– Tim Sharpe

Last month I spent a week in Romania with Belief in Action, I was joining a team of mainly Occupational Therapists, and the trip was centred around the sorting of disability and medical equipment.

The main objective of the week, was to sort out a large warehouse full of equipment that was either needing repair, used for spares or scrapped.

The main Belief in Action warehouse is fairly small, so when a lorry arrives from the UK, a decision has to be made if the items can be used straight away, or stored elsewhere until needed.

We were also able to arrange for a number of local old peoples homes, to come and collect items they could make use of, as they have limited access to equipment.

I also helped with some distribution to a local village.

The trip was particularly useful, as it gave me an insight into the process that is in place for receiving equipment in Romania, and the fact that unfortunately the team don’t have enough time and resources to deal with items that need more than basic repair, so we need to in the future be more selective what we send, and maybe try and do some repairs in the UK.

Dear Supporters,

Richard Geary, along with Trust stalwart Dennis Higgins, Steven Puleston (Richard’s nephew) and Roger Shelton, have just returned from a challenging three weeks in Nicaragua building a new classroom in memory of Richard’s late sister and Roger’s wife, Jacq, who was a passionate early year’s teacher. This new facility is a very fitting memorial.

The project had been suggested by the school when Richard, Will and Fi were visiting last February, but it was only a week before flying out that the final permission to go ahead was granted. The school was originally built by the Trust eight years ago to rehouse 90 children and their teachers who had been forced to re-locate when the owners of their former buildings wanted to develop the site. Since then, the school has grown and grown. It now educates over 240 pupils and is consequently in desperate need of more classroom space, especially for reception children. When the Trust was offered a legacy to honour Jacq, the project seemed a perfect fit and Roger even found himself signing up for three weeks hard labour to help build it.

The site
The site
The finished build

The team were joined by old friends of the Trust, Ensword and Norvin, along with several newcomers, along with parents and grandparents from the school. They started by clearing the site. It seemed wherever they dug there were palm tree roots in the way. This put them behind schedule immediately but by working long hours, including  weekends, they were still able to produce this stunning building.

The school wanted to thank the team for their efforts, so they threw a party to celebrate the classroom’s completion. It was great fun and very emotional. Roger gave a speech, the essence of which is in his following testimonial:

‘Heartbreaking, humbling and very rewarding. I was unsure what to expect and shocked at what I initially saw in terms of the living conditions. This was however offset by the resilience that was shown and the feeling that the people strive to better themselves and their children. I will never forget that in the face of adversity the people were still openly friendly, cheerful and the children always had smiles on their faces. They have a true trust in the Lord.

I make no apologies to say again that Jacq always said that every child has a place in this world, and it is a teacher’s job to help them find that place. The teachers I saw truly believe that as well and despite the conditions do an outstanding job in this regard. Hopefully we can continue to support them in the future.’

Things remain tough for the locals. The team were delighted to be able to buy stone from the rock breakers. This picture shows a pupil of the school alongside her grandmother who is working away, despite having a broken hip.

The tip remains a concern. The school educates the children of families that work here in dreadful conditions.

The trust is sponsoring several trainee teachers from the rural communities. These students often arrive at college with only the clothes they stand up in. We are providing them with professional clothes, along with stationery and equipment.

Margaret Storey has completed another set of 40 maternity kits which she distributed to the new mums at the Casa Materna in Bluefields on 29th May. It was a joyous occasion. There were three sets of twins, so naturally these mums got two packs each. Everyone also got a crochet red heart to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Yadira has not been well and recently part of her house collapsed. The team were able to arrange new materials and employ a couple of local builders to do the necessary repairs. We are delighted to report that Yadira seems to be on the mend.

The shop is going well, with plenty of stock coming in -and sometimes straight out within a couple of hours! BUT we’ve been having to close some afternoons due to our regular volunteers not being able to cover the whole month of May, and as the holiday season approaches the shop may be closed more often unless we can encourage our wider base of supporters to help us out a little.

We would really welcome any supporters who live locally (Ross/Hereford/Monmouth)

This is a great way to support the work of the Trust -and even a few hours a week or month would help us to raise valuable funds. Finding the sign ‘Sorry closed today’ won’t raise any funds at all, and our regular customers will go elsewhere! Full training is given. If you are interested in learning more, please email Ruth Gibbins on ruth@peaceandhope.org.uk.

The Warehouse Team continue to be busy collecting, sorting and distributing equipment. The container full of useful items sent to the Philippines, which I reported on in March, has arrived safely. Thank you again to Marrisa Dowding and Gorsley Chapel.  Tim Sharpe’s report about his recent trip to Romania is being sent out with this newsletter. The Trust partners with Belief in Action in sending out mobility aids and other useful equipment to Romania. This partnership may develop into helping other parts of the world soon.

Thank you all for your continued support and generosity. Will Hanks will@peaceandhope.org.uk