We Dougie and I are giving a party for the children in the 7 villages around us on 19th Dec at the new furbished Community Hall, w are very excited.  We plus Ginka and Yvanka have been knitting, sewing squares in to blankets, knitting small xmas socks then we filled all 130 gift bags with the toys we brought over for the children back in May.  We have also decorated the hall with our own xmas trees, decorations we use to have ourside our house in UK people used to come for miles to see the decorations. Today we put up 3 trees and tomorrow we will make new curtains for the stage.  So we have done lots of preperation work. I have been buying party food a little at a time but have asked for help from local business and government and friends etc but I AM TOTALLY shocked as only one person has come forward to help us and that was the ex deputy governor who's friend supplied us with 120 gift bags.  The party is for all the children in the villages who really have very little or nothing.  I just don't understand why people are not helping  

Golly Gosh!!!!!!!!!!! It is real hard work trying to get Bulgarian's to support us with this party we are not asking for much just some food and drinks for goodness sake, we ahve done all the hard work ourselves, sorting and filling bags for 130 children, putting the decorations up, making curtains and table cloths etc etc. If each village donated 6 bottles of of pop at 1.5lev each we would have 42 bottles even a loaf of bread at 1lev i can't seem to make them understand that every little helps. I have contacted the media now so we will see how it goes...

I am getting very dispondant and feel we have achieved nothing or changed their way of thinking over the past 7 years

Here are our new curtains. Not bad eh! Trying to drill these walls was like trying to dig a road up with a fork, it was so hard poor Dougie was shattered....

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Is Dougie using a hammer drill with decent masonary bits? I've done heaps of drilling into very tough concrete and brick walls and that's the only way to do it.

Good luck with trying to get people motivated...

Yes Bazz the only problem is he is up high and the angle was very difficult to get full pressure on the drill. But we got there little by little..

Had a response from our Mayor today he will donate some smaller items and he has contacted someone who will donated the 5kg of each white and yellow cheese. Friend from Gerb political group also contacted me and they will let me know tomorrow what they will donated so things are looking up fingers cross eh

justbazz wrote:

I have had several British friends and sponsors contact me to say they will pay for the food etc how wonderful However, this is not what I want WHAT we need is the community to pull together and do this for the children...... I just don't know what's wrong with people. Last night I received a reply from the Deputy Mayor of Silistra to say I am to contact our own Mayor and he will talk to them about it. Should also here back from GERB policital group today so we will see.... Flipping good job I am not asking them to fill the gift bags with toys eh Poor children would have nothing for xmas

Great news:::   We appear to have all the food and soft drink we need now for the childrens party. Earlier in the week I ask our Mayor to help and see if he can get the other Mayors to help with something on the list I had drawn up.  Today he called me to his office to tell me they have all come forward now and it looks like the list is complete.  He is really enjoying this and delighted that people are coming forward. This is something very new to him.
I have a few more people wanting to buy items so will get extras like chicken nugges and sausages on stick etc My director friend of The Silistra Theatre has also confirmed they will come to the village to do a pupped show for the children and we also have Father Christmas coming so should be a good day... Very excited now and faith has been restored

Next week we start Santa workshop at the orphanages and fill all the Christmas stocking ready for another party on 23rd and on the same evening we have our own party in the hall for the villagers and on 25th I have 14 people so far to xmas dinner so we will be busy, busy, busy

Oh thankfully the Orphanages party has been changed to the 22nd so we will have time to be with them all day instead of rushing off to our own village party.

Yesterday we went to the White Dove orphanage and filled the 14 bags for the chidlren there from the boxes we sent over in May. Then we also filled the bags for the 8 teenagers in the small home as they will all be at the xmas party on 22nd. next week we will go to the Dimcho and do theirs....

The Youth Organisation Group GERB has come forward to offer us help with additional foods treats for the children's community party so we will go shopping next week and anything unopened left over will go to the orphanage party on 22nd So everyone wins It's hard work trying to juggle everything about here

We decorated the hall in our village but our village is split into two villages with one Mayor. I have kept items for the second part of the village and will give them the additonal items we are not using, but I am finding it very hard to get by the caretaker of the hall to co operate with me, although we are one village he is not wanting me to give them anything so I have had to make a point in telling him we are helping them and if he is not happy about this then I will explain the reason why the next village have not had any stuff to the Mayor who, by the way is getting rather put out that everything is going to our hall and nothing to theirs.... FUNNY the caretaker is in agreement with me now Guess I just have to be a little smarter than him eh!

Some sweeties ready for the party

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All sorted now Berni...or do you need a hand with anything??

Thank you Bazz everything done,

WOW!! what a day, it was briliant, Silistra Theatre came and they included the children with everything. The children had a fab time. Father Christmas turned up too.  We will be on tv tomorrow channel 1 I think. but I should get a link so will post.  We were awarded all sorts of certificates including one for the the City Mayor and they sent us chocolates and biscuits for the children..  This morning at 6.45am we went to the hall and finished off preparing the sandwiches. We had so much food and they all seem to love it and it made a change for BG food.  I have added  few photos

The food 4 massive tables like this
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The turnout over 100 children
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Well done, both of you!

All nicely rested now and will start getting sorted for White Dove disability orphanage and all the orphanages for tomorrow Party. Then have to got to the hall again on Wed morning to prepare the hall for the evening village party we are giving but somehow the Mayor has taken over so not sure whats going on now. It started off with just our village we, the ladies and I have all been busy thoughout the summer knitting and sewing so every family has a present for xmas, then we spent 3 days sorting and wrapping. No children this time only adults.  

Unfortnately the Mayors tend to turn these events into a political social event which really annoys me - The obstinia municipality people come along they are given the top table and waited on hand and foot.  I have told our ladies we will all be sitting at the top table (not serving anyone)  and if they come then the need to be treated like everyone else, they said ok but I KNOW this won't happen so I might have to grind my teeth a few times and look the other way,  so please say a few small prayers I can keep my mouth shut I will keep reminding myself 'this is Bulgaria you are a guest at your own party '

You got to laugh eh

Go girl!!! Don't worry about keeping your mouth shut...if it needs saying, just say it.