start together work implementing a Leadership program for the women in my city. We have screened about 120 children from the three orphanages/Kula too/ and Richard recommended eye- glasses for 12 children and 4 stuff. Yesterday Bob Wopat and Mary Kay gave us / Lidia and me/ $3000 for Kula orphanage- $1000 from Interact club and 2000 $ from the Sun Prairie Rotary Club. The other $200 personal donation was given by Mary Kay for Rabisha Orphanage about second- hand washing machine. Lidia prepared 3 Contracts for donations / in Bulgarian language/, but we have to send another three copies translated into Englishh to the Club. As we previously discussed with Liz / the Peace Corp volunteer / and later with Bob for every cent which we will going to spend from the donation, she will contact the Club and ask for permission and being approve. Bob is a real treasure to our project and we all are deeply touched by him and his wife big hearts. Thanks to the God about providing me a luck to meet you all, sorry if I don’t write so often as before, but I haven’t stopped to thing and work for our mission. At last the Mayor of Vidin received a Proclamation from the Sun Prairie Mayor and it is to possible that future official contacts between the Municipalities will be developed. ……. I’m sending you my deep appreciation and respect, Sincerely yours, Valkova Mariela Vidin Municipality, Social services department Director From Intermediary Evtim Stefanov Hello dear Bob, Dr. Dick, Marry Kay and Ruth, Thank you for coming in Bulgaria and doing all this great job for the kids. I had great time with you. …” From Intermediary Tony Yankabakoa I am sorry that my report is coming a bit late, and may be you already heard from your friends from Sun Prairie Rotary... We were pleased to host the guests from Orphan train project in Gabrovo on 6th of May. It was a day - official celebration for all Bulgarians - Saint Georgious day. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet the friends from Sun Prairie Rotary, because I was taking care of my litle baby son - Alexander. The Orphan train visitors were met by my very best YMCA colleague - Kalina Stancheva. She brought them to the Gabrovo orphanage home, where they were met by the kids and the personnel of the orphanage. The guests had chance to see the new kitchen , which was just rebuilt, especially for the needs of the orphanage home. The guests brought a lot of fruits to the kids. Every child that was screened received a small present too. About 44 kids were screened and received their prescription from the Orphan train team. After the visit in Gabrovo orphanage home, the guests had chance to visit ETARA - Ethnographical open space museum near Gabrovo. There they got to know about traditional arts and crafts in Gabrovo region, as well as had chance to test a hand made bread... After so rich day with a lot of hard work and enjoyment in Etara, my friend said good buy to our guests. Me, personally, together with my YMCA team would like to express our appreciation for the professional help we received for our kids in Gabrovo orphanage home, as well as for the nice time together with our American friends. We were so pleased to share with them a little piece of our work. They all had chance to see our office, as well as the new community center for children and youth that we are in process of building now. Thanks for all your support, dear friends and we are looking forward seeing you again in Bulgaria!!! We will keep you informed about our work in support of children and youth development in Gabrovo area, as well as our support towards the orphanage kids. Sincerely yours, Tony Yankabakova - your intermediary in Gabrovo From Intermediary Mitko Nenkov Thank you for your notice. It is a pleasure to write you from Veliko Tarnovo. Yesterday May 3 we / me and President of Rotary club Svishtov/ met Robert, Richard, Ruth and Mary Kay in Ovcha Mogila. Everything was according the schedule, they arrive just on time scheduled. The guests were greeted by the Mayor of the village and the director of the Orphanage. Then after the lunch they did a good job to give visual screening to more than 40 kids and 20 staff. The kids were given fruit and soccer balls. After that we had a meeting with Rotary club Svishtov - official part and second part dinner devoted to our guests. All four of them had an attached translator - Tsveta, me and another colleague from Tsenov Academy of Economds and Tsveta student just came from the USA where he was on a contest of making PPT presentations of business ideas for students all over the world, which took place in Seattle. Several hours talk and many ideas exhanged in between guests and Svishtov rotary club members. This morning we made a tour round Svishtov remarkable donated buildings - the Academy of Economics, The municipality cultural club with the Library and the vocational school of Economics the town cathedral and took off for Veliko Tarnovo. On the way we dropped to Ancient Rome town Nicopolis Ad Istrum where they were given a lecture and tour of this place. Dr. Wright was shown one of the three statues in the world-f the Good of Medicine Esclepius found here. Penyo and Maria Velkovi Orphanage impressed them with new type of organization - making "homes" and dividing kids into three floors as separate "families" with attached educators and tutors. Again more than 40 kids and 20 adults were given a medical check up and some of them received spectacles. In the afternoon we met Elitsa who is going to start student summer work at Wisconsin Dells. The team was glad to meet her and tomorrow they will met her again after coming back from Strazhitsa. Pictures will convey this report tomorrow evening after my coming back to Svishtov to unload the camera. The team is going its way to Gabrovo on Thursday. Best regards, Mitko May 30,2004
ANDREW BURISH FAMILY DONATION TO ST. JOHN BOSCO OF PERUIn November, we reported a $5000 donation by the Andrew Burish Family of Madison, Wisconsin to “its” Orphan Train Orphanage in Peru, known by its location as the Village of St. John Bosco (San Juan Bosco). This was a major donation, and was entrusted to the careful handling of Sister Mary Ann Leininger. Since that time, Mary Ann, a member of the congregation of nuns known as Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet, has handled the translations, supervision of purchases and reporting to the conductor group (Burish Family), as is required by the Orphan Train. Like most of those involved in the Orphan Train Project, Sister Mary Ann handled the donation as a volunteer, while still attending to her regular duties. Over the past few years, the Andrew Burish Family has made donations to numerous Orphan Train Orphanages. More recently, they decided to concentrate on one orphanage, St. John Bosco in Peru. A year ago, the Burish Family helped improve the water system and well for the orphanage with a gift of $2500. The pre-Christmas donation of $5000 was a second impact gift to St. John Bosco. The Orphan Train Project salutes the Burish Family for their concern for children. The report on the Burish donation was more than 40 pages in length, and included letters of appreciation, receipts and pictures. Mary Ann’s report, typical of the work of many Orphan Train intermediaries, assured the donors and the Orphan Train Project itself that funds were accounted for and the money well spent. What follows are excerpts from her report. Letter from the Director of the Village of St. John Bosco: This project was carried out to meet the basic needs that were most urgent at the Village of San Juan (St. John Bosco). We are most grateful for such noble efforts for the improvements and equipment in the houses, which will last for a long time in benefit of the children. May God outpour his abundant blessings on you, your family, work and service for others. Fr. Oswaldo Martinez Letter from the Sub-Director of the Village of St. John Bosco Greetings to you in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. With this note I wish to thank you and inform you of the money spent for basic equipment for the Village San Juan Bosco. 1.1 Since 1998 the children have been at school within the village. However, this year, all of the students in elementary and high school are at a new school where the level of education is high with more requirements for some school homework and activities. Also, the local government has offered internet to San Juan Bosco. The costs to IMPLEMENT A COMPUTER ROOM include four upgraded computers and one new Pentium IV for the network, furniture, software and installation. 1.2 HOUSES (MODULES) In the bedrooms, new bunk beds were purchased to replace some of the old beds. KITCHEN Ten propane gas stoves were in terrible condition. These were cleaned and repaired for use. Other very necessary kitchen items were bought for each house such as pans, dishes, spoons, and kitchen utensils. STORAGE AREA All the fruit, vegetables and meat supplies are bought once a week for all of the houses. The village now has a refrigerator and freezer to store and preserve the food under better conditions and avoid spoiling. CLOTHING Shoes and sportswear were bought for school. Also, some material was purchased to sew uniforms for the girls. Once again, we want to thank you for your assistance, and also take the opportunity to express our respect and esteem for all of you. Sincerely, Fr. Crisanto Guerra, Sub-Director March 13, 2004
ROTARY CLUB OF MARSHFIELD SUNRISE & GOTSE DELCHEV The Rotary Club of Marshfield Sunrise, from their Orphan Train Intermediary, Sylvia Marinova, received the following report: (The letter is addressed to the club contact Laurel Peterson, and also included receipts and pictures}. Hello Laurel, Thank you so much for your understanding! Finally I had the photos developed and received the letter of the Director of the Orphanage, Konstantin Endrev, about other needs. Report for spending $500 donated by Marshfield Sunrise Rotary Club for purchasing sports shoes for the children at the orphanage in Gotze Delchev: Donation: $500 Spent: As per the request of the Director of the orphanage the money were spent on purchasing sports shoes for the boys and girls at the Orphanage. The owner of the wholesale shop "Olymp" in Blagoevgrad, Svetlana, contacted the main distributor of "Spalding" and "Runners" in Bulgaria. After explaining the purpose of this donation, they came out with 45 wonderful leather sports shoes with modern design and color. I wish you could see the eyes of the children when they received them. The average sell price was 17.86 leva (for comparison similar shoes cannot be purchased for less than 30 leva) I was extremely happy with the attention and the willingness of these people to join the initiative. This time I invited two friends of mine, Lilly and Iva. You'll see them on the pictures with the children. It would have been impossible to talk with every kid and pay attention to every one if I were alone. We spent the whole day with them and talked on different subjects. The children are healthy and willing to know and see. Attached to this e-mail I am sending the following materials. List of needed shoes provided by the orphanage and presented in the shoe shop; Invoice # 114/21.04.2004 from the shop;
Will send the information about other needs in a separate e-mail. THANK YOU! With best regards, Sylvia Sylvia Marinova ROTARY CLUB OF MIDDLETON AREA SUNRISE AIDS YAKORUDACongratulations to the Rotary Club of Middleton Area Sunrise (Rotary District 6250 of Wisconsin) for their consistent generosity to the children of Yakoruda, Bulgaria. Recently, the club agreed to buy $1000 of needed supplies for their orphanage, something they have been doing for several years. The Club contacted Orphan Train Intermediary Sylvia Marinova and asked for her assistance. Sylvia assessed the needs and spent the money in accordance with the Club’s wishes, buying needed food supplies. Lilly Hadjiska, a recent journalism graduate from a university in Skopie, Macedonia, assisted Sylvia and wrote the piece found below. A letter to the Rotary Club of Middleton Area Sunrise contact Irene Steinl follows: Dear Irene, Herewith I am sending to you the paperwork of your generous donation to the orphans at "Assen Zlatarov" Orphanage in the small town of Yakoruda. Financial part: $ 1000.00- your donation bank rate: 1.60 BG levs/USD on 0 4/16/200 4 1,600 BG levs Donation 1,602 BG levs Spent (Invoice # 1454/1 7.04.04) As per the request of the director of the orphanage the money were spent on purchasing food products for the boys and girls at the Orphanage. They have very good storage area. These products will serve them to September. I invited a friend of mine who enjoys working with children very much. Her name is Lilly, she is planning to study Human Rights in UK. On Saturday, there were only 16 children as the others had gone home. Not all of them are orphans, some children come from very poor families. The people in this region are very hospitable and good. My friend Lilly has written a short story about the visit (attached) Irene, I am sending attached the following documents: Certificate for receiving the donation from the Orphanage; Invoice #1454/1 7.04.04 from the shop and description of the goods; Protocol (by items) for receiving the food products in the orphanage; Photos of the kids Thank you very much once again! Please let me know if you need any assistance from my end. Best regards, Sylvia
Sylvia Marinova
5/15/2004
My adventureLast Saturday, I found myself traveling in a bus with my friend Sylvia to the Orphanage of Yakoruda. Yakoruda is small town situated in a picturesque area between the mountains of Rila and Rhodopi. The number of people living in this town is about 5,000. This region is a mixture of nationalities, but most of them are Muslims. After two hours of traveling we got there. It was 8.20a.m. The housekeeper, Nurrie, was waiting for us at the station. There we found an old building but with beautiful view to the mountains. The children were very happy to see us. They were curious and interested in everything. The small children were very funny. They tried to attract out attention in all possible ways - playing, spooking and singing. One of them, a very small and talented girl, Maria, sang a beautiful folk song. We became friends with three older girls, age 13 to 16, sisters, who were national champions in karate and judo. They had won lots of medals. Looked sad, though… We were impressed by the people working in the house. The housekeeper had been working with children for 30 years. I could hardly believe it. You need to love these children a lot, you have to be strong and devoted. The reward is the love of the kids. We met with the wife of this man. She’s been doing the same for 30 years but with the parents of the children. I was really surprised to find such good people. They know each other and everyone is ready to help. People in big cities are much different. This was one of the nicest days in my life. I learned about human relations and love. We need to help each other. Lilly AUTHOR KATHLEEN T. PELLEY WRITES FROM THE HEARTIf you want to read a delightful children’s book, pick up a copy of The Giant King, by Kathleen T. Pelley with charming illustrations by Maurie J. Manning. The Giant King is a story of a young woodcarver named Rabbie, who worked from his heart. “It was in the wood all along,” was something Rabbie would say when others admired his work. This same insightfulness allowed Rabbie to see the best in people, even those different from himself. While visiting a village in his native Scotland, where he went to sell his carvings, Rabbie learned that a giant was terrorizing the townspeople. Rabbie saw the possibilities for this unwanted bully and taught the people a better way to approach him. The reward for the people, the giant and the reader is in the book! The Giant King is published by the Child & Family Press and is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. The Orphan Train Project is pleased that author Kathleen T. Pelley has chosen to use some of the proceeds from her book to benefit an orphanage in Makumbi, Zimbabwe. Ms. Pelley and her family, through their Denver organization known as CIMCo, have worked with the Orphan Train Project to help the needy children of Makumbi. Because of the spread of AIDS in many African countries, the number of orphans continues to grow. As with all Orphan Train Project helpers, Ms. Pelley’s generosity to the children of Makumbi is an important statement of care and concern that goes beyond the financial help itself. Kathleen Pelley, a former teacher, is originally from Glasgow, Scotland. She now lives in the Denver, Colorado area with her husband and two daughters. As a child, Kathleen learned the love of stories from her Irish father, who regaled her with the adventures of fairies, leprechauns and banshees. Inspired by the story of The Giant King, and the kindness of its author, Orphan Train Chairman Ed Fink and wife Diane commissioned woodcarver Denny Williams of Richland Center, Wisconsin to carve a statue of the giant for Kathleen. 3/26/04
ROTARIANS OF MONROE & SHOUMEN ROTARACT CLUB HELPING KIDSThe Rotary Club of Monroe, Wisconsin recently donated $500 to help their sponsored orphanage in Shoumen, Bulgaria. The money was used to buy specially ordered cribs. Facilitating the gifting was Orphan Train Intermediary Juliana Popova, President of Rotaract Club of Shoumen, and her fellow Rotaractors. The Rotary Club of Monroe and their contact person, Josephine Kischer, received the following letter, explaining the purchase and accounting for the money spent: Dear Josephine, After our conversations with the management of Mebel-Gen and Dr. Bitzova, Rotaract Club Shoumen placed an order for 7 cribs for the Shoumen Orphanage. The cribs we ordered were smaller at size than those usually manufactured by the company, otherwise they wouldn't fit in