Daniel Centre

Cipri and Julian have been preparing to ease into independent living but Cipri is perhaps beginning to have cold feet.  Damien has returned to the Daniel Centre but his attitude is not good.  He has called the police to complain about two of the other lads but the police have fortunately seen through his scheming.

Louisa has been profiting from more regular counselling over her expectations of her colleagues.

The older Ukrainian lady in the Centre apartment has found a new calling as a cook for the Daniel Centre and prepares two meals a week for the lads.  An interesting chemistry is developing between herself and the lads as they enjoy and react to her angry Russian language outbursts which they don’t understand.

Balazs has completed his report on how the first phase of Christian Aid money was used in the Ukraine and the second year of Christian Aid money for the Ukraine has now been granted.

Talita Kum

Adi is seriously considering having to close the TK2 building and the Talita Kum project for 2 months in the winter because the cost of heating and lighting the building is expected to rise from £1500 to £9000 a month.

Daniel Centre

All the Daniel Centre lads are hanging it at work and they will possibly re-open their transit apartment to ease Cipri into independent living and move Julian there with him as Julian has been having his own problems in the Centre.  Damien, who had to leave a year ago because of issues with his dog, is now begging to return.

Louisa has begun to struggle over the lack of progress in the young men, her expectations of her colleagues and the honeymoon period now being over.  She has been considering resigning but  Balazs hopes that time with their team psychologist will help Louisa get through this rough patch.

The older Ukrainian lady in the Centre apartment had to be hospitalised and operated on as she was losing blood.  Her two daughters in the Ukraine and a third daughter and her sister in Romania sadly show no interest in her.

Balazs has been slowed down in wrapping up his report on how the first phase of Christian Aid money was used in the Ukraine because the four partners in the Ukraine have been slow and problematic in the way they have reported to him.

Talita Kum

Adi is still seriously considering having to relocate the TK1 children to the TK2 building because of the anticipated costs when the heating and lighting of the buildings have to be ramped up at the beginning of October.

Daniel Centre

Danutz has now found work, so all the Daniel Centre lads are employed. 

The Renovation of the Depot is still being delayed by lack of people on the work force.  Many workers still leave Romania to seek their fortunes in Western Europe.

Only one older Ukrainian lady is left in the Daniel Centre apartment and she speaks only Ukrainian.

Balazs now begins his intense fortnight of wrapping up his report on how the first phase of Christian Aid money was used in the Ukraine.  Most of the internally displaced people (IDPs) have been housed in schools over the summer months.  Now that these schools are re-opening for the new academic year, all of these IDPs will become homeless and the challenge is now on how to best channel the Christian Aid money to help them.

Talita Kum

Expecting 77 children for their after-school activities when schools open again on September 5th, Adi is seriously considering having to relocate the TK1 children to the TK2 building because of the anticipated cost increases in heating and lighting the buildings.

Daniel Centre

All of the Daniel Centre young men now have jobs except Danutz who is physically handicapped.  The three young men in prison are inside for 1 year and 9 months but could get 25% off for good behaviour.  Soreen, who has been relocated to another prison at his own request, is still in regular touch with the Daniel Centre and would like to come back there on his release. 

The second phase of Christian Aid money for Ukraine, starting in early September, is to be channelled through Balazs for Blythswood.  Balazs then has an intense fortnight of wrapping up his report on how the first phase of the money was used.  Most of the new money will be distributed to internally displaced people as cash rather than as goods.

Talita Kum

Adi is preparing for the schools going back in at the beginning of September and expecting 77 children for their after-school activities.  They will be keeping 4 girls who now have reached the end of TK2.  About 90% of the children they look after are from the Roma or gypsy community.

Daniel Centre

Robi is not keen to stay long with the supermarket.  Soreen, the most positive of the prison 3, asked to be relocated to another prison to be away from Alex’s negativity.  He is in touch with the Daniel Centre and would like to come back there on his release. 

An older Ukrainian lady and another younger lady and daughter have moved into the Daniel Centre apartment but the older is making life difficult for the younger one.

The first phase of Christian Aid money to three mainly Baptist NGOs in the Carpathia, Odessa and Ternopil areas of the Ukraine is set to finish at the end of August.  The second phase then begins and £1 million of Christian Aid money will be channelled through Balazs for Blythswood over the following 12 months.  The process is becoming less hectic but there is still a lot of pressure on Balazs.  They are adding a new freelance consultant in London with a lot of experience in these areas.

Talita Kum

Adi is preparing for the children’s summer camps but has had a visit from someone responsible for the use of EU funds in Romania who has told him that no funding will be available for TK3 and TK4.  So this project has been terminated by the mutual agreement of Blythswood and the EU funders so that the relationship remains good for possible future funding.

Daniel Centre

Robi has found work at a nearby supermarket, Ionuz is still inactive, had to be put out for a few days and has returned quite chastened.  Dani too moved out with friends for a few days but has now moved back in.

The Ukrainian refugee family in the Daniel Centre apartment are now preparing to return to the Ukraine.

Balazs is very taken up with channelling Christian Aid money to three mainly Baptist NGOs in the Carpathia, Odessa and Ternopil areas of the Ukraine.  The first tranche of money – £420,000 – has already been forwarded, but this is only the beginning of a 3-year programme.  Pray for the NGOs as they handle this amount of money and for Balazs as he is responsible for keeping them accountable.

He has a 10-hour drive from Cluj to the Ukraine to meet with representatives of the NGOs, speaks no Ukrainian and has to rely on a translator.

Talita Kum

Because Balazs has been spending so much time with the Ukraine connection, he has not been in touch with Adi in Jimboliya for an update on his activities there.

Daniel Centre

Robi has successfully found work at the nearby supermarket, but Ionuz is still inactive, had to be put out for a few days and has returned quite chastened.  Dani too moved out with friends for a few days but has now moved back in.

The Ukrainian refugee family in the Daniel Centre apartment are now preparing to return to the Ukraine.

Balazs is very taken up with channelling Christian Aid money to three mainly Baptist NGOs in the Carpathia, Odessa and Ternopil areas of the Ukraine.  The first tranche of money – £420,000 – has already been forwarded but this is only the beginning of a 3-year programme.  Pray for the NGOs as they handle this amount of money and for Balazs as he is responsible for keeping them accountable.

He has a 10-hour drive from Cluj to the Ukraine to meet with representatives of the NGOs, speaks no Ukrainian and has to rely on a translator.

Talita Kum

Because Balazs has been spending so much time with the Ukraine connection , he has not been in touch with Adi in Jimboliya for an update on his activities there.

Daniel Centre

Luisa came online today to be introduced to me and a couple of the Daniel Centre lads are in phone contact with Alex, Soreen & Ovidio in prison.  They will be able to visit them soon and take in food parcels that Luisa is preparing for them.   The expected new arrival has materialised – his name is Robi and he is in the process of applying for work at the nearby supermarket.

The new Ukrainian refugee family in the Daniel Centre apartment show little sign of wanting to learn Romanian or English and have little meaningful contact with Balazs.

Balazs and Finlay MacKenzie were able to visit churches in Ukraine but encountered issues in channelling Christian Aid and Blythswood money through them.  They were put in touch, however, with a Dutch-sponsored Christian NGO in the Ukraine which is eager and available to interact with them.

Talita Kum

Because Balazs has been visiting Scotland recently and also spending a lot of time getting involved in the Ukraine, he has not been in touch with Adi in Jimboliya for an update on his activities there.

Daniel Centre

Development work at the Depot has gone well and is almost ready.

Luisa has now contacted Alex, Soreen & Ovidio in prison and is working on getting food parcels to them as prison food is minimal.  Luisa continues to be very effective in getting the lads more co-operative in the Centre which, with a new arrival expected, will be back up to capacity.

The Ukrainian refugees who were in the Daniel Centre apartment have now returned to the Ukraine and a new family has come to replace them.

Balazs, along with Finlay MacKenzie, Blythswood’s Elpis Foundation in Romania and churches in Ukraine, is now building up a team to handle the money channelled through Christian Aid and Blythswood for reconstruction and for internally displaced persons in Ukraine.

Talita Kum

TK1 and TK2 are now working normally again, have added extra-curricular activities and are preparing their children’s fair for the town onsite at TK1 on June 1st this year.  Adi is also preparing a summer camp and an HIV camp and possibly a children’s outing in Austria.

Daniel Centre

Development work continues at the Depot.

Luisa is still seeking with contact Alex, Soreen & Ovidio in prison and André, with his own case still under investigation, is now proud to be working at Carrefour.  Cipri is having tensions in his work at H & M.

The Ukrainian refugees are still in the Daniel Centre apartment, and 3 more – a severely traumatised grandmother, mother and 13-year-old daughter – are now in an apartment owned by Balazs’s wife Agnes.

Danny and night worker Sergiu are well again.

Balazs has been approached by Christian Aid to use their DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee) aid for the Ukraine.  He has to draw up plans for using this funding in partnership with Ukrainian churches for reconstruction and helping internally displaced people there – an even more complicated project than applying for EU funding.

Talita Kum

Adi has shut one of their supporting shops in Jimboliya, has had no update on their EU funding but continues to run the Talita Kum houses as normal.