Weekly update 12/22

Aid to the victims of the war in Ukraine is well underway. Many organizations from the Netherlands and abroad are working at full capacity to provide as much help as possible to people in need.

With our relatively small foundation, we don't sit still either. We make every effort to send as many goods as possible to our depots in Romania. With dot at the top is the need for food..

Monday 21 March we started collecting 6.5 tons of seed potatoes in the Wieringermeer from Jeroen Popkema. Of this 1.5 tons is intended for households in and around Breaza, not to mention in Deaj. Henk Muller there has been encouraging people in that area to plant a garden for a number of years now. Last year this was successful, partly thanks to the Spunta seed potatoes that we were able to make available. We have already been able to provide a lot of seed for these gardens for this season. They are steps towards being at least partially self-sufficient.

We were able to pick up three pallets with various foodstuffs at Budget Food in Middenmeer. A nice touch from this company.

At the Manna foundation in Alkmaar, a nice batch of potatoes and onions was ready for transport. Jac Smit puts in a lot of time and energy to arrange everything for this organization.

On Tuesday March 22, a truck was loaded with destination Breaza. It has become a very beautiful and meaningful cargo. Friday morning 25 March was unloaded there, distribution will start next Monday.

Here the link to pictures of the loading,

Here is the link to photos of the unloading.

Imola has written something on her blog again. Also in Breaza it is different and more intense than under normal circumstances.

fazakasimola-csaba.blogspot.com/

On Wednesday we were busy with a number of collection jobs, cleaning up and sorting out the storage place. In the coming week we will make 4,200 food packages and that requires the necessary preparation.

On Thursday the weather was nice and I rode my motorbike to Weesp to catch up with Max Veenstra and his family from the HRIF foundation. We had a nice and inspiring conversation. It is truly unbelievable what they are all doing there in Weesp, always something new with quick adaptations to changed circumstances. The experience of Max and his extensive network sets a lot of good things in motion.

Here is the link to their Facebook posts.

Here the link to photos of food distribution in the Ukraine.

Finding trