Hertingfordbury Parish News: October 2003

Convoy 2000 in 2003

CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA A THANK YOU FROM AMWELL ROTARY CLUB & FRIENDS

As I sit and write this, some six weeks have passed since our return from Romania and yet it seems like only yesterday. This year we visited the City of Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and worked to build an outside playground for deaf nursery school children and also to improve recreational facilities for the teenagers at the city's Vocational School – many of whom are also either deaf or disabled.

Thanks to the efforts of our friends in England, St Mary's Hertingfordbury amongst them, we were able to fill a trailer with forty tons of equipment and supplies. Watching as this was unloaded was an amazing experience and the supplies that you donated will all be put to good use. The teachers at the Vocational School are looking forward to being able to offer new courses in hairdressing and catering and the classes in dressmaking will be much enhanced by the many swathes of donated cloths and material that were taken up to the storage area in the classroom block.

All in all, it was a very worthwhile week. The team members certainly worked hard, and in temperatures often above 40°C – at one stage we were worried that we would not be able to get everything finished in time but, with a little bit of luck, everything finally came together on our final day!

Be assured that your gifts and donations are very much appreciated by both the teaching staff and the children. Even thirteen years after the revolution things remain hard for the average Romanian and there is still a need for projects such as ours – projects that help to engender an attitude for positive change, and that provide the means and the wherewithal to achieve that end.

On behalf of the young people of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, our sincere thanks to everyone who helped with this year's Convoy 2000 projects. Here's looking forward to next year!

Kay Juniper

Please note: Although the Hertingfordbury Parish News is produced by St. Mary's PCC, the opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC.