Well here we are in another new year, 2015 was a great year we had lots of support and help in Bulgaria.  Now it is time to start knitting project for Easter so I have completed 67 knitted chicks see below.  I will bring back what I can in mini eggs  from the UK unless I can get simular here of course.

and neighbours will be knitting them too so we can distribute to all the orphanages, disability centres and the poor in the villages.  Normally they would be yellow or white but as I have lots of little bits of wool left over from donations thought do different colours.  Makes a change eh!


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Got over 100 of these knitted now and the friends and neighbours in UK and BG have all joined in.  All we need now are the cream eggs

  How lucky are we!  Our lovely lady Suzanne and her Mum n Peterborough knitted  these 39 chicks and stuffed them with choc eggs and also gave me 26 eggs for the other chicks.  Fab eh!  

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Dougie and I sorted packed labelled and palleted the 4 pallets and send to storage yesterday to include the mini Easter Eggs for the chicks yepeee.  Planning on sending the lot to BG on 8th April.   We had not intended in collecting this year but found loads waiting for us when we got home to the UK so had no choice but to store or send, leaving in storage for up to 18 months would be too long so decided to send everything we had and tell people NO MORE COLLECTIONS until further notice........ Thanks to everyone who help us again this year with donations you did great      

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Well done you guys and well done to all those who have helped and donated

Loading all set for Friday. Once I get my passport back we will follow and hopefully be in time for the unloading.

Loading all done and the 4.1/2  pallets are on their way, unfortunately we will not be there to meet them this time as I still have no passport which was due on Thursday - spoke with the embassy after waiting on the line for 36 mins and they apologised as they missed the deadline but will put it on priority however, they cannot gtd when I will get it.  We have to be out of our house by Thursday so no idea where we will go than..  

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The load left UK on 8th of April 2016 and it arrived unexpectely today Sunday 17th April and do you think anyone was about to help with the unloading of course not, so Dougie and I struggled for a while, the driver needed to get off so we unloaded everything onto the grass as he could not get near enough to the hall. Thankfully Petu arrived along with Philip and one of the older boys from the orphanage. Rilitiza and her two children also came to help We started at 9.30 and Dougie and I have only just finished.

So much for taking it easy today....... Still it is all sorted now and neately/safely stacked out of the way in the community hall so the concerert they had planned can go ahead without falling over boxes.

The project for the new disability home has already opened but as yet we have not been invited to attend.  We did all the Easter chicks filled with cream eggs for all the oprhanags and new homes here in Silistra, but because we had to pick up the donated massage bed for the Disability Day centre we could not be there to distribute the eggs when all the organisations met that afternoon so we left them with Director Tanya and asked her to tell them we need photos.  Sadly we never got any photos and strangely enough not one organisation has contacted us to say thank you, hence I am very dissapointed. Many people donated the chocolate eggs and we knitted the chicks so naturally we were expecting to see photos.  Maybe it is just an oversight and when we see them again I will ask.

As you know the Dimcho Debelianov will be closing as of 1st July 2016 and the chidlren will be going to a new smaller home. It will accommodate upto 14 children the rest will be sent back to family members.  It is sad to see the Dimcho go, but it will be great for the children to have a home enviorment and now they got used to the idea, they are looking forward to the move..

Well I am totally flabbergassed It is so difficult to get this last load distributed only because we have no small children and Knit for Peace send me 27 sacks of knitted items but we were only expecting 10 sacks. Also all our big orphanages have closed and now we have smaller homes some of the itmes will go there but to be fair they don't need them so would rather give to someone who does. I contacted social services for them to take all items and donate accordingly but they say they have no children but will find out where they can go and send the mayors to collect. We agreed as long as we have stamped receipt paperwork.

We have had two collections so far and tomorrow Aydimir will be collecting some of the items. Transport seems to be their problem. So glad we did not bring a lot of items this year.

1st July 2016 Obstina Government Council directors Maria Stoicheva and Deni Mihaylova came to the community hall to view the doantions from the UK
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6th July 2016 Today the Mayor of Yodanavo Vedat Sali arrived at the village community hall at midday to collect 17 bag/boxes we sroted out for the them. 8 sacks of children's beautifully knitted jumpers, hats, blankets, sofa covers and the rest was various items from our own personal donations dishes, sleeping bags, dvd players, etc. The Mayor Vedat, was very pleased and said a very big thank you. So thanks a million Knit for Knitfor Peace you did great.... I hope the Mayor will follow up with some photos of distributions as I have requested
Bernadette Leggett's photo.

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4th Aug 2016 Mayor of Stratsimir Georgi Petrov received the crutches, walking sticks, walking frames donated from John Wynn, David Woolley along with a pair sheets and as small box of plasters, bandages, collton wool etc collected from several others. The Mayor says thank you to everyone for the gifts, they will go to the doctor.
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Well finally Ayidmire came to pick up some goods from the community hall - they send a small van so they will have to make several trips. Seems like they are not bothered about getting items this year , they don't seem to be bother about wanting the items this year. I am having so much trouble getting rid of the 4 pallets we brought in Apirl and as the items were donated for the orphanages and disability centres I cannot distribute elsewhere unless I the donors give me permission, hence I am going though Social Services I was hoping they would take everything and give me the necessary paperwork but that is not happening either, they don't want responsibility so they searched for places with children and send the mayor and a van to pick up stuff. The Mayors brings stamped paperwork.

I am glad we only brough a small load this year. Since being here since April, we have not been invited to any of the events, parties etc at any of the homes or disability centres, we spent lots of time preparing the Easter chicks and eggs we deliverd to one home and asked for photos but noone send us a thank you or a photo, we are very dissapointed as are our donors. I think now Social Services have taken over all the establishments they do not seem to want direct outside contact. So we wait and see what happens next....

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