the room at the Orphanage. That's why we couldn't buy the beds from the stock of the factory and had to place a special order. It took three weeks for the cribs to be manufactured. Yesterday we transported them to the orphanage, where they were assembled by workers of the factory. Here is the financial report of how we spent the resources you transferred: Amount received at the bank account of Shoumen Rotary Club 495 $ Bank taxes for incoming transfer 16 $ Amount we received from Shoumen Rotary Club 479 $ Currency rate USD / Bulgarian Lev 1.00 USD = 1.60 BGL Amount we received in Bulgarian Currency 766 BGL Price of a crib after discount 110 BGL (approx 69 USD) Total value for all 7 cribs 770 BGL (approx 481 USD) Mebel-Gen has issued an invoice in favour of Shoumen Rotaract Club for the 7 cribs, which I will fax to you together with a translation copy. Till the end of this week you will also receive a letter from Dr. Bitzova, who would like to thank you for your contribution to the Shoumen Orphanage. I'm also sending you some pictures, which I took yesterday. On behalf of all Shoumen Rotaractors and the Shoumen Orphanage I would like to express our gratitude to Monroe Rotary Club and all of you who helped improve the living conditions of the kids here. Special thanks to you, Josephine and Edward, who coordinated this project. We, at Shoumen Rotaract Club would be very happy to continue working with you on the orphanage project in the future. Again, thank all of you! Best regards, Juliana Popova President of Rotaract Club of Shoumen The Rotary Club of Monroe has been involved with the Shoumen Orphanage for about three years, previously buying 92 sets of sheets for the children. We are mindful of Mark Potts’ importance to this effort. Mark was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria, and it was Mark who contacted the Orphan Train Project about finding a conductor group. We are fortunate to have found the caring people of Monroe.
TIM TIFFANY FAMILY GIFT ARRIVES AT SHIROKA LUKAPreviously, we reported on the “Whistle Stops” Page of this website a gift from the Tim Tiffany Family of $500 to be used at the Katya Vancheva Orphanage in Bulgaria. Orphan Train Intermediary Marie Halbherr and the International Women’s Club of Sofia made sure the gift was accomplished. Marie recently forwarded numerous items, including receipts for purchases, pictures, drawings by the children, a letter from the Director and a special certificate for Mr. Tiffany. The gift was used to purchase a set of underwear, a shirt, 2 pairs of socks, a bath towel, a pair of bathroom shoes and a pair of in-house slippers for each child. As a result of the Tiffany Family’s generosity, it was a wonderful Christmas at the Shiroka Luka Orphanage. The following is a letter from the director: 7 January 2004 The Director, the staff and the children of the Home for Care and Education of Children Without Parents “Katya Vancheva, Shiroka Laka, Smolyan Region wish to express our great gratitude for the donation which you so kindly sent us. The hearts of fifty-five children living amidst the Rhodopes mountains felt warmth and happiness. They would always remember the kind care and attention with you tried to improve their daily life. Your donation has a special social significance. It shows us the way to a better and more spiritual world. Our children will carry in their hearts the faith that human dignity, love and kindness will always be a part of their lives. We sincerely thank you for the warm compassion and generosity towards the children of unequal social status. We would like to wish you health and Rhodopean longevity. Sincerely Stanislav Shikov Director
INTERACT CLUB OF SUN PRAIRIE HELPS KULA ORPHANAGEThe Sun Prairie High School Interact Club, pictured left to right: Gustie Sarganski, Paja Yang (Treasurer), Douchi Yank (Secretary), Jessica Meske, Jennifer Bykowski (SPHS Club Advisor), Mera Domer (President), Fernando Zanchet (Brazilian Rotary Exchange Student) and Rotarian Mary Kay Von Allmen. The Sun Prairie High School Interact Club has decided to make their largest donation to date of $1000 to the Kula, Bulgarian Orphanage they have been supporting since 1998. Rotarian Ambassador, Mary Kay Von Allmen, will take the money to the orphanage in April, 2004. The money will be used to buy sewing machines, kitchen utensils and fruit trees for an orchard. Over 9200 Interact clubs are sponsored by Rotary in 114 countries.
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