Dnipro Trip Day 3

[StevieC]

Saturday morning and the first thing to take care of are 2 pairs of trainers for the orphans that missed out on the Friday. We also need to purchase 5 new blackboards and lots of text books for the classrooms of the Predniprovsk orphans as well as some more games and some baby toys for the Crisis Pregnancy Centre, so we head off for another round of shopping. Today Dnipropetrovs’k is celebrating the 230th birthday of the city so the roads in the city centre are closed off and what should have been a simple shopping trip becomes a bit chaotic. We eventually get everything we need and head off to Predniprovsk to pass the items on to the waiting orphans. We arrive at the orphanage and I pick up a bag of toys and head towards the assembly hall. If anyone has ever wondered why I personally put so much effort into the Dnipro Appeal then let me tell you what happens next. As I enter the assembly the children turn towards me, I am completely stunned as a number of the children immediately recognize me and start shouting my name. I put the bags down on the stage and head back out the van to collect more items which is a much needed opportunity to compose myself as the emotions hit me. I head back in and already the excitement of the children has created a buzz around the assembly hall as we all busy ourselves sorting the gifts and other essentials around in the hall. Ira our translator gives a short speech to the children and as it receives applause from the children we break into a box of “snicker” bars and watch their eyes light up. Soon after the kids are taken out of the hall to their respective playgroups and the director invites us back to his office for a bite to eat and a chat. We have a chat about how things have been since our last visit and he tells us that the new flooring in the wash area and recreation area has certainly improved the comfort and safety of these areas. He also informs us that, since our involvement last September, the State seem to have been investing a bit more funding into the facility. He does say that this might be purely coincidental, but he’s not so sure and thinks that some of the publicity the facility had received, from the likes of the guys at the Pan Football magazine, may have had a hand in it. On the three visits we have made we have formed a real bond with the director, who really seems to care about the welfare of the children, and he tells us that regardless of whether or not we are able to bring them things in the future we would always be welcomed into Predniprovsk as genuine friends. After chatting for a while longer we head to the various playgroups to distribute some football shirts and baseball caps to the orphans. They are over the moon with them and run around the rooms checking the names on the backs and trying to swap with friends for their favourite colours. With great regret we have to leave the kids as we still have more items to drop off at the Odinkovka orphanage so we have to get back on the road.

A short drive, down a dangerously pot-holed road, and we are at the orphanage. Most roads in Dnipropetrovsk are a disgrace and we have to really thank Mike Pratt and his friends for providing the transport and risking their vehicles on these trips. Without their assistance there is no way that we would manage to get everything completed in the short time we are in the city.

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Mark Strachan jumps out the car and opens up the main gates to the orphanage. It is raining by this time but no amount of rain could dampen our spirits as we head inside and see dozens of kids sporting the football shirts given to them the previous day.

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We head into the orphanage and once again the emotions well up as we see the look of delight on the kids faces at the array of toys and games set out in front of them. A quick tour of the orphanage by the director and we get the opportunity to see the facilities and get some photos. We are very pleased to see that the facilities here are much better than those at Preniprovsk. This means that any funds received from the forthcoming Dnipro Appeal child sponsorship scheme can be directed more to the well being of individual children rather than splitting it with the maintenance of the orphanage. Once again though time runs out and with the forthcoming celebrations in the city we are advised to get back to our hotel before the roads into town are totally cut off. We head out to the main building but Mark and I can’t help but be drawn to the small 7 a-side pitch right in front of us.

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We plead for a bit of time and scrounge one of the newly donated footballs and head on to the pitch for a kick about. It’s not long before we are joined by a couple of orphans who challenge us to a quick game of 2 a-side.

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Once we'd manage to throw one of the boys up a tree to retreive a wayward volley the game got underway in earnest.

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With Mark and I trying to match a couple of whippets for pace we had to use all the experience we could muster from years of Sunday League football, but we were unable to kick them off the park so the game finished with a 2-1 victory to the young team.

Of course we'll say that we let them win, well that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.


Sticky and still sweating, much to the dismay of those sharing the transport back to the town centre, we jump back in the car and make for the hotel.


We discover that the area around the hotel seems to be the focal point for the celebrations with band stands erected near by and various stalls set up. By the time we get showered and changed the place is a hive of activity with an imminent firework display over the river the main attraction for the massing crowd. Unfortunately we are unable to join in the festivities as we have arranged a meeting over a meal with Ira, the translator and Dnipropetrovsk connection for the Dnipro Appeal, to discuss plans for the future and how she can help out. I’ll spare you the boring details but we manage to form a set of plans for the future and finishing of a pleasant meal we say good night to Ira and head back towards the hotel. The scene we are met with is not dissimilar to Princes Street when the Hogmanay celebrations are reaching a climax. The fireworks are coming to an end but still look quite spectacular as we literally have to fight our way through the crowds to reach the hotel entrance. Completely drained from the previous days activities we cannot even think about joining in the celebrations and instead head to our hotel room to observe from the balcony. Any idea’s of an early night for the weary travellers are soon laid to rest. The celebrating goes on till about 2am, the stragglers keep the noise going till about 3am and then the lorries move in as they try and clear the street of the cans and bottles strewn everywhere. It must have been sometime after 4am before the streets were quiet enough to eventually get some rest.


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[GIBBY NEWTON]

Tremendous events day trip 1/2/3 you have all done a great job plus everyone that has donated/helped can but feel proud of what has been acheived so far.:YAYYY: :YAYYY: :YAYYY: