Daniel Centre

The new storage centre foundations are now 75% complete with the industrial floor and insulation to complete.  The Covid situation in Romania has worsened into the fourth wave.

Balazs is back from a week in Kenya but goes again for a month on October 24th.  Samuel Okomo’s health issue is probably stress-related, having lost his wife to cancer last year.  One of the volunteers left there is having a remarkable impact on widows with her Biblio-drama.

Alix has resigned as assistant to Balazs and Dani but they hope to recruit one of the Kenya volunteers who has just resigned from her social services work to replace him.  André continues to be much more co-operative but  Julian, who is mentally challenged and recently baptised, is causing concern as he has been in contact with an ex-Daniel Centre resident who has HIV Aids.

Alex, Cipri and Damian are increasingly hard to handle as they should be looking for places to live independently with EU funding but are not very pro-active in searching for such places.

Talita Kum

No major updates from Adi with Balazs having been in Kenya but Adi did sponsor a very successful annual ball for the elderly in Jimboliya while Balazs was gone.

Daniel Centre

The pouring of the storage centre foundations is slow.

Some Kenya project volunteers will leave for time in Kenya at the end of September; Balazs will go for the first week, and then for a month with more volunteers from October 25th.  Samuel Okomo, director of the Kenyan school has been down with a lengthy illness which could threaten the existence of the school, currently with 250 students but with potential for 400.

André is back at the Centre, much more co-operative after a hard time of working long days on a Spanish farm.  Julian, mentally challenged but a conscientious church attender, was baptised last week.  He works for Ikea but could be a long-term resident at the Centre as he is vulnerable to being cheated by others.

School is back in but, with rising Covid, medical masks are now mandated.  Cluj has a population of 400,00.

EU funding for independent living is now promised by October and Alex, Cipri and Damian may well move out then.  With more options open to young school leavers, only difficult cases now apply to join the Daniel Centre.

 

Talita Kum

The 36 students who come to TK1 and the 44 who come to TK2 re-started school on September 13th and there will be a 20th celebration this weekend for the founding of TK1.  There is good co-operation from the business community in Jimboliya but the new local Council has been creating problems for Adi over the tax situation.

Daniel Centre

The frame of the new storage centre is now in place.

The Kenya project has been re-scheduled for the end of September/October.

Balazs has been in Serbia as part of the oversight for Blythswood projects there.  Serbian officialdom is much less sympathetic to Blythswood work than Romania generally is.

As in the UK, Covid numbers have been rising again in Romania which has the second lowest vaccination rate in Europe after Bulgaria.

Cipri in the Centre still needs prayer as he struggles with suicidal thoughts.  Istvan is also struggling and has returned to the Centre for the third time.

There has been no advance on new arrivals at the Centre over the past fortnight.

 Talita Kum

Adi’s work is now winding down after a very busy summer and they prepare to return to the normal school schedule on September 13th amid ongoing uncertainty over EU funding.

Balazs and 13 volunteers have now returned from their educational project in Kenya but we will not have an update of work at the Daniel Centre or Talita Kum until Balazs returns to his office in mid-August.

Balazs and 13 volunteers are currently in Kenya for an educational project with the blessing of the Hungarian government for the month of July, so there will be no update for the Daniel Centre or Talita Kum until the beginning of August.

Daniel Centre

Balazs and 13 volunteers for the Kenya project have set off from Budapest with the blessing of the Hungarian government on June 28th for a month, so there will be no update for the Daniel Centre or Talita Kum for the month of July.

Daniel Centre

A builder has been found for the new storage centre and the parking lot and the work was due to begin on Monday 15th June.

The training sessions for 13 successful candidates for the Kenya project are now complete and the party is ready to set off from Budapest with the blessing of the Hungarian government on June 28th for a month.

Talita Kum

There is no update on and therefore little hope for EU funding for the running of TK3 and TK4 projects within the existing TK2 building.  Adi still hopes to get a kindergarten up and running.  With school exam time now upon them, things are currently much quieter in TK1 and TK2.

Daniel Centre

Cipri’s health is not good, compounded by high blood pressure, but also by a good measure of drama.   Ioan has lost his job, comes home drunk and aggressive and is likely to have his probation ended next month.

The demolition work on the depot has now been completed and all the rubble has been removed.  The building of the new storage centre and the parking lot can be started.

The Blythswood property at the airport has been sold and they are waiting for the third and final tranche of the payment.

The 13 successful candidates for the Kenya project have an online training session this coming weekend and an in-person training in Hungary the following weekend.  They now are challenged to raise €500 each in addition to the Hungarian government’s funding of their travel and living expenses in Kenya.

Talita Kum

Though EU funding was not approved for a separate TK3 and TK4 building, it is hoped there will be funding for the running of these projects within the existing TK2 building.  The issue now is whether a kindergarten in that same building can access sufficient funds to run for the first three years before it becomes eligible for local government funding.

Daniel Centre

Cipri may now need a pacemaker for his heart.  Ioan has found work pushing trolleys at a local supermarket.

The Centre has an ongoing task of monitoring and assessing their performance with the young residents and most of the load falls on their resident social worker Danny.  It is unlikely that the other social worker Zencu, currently on maternity leave will return to work any time soon.

The demolition work on the depot has run into a major problem in getting asbestos removed.

A lot of Balazs’ time 15 is currently taken up by answering questions from the successful candidates for the Kenya project.  They trust that the Hungarian government will provide funding for the Kenyans graduating from the high school they support to proceed to university.

Talita Kum

Schools have re-opened in Jimboliya so Talita Kum can return to its original afternoon programme.  Adi is currently working on a project to start kindergarten work in the extra space available in the TK2 building.