September/October trip report
Sunday, October 15th
Flight back via Munich, where I will stay a week for business. 🙄
Saturday, October 14th
We succeeded in finishing the purchase of the Montessori material at the market of Nikolaiev, not without difficulty. The remainder of the day was devoted to the assessment of the voyage and to the accounting.
Friday, October 13th
We spent the day trying to resolve the many last open points and to return to the Baby House of Nikolaiev. Great news: director Olga Ivanovna is invited to a series of seminars on health in Germany and Switzerland! Partly thanks to our assistance, she will leave tomorrow for a long trip by bus which will take her among other places also to Zurich, Bern and Geneva!
Thursday, October 12th
We are back in Nikolaiev where I start to feel at home, after touring the Ukraine for 10 days. We spent a half day at the gigantic market in Odessa to purchase more things for the Montessori class. Now we are dead.
Wednesday, October 11th
A long car drive today, that brought us from Zhytomyr to Odessa, via Kiev. We went briefly to the French embassy (for Sylvie ;-)) and we also visited the Montessori school, which is likewise the training centre for teachers. We received from them all necessary information for the project in Nikolaiev, although the reception was “cold” at first, before they recognized what we wanted from them.
Tuesday, October 10th
Today we visited the ‘school internat’ (boarding school) of Zhytomyr, which is right next door to the Baby House. The reception was rather cold, because they know neither us nor the American association, which we represented! This school is in a super condition and they have only a few large projects, which we could consider, even though certain needs exist and help is always welcome.
Monday, October 9th
Today we visited a model orphanage as regards to pedagogic means. Thanks to “very” generous donations the Baby House in Zhytomir has educational structures at a level completely comparable with those we know here. We extensively visited the orphanage and I still have difficulties to believe it….
This orphanage is unique in so far that one of the principal requests relates to the staff training and not to improve the infrastructure! Even the places which the director would like to renovate are in better shape than most of the recently renovated parts of the other orphanages which we know. I hope that the photographs to come will express better than my words what we felt at the time of this visit.
Sunday, October 8th
We spent a relaxed and sunny day in Kiev, where we met several contacts.
Then we took the best road that I ever saw in Ukraine to drive to Zhytomyr where our scheduled activities will continue.
Saturday, October 7th
The day was well filled with the visit of the Baby House in Kremenchuk. During the visit we mainly discussed with director the project of the laundry renovation and how she wishes to see things evolving.
We then took the road to Kiev where we arrived in evening.
Friday, October 6th
Today we had the first rainy day of this stay. Gérard Lagraulet left early in the morning for Kiev by train.
During the remaining day we completed administrative tasks for the projects in Kharkov.
Now we are on the way to our next stop at Kremenchuk!
Thursday, October 5th
We spent today the last day with Gérard Lagraulet from Aquassitance. Afterwards we were on the market and searched extensively for lamps for the Montessori project.
Amazingly, we are still on schedule with the work according to the original plan.
Wednesday, October 4th
We spent the 2 last days together with the French specialist of Aquassitance. We examined the work already accomplished with the Clear water drilling project in Zeleniy Gay and we tried to understand the situation of the water supply of the municipality of Visoky. The specialist likewise performed some quality analyses, which showed that the work done is of high quality and corresponds to the needs of the orphanage.
For the municipality we launch a new request for support with Aquassistance, since it concerns such a large project.
Monday, October 2nd
Today we spent a sunny and quiet half day in Kharkov. We recovered from yesterday’s trip and we spent an hour or two touring the city. Our French visitor has arrived, even ahead of schedule!
Sunday, October 1st
After a very long trip we arrived well in Kharkov, like always with some cold sweats. The weather is beautiful and rather warm.
Saturday, September 30th
Today we spent the day in Odessa together with Inna Dmitrieva, the educational chief of the Nikolaiev Baby House. We emptied nearly the whole specialized Montessori toy shop. We returned exhausted and we will go early to bed, before tomorrow’s extremely long trip by car to Kharkov.
Friday, September 29th
Today we traveled with a new entrepreneur to the Baby House of Kherson, in order to receive a third proposal for the exchange of the windows. We start this project with for the time being 10 replaced windows, as soon as we decided for an enterprise.
We experienced heavy rain on the way and the temperature sank noticeably, but the cordial reception by director Svetlana Petrovna compensated this!
Thursday, September 28th
Again an other day is past. Largest success is that Vika received at home finally a high-speed Internet access (512 kbits/s). We discussed, selected and ordered also furniture for the Montessori class. Today it was grey with a shower, but the weather is still good.
We had today an interesting discussion with the people in the Nikolaiev Baby House. 5 years ago when we first visited in the year 2001, diapers, vitamin tablets and fresh vegetable and fruits were missing. Today the material needs are taken care off and we discuss educationally needs and different therapy forms. What a development…
Wednesday, September 27th
One more day was used for equipping the Montessori class. We have (and will continue!) searched for curtains, carpets and lamps everywhere on the market in Nikolaiev. Today it was nice and warm with 25°C.
It is always difficult to plan realistically and one must be really flexible. But the days are so more than filled.
Tuesday, September 26th
We spent the whole day on the topic “Montessori”! We met Inna Dmitrieva, the educational chief of the Nikolaiev Baby House, which will take the Montessori training course and together we went to the market to buy suitable toys. At the common lunch with director Olga Ivanovna we were able to discuss different aspects of the new projects. The water therapy and the sensory therapy are being implemented at the moment (thanks to another sponsor) and for next year she has already a further project, this time in the external area.
Monday, September 25th
Today we visited the Nikolaiev Baby House for the first time, where we could visit the last two parts of the kitchen renovation, which we realized this year. We also talked with the director about coming projects, about the changes of the number of children and about the change in their health conditions since our last visit. It rained, but it is still hot.
Saturday September 23th
Pascal has traveled by train from Fribourg to Zürich, from where he flew via Prague to Odessa. The trip went without problem, although the airplane was delayed for half an hour in Prague. Vika has pick up Pascal in Odessa by car and they have arrived well in Nikolaiev, where it rained.
Pascal is currently staying in a 2-room flat, that Vika has started to nicely renovate. It is still hot, despite the rain and they are eating dinner on the terrace.
Pascal is on a new marathon of approximately 3 weeks (from September 23 to October 15) across the whole country.
