Saturday Oct 17 - from Coxy
We met a father today on one of our drops who told us of his 8 year old son who was born without any arms; he took us to the boys school to meet him. He was in a maths class writing with his feet. We were told that he would benefit from a computer so Jeff Gill has offered to build him one. His wish is to have arms like his mates - we will follow up and see what else we can do to help him.

Saturday Oct 17 - from Bev
ROBIN HOOD update for Saturday. Out with Miranda and Viv together with Bethany Church from Gjakove. Three drops to 46 Roma families and 23 Albanian families - the last living in a 'Slovenian' village. All were very grateful for our help. Out last night with all of the hosts and helpers. This included lots of excellent entertainment from the group from Elvis (Paul), Miranda and Anna, Alan, Dave Smith, Tricia, Jeff, Bill, Vanessa and Zef. What a talented lot!

Saturday Oct 17 - from Sarah Oliver
A lovely day distributing aid to 74 elderly Serb and Bosniak families in remote mountain villages; the walking sticks and Zimmer frames went like hot cakes! Very very poor so was great to make a tiny difference. Particularly enjoyed leaving a wonderful double pocket sprung mattress. We were thanked with a bag of walnuts and a bottle of slivovitz.

Saturday Oct 17 - from Jonathan James and Caroline Button
Met a very helpful Roma girl today who took us back to her house and showed us her guitar. I tried to tune it for her but broke a string. She really wanted to learn to play so we bought her new strings and a tuner and gave her a lesson.

Saturday Oct 17: 08.15 - from Celia Whelan
Two contrasting days of deliveries. On a bright sunny Thursday we drove to two Serbian mountain villages to deliver food, clothes shoes and bedding. This was also our first try at delivering the reading glasses from Boots. With our newspaper eye chart, some help from an interpreter and miming we successfully helped the adults who needed them, much to their delight. We had the same experience in both villages and headed back tired but pleased at how well it had gone.
24 hours later and it was a rainy muddy day to deliver to over 70 Roma families on wasteland in a Prizren side street. A very excitable crowd obviously in need with many in very worn shoes and clothes.

The food aid went well if noisily. The volume rose when we tried to distribute the clothes and shoes until fearing for the safety of the children and elderly, in what was a large crowd pushing and shoving we decided to leave. We were never in any personal danger and had some laughs with the crowd. The aid was taken to the local Mother Theresa Society office to be given out later to these families under more controlled conditions. Although made as a safety choice, we left feeling sad that we hadn't been able to personally complete the drop. No chances for the glasses either as we would have been mobbed.
A good team on both days

Saturday Oct 17: 07.52 - from Coxy
In 1999 I met Maragona and her family at a refugee centre in Albania where they had fled to avoid the fighting. She was three years old and has cataracts in both eyes. I helped to bring her to England for operations but lost touch when she returned home to her village near Gjakove. I was unable to find her in this village but in the next one I found a boy who goes to school with her. He took me to her family home for an emotional reunion. She is now 14.

Friday Oct 16: 20.32 - Update from John Desty
SEA DOG went to two remote villages north or Peja yesterday and did a drop to 57 Serbian families. Blue skies and a really great atmosphere, Drops to Roma in Prizren today ending with a great visit to the Hader Centre.

Friday Oct 16 - Update from ROBIN HOOD
Day started with more embassy calls. HELLO KITTY now transiting Macedonia to Serbia. ROBIN HOOD with Christna and Roger went to Shtimle Mental Institution to deliver the final laundry equipment to complete the project we started last Easter. En-route we lost two mirrors! Provided various cleaning and toiletries, clothing shoes and blankets to main institution. At the childrens home we delivered a washing machine and dryer, teenage clothes and school materials. All children at school excited by machines etc. Burim looked really well, saw photos of him and friends on recent holiday in Albania which Berat (Institute Director) organised.

Thursday Oct 15 - Update from Bev
ROBIN HOOD out with RUBBER DUCK and Hilary, Miranda and Anna to a Roma community outside Peja - 102 families in limited space off back of two trucks. A great community and a good drop. Chas had limited time with us distributing due to more challenges at the border with HELLO KITTY who is on the way back to UK. Four hours of call were made to various embassies etc.
Reading spectacle and vision testing apparatus worked really well thanks to additional translation and help from Samaritans Purse. A non-stop day living off (more) chocolate!

Thursday Oct 15, 18.47 - from Charlie Lewry
GONZALES did three good drops to the area NE of Pec. Highlights: we were able to give a soft toy to a blind girl and kit out an elderly mentally disabled man with a warm coat and new boots, he couldn't believe his luck and his face was a picture. Also left some aid with the Missionaries of Charity convent and a kindergarten.

Wednesday Oct 14, 17.45 - from Charlie Lewry
After last nights late arrival at the hotel, the driving crews have had a bit of a lie in but at 11.00 we all set off for the warehouse about 2km away. Lots of introductions and reunions took place, as all of the sections of the team finally met up. The warehouse is a great facility being large enough to get all of the trucks in as well as having plenty of space to unload and categorise all of the aid. All trucks were unloaded and, before dark, reloaded in readiness for tomorrow's distribution. NIBSY went out and delivered to two schools today with a group of the volunteers.

The Gjakove area where we are based only revealed how beautiful it is when we got up this morning to spectacular views of snow topped mountains from our hotel windows. Hopefully the snow will remain on the mountains and not lower down as is threatened. According to the news Belgrade had significant snowfalls just after we passed through yesterday. We are now back at the hotel to a well earned beer and an evening meal before starting the distribution in earnest tomorrow.

Wednesday Oct 14, 10.00 - from Doreen in Kosovo
By txt Doreen confirms that the convoy finally got to the hotel in Gjakove at 04.00 this morning.

WednesdayOct 14, 06.39 - from Dave Smith in Kosovo
By txt Dave confirms that all air crew arrived safely yesterday and HGV's unloaded

Tuesday Oct 13 at 23.00 from Doreen with the main convoy

All trucks now at the Serb side of the Kosovo border awaiting clearance. It has been a long day for all with a 2 hour drive to Gjakova still ahead.

Monday Oct 12; 21:30, Serbia
Most of today has been spent on customs formalities moving from Hungary into Serbia. The convoy met up with Paul late afternoon at the Horgas border point (our second border point of the day). After some discussion with the customs team at Tompa this morning, the convoy was asked to divert to Horgas.
At this time, all trucks have now finally cleared customs formalities apart from the last 40 tonner. All items on the 40 tonner have been cleared apart from 10 tons of rice. A fax is expected around 10am Tuesday to release this last load.
Plan for Tuesday is for the main convoy to wait for Paul to be cleared before departing south through Serbia to the Kosovan border.

Monday Oct 12;  8.45am, Subotica, Serbia
Everyone had a hotel breakfast today! All 7.5 toners left this morning at 8.30am. Robin Hood, Sea Dog and Mars are staying with Late Entry until customs documents are cleared for the rice.

The entire convoy will re-form later today to cross the Kosovan border.