Friday 17^th October 2008

Up date from Bill.
Another good day for Nibsy. We drove down to Gjilani where we visited the largest school we have faced yet. They had 1018 pupils but very few consumables. Their blackboards were so faded that chalk wouldn't write. We were very well received and the school choir sang a welcome song for us.
Bill, Norman and Hillary, who joined Nibsy for the day, thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Tomorrow we will be visiting another large school - about 750 pupils.

From Charles.
C-Dog (John and Charles) went to some remote villages up in the mountains in the Lipian region. One Serbian village and the other Albanian, a total of 62 families. The people were lovely, patient and pleased to see them, and John and Charles felt they had a good day with their deliveries.

From Bev.
Robin Hood (Chas and Bev) with Anna and Lumi, delivered aid to 96 Albanian and Serbian families in Ferizaj, working with mercy corps, US and Greek army troops. They had a good day with good delivery drops. Crews from three trucks, Mars, Pirates and Robin Hood had to be collected by Simon from the warehouse as one of the minibuses broke down! They are looking forward to their evening meal and a chance to relax.

Dawn's report on Busby
Dawn and Tom took aid for 89 families all located in the Pristina area. Every family had at least one blind person. The Kosovan Pristina Blind Association identified them as in need. The association receives no funding but with the help of an occasional NGO, have managed to gain a computer and printer and are also running a teaching programme to teach some blind people English. This is done with the support of a Swiss NGO and the Finnish helped provide the computers. These people are not only poor, but also are more unlikely to gain employment than able bodied, as in a country with 80% unemployment it leaves many relying on charity and the extended family. The gratified expressions was reward enough and we felt we had found a valuable place to deliver to people desperate for help living in dire conditions. However we also noted when we talked with the President of the organisation, that they had 4 priority cases of Families. The first was a blind father with a deaf and dumb wife and 3 children. Only the 21year old son has manual work, and the money he provides, allows them to live day to day at best. The second family had 12 members of which 5 were blind. The husband works to support the whole family but they are again much in need. A third family had both a blind husband and son and a deaf and dumb wife and another son. They have no work and rely on 80 euros per month for them all. A fourth family had a blind mother, disabled father, and 3 children again surviving all on 80euros per month with no work. We will be asking the Mother Theresa Society to assess them all prior to our next trip.

Bill's report on Nibsy.
This morning saw us in Magura a mining village where we delivered to the school. Then this evening we returned to Gylajni to meet one of their requests for tables.
Tomorrow we have one last delivery to Clementine Roma school which will see the completion of our school programme for this convoy. So far we have delivered aid to over 3000 children.
It has been much colder today with occasional light rain. Nice Normans health has improved significantly today.

Celia's report. (Flying team member)
I helped to distribute aid to 60 families at Podguirice. I realised the importance of the pre packing of the aid in boxes, not bags, and the contents clearly marked on the lid. Many recipients were very pleased with what they given. We learnt about their living conditions, missing family members which was very sad. It was hard work, but a good crew working well with local agents.

Charles' report on C-Dogs
Charles John and Coxy had an enjoyable day delivering aid to two groups. One was a small mixed area and the second a large Roma camp near Fushe Kosove. We were quite apprehensive about the large camp, but it was a pleasure to go there as it was the most well behaved group we have ever experienced. They waited patiently and quietly while the family boxes were prepared and came forward to collect their boxes when their name was called. The children were a delight, many of them wanting their photo taken with Coxy! Several of the villagers helped with the distribution of aid into the boxes.
This afternoon we delivered some wool and sewing machines to the charity Women for Women in Pristina. This group train single women to be self-sufficient.

Antony. in Frantic, went to buy 2 tonnes of food, but managed to get 4 tonnes for the same price! All but three trucks are loaded and ready to do the same again tomorrow.

Thursday 16^th October 2008
From Dawn
After a long and delayed journey with breakdowns we arrive to a wonderful welcome from our hosts and glorious sunshine to bathe in while we set about unloading sorting and reloading trucks in anticipation of the first day of drops. Having all headed off to meet with our relevant guides, interpreters and KFOR presence we now split the 9 lorries into many different directions. The American KFOR plus either MTS or UNHCR go off with 3 lorries and then UNHCR and MTS set off with the rest into the south and eastern areas.
We are now off to drop two pallets of medical supplies to Dr Mary Packer who is out here running an outreach support and advice centre. her friends and former colleagues in hospitals up and down the UK have given us medical equipment to support her efforts.
This done we move swiftly on to the Macedonian Border of Kosovo to a village called Kotline. The village lies deep in the valley with undulating mountain ranges to one side and a poor unconstructed road to the village. As the 7.5 tonne lorry can not go off-road, we have assembled the village with the village head near the main road.
There were 223 people and 44 families with anything from 3 to 16 members with an average of 7 and most with 3 or more children. This village is very poor and the affects of the poor Kosovan economy means not one of the men can work. At best some receive from 40-60 euros a month to support their family, the rest get nothing.
I am amazed at these Albanians. They are cheerful but polite patient and respectful. They do not shove or push and they wait until their name is called. We have decided due to the fact they are so well behaved to allow them to choose some shoes and clothes and a toy for each child whilst we assemble a piles of bedding and food. Sadly this year the food is less than we could wish for and it becomes clearer as we continue that what we have offered can only be a gesture of our good will and they clearly need more support. Yet throughout they smiled and worked as a team. It was inspiring to see.
We are lucky, as in many previous convoys we would have struggled to get this far south at this time of year as normally the snow has begun to fall.
We now drive 2 hours back to the warehouse and then back to find ourselves some food. They do a very varied menu in eggs!!! Fried, boiled, partially fried, partially boiled and the odd omelette and some are very odd!

Wednesday 15^th October 2008
All are well. The Hotel and food there is good. Everyone is eager to get started on distributing the precious loads.
Twelve servicemen from the Irish KFOR troops, arrived in two vehicles and will be helping with the distribution of aid along the teams and the Mother Teresa Society (MTS).
The flying team arrived safely and got to know the driving teams while helping with the loading of trucks for deliveries tomorrow. All the 7.5 tonne trucks are packed with enough aid for 60-80 families starting early in the morning. Coxy and Graham C went to a place so remote that the only way to get there was on a trials bike!!

Update from Bill on Nibsy.
Yesterday NIBSY delivered aid to 4 schools all near the Macedonia border. We could not believe that any school could operate with so little equipment or supplies. They all had no chalk, paper, pens of pencils but the kids were lovely. Today we went toward the Serbian border and then up into the mountains on unmade roads. The schools were in very similar condition. The last school we visited was 10 Km up an unmade road with hairpin bends so tight that we had to take several bites at the turns. So far so good!

Tuesday 14^th October 2008
All the trucks have now arrived in Pristina, Kosovo.
The 7.5 tonne trucks left Belgrade early this morning, travelled via Nis then through to the border with Kosovo. Formalities at the border did not take too long, and they soon arrived at the warehouse on the outskirts of Pristina. Five of the trucks have been unloaded and sorted in the warehouse.

Staff from the Mother Teressa Society met the crews at the warehouse and took them to the hotel where they will be staying. Colleagues, Dr Luli and Arsim greeted the crews at the hotel. Morale is high and stories about their journey have been swapped, over dinner, with the HGV drivers .

Tomorrow afternoon the flying team should arrive, bringing their numbers to 36 in total. They will need all the extra hands to help with the distribution in the next few days.

Monday 13^th October 2008
7.5 tonners
By lunchtime today, this part of the convoy reached the Hungarian/ Serbian border. While Chas dealt with the paperwork, some new irritations with the trucks were dealt with. This time, Robin Hood truck (Chas and Bev's) was having problems with the radio. Also the Mars truck (Frank and Graham S's) had a problem with headlights.

The crews had time to have some tasty goulash for lunch, and were able to proceed into Serbia after 4 hours. Tonight they have arrived in Belgrade where they are staying overnight, then on to Kosovo tomorrow. Everyone is well and in good spirits.

On the trucks...
Robin Hood - Chas and Bev
Busby - Tom and Dawn
Frantic - Anthony and Chris
Mars - Frank and Graham S
Yummies - Donna and Kate
Brother Bear - Simon and Roger
Oliver Cromwell - Paul and Kevin
Pirates - Bernie and John M
C-Dogs - John D and Charles

HGVs
Nibsy - Bill and Norman
Mr Flibble - Dave S and Roddy
Late Entry - Dave LS and Mike



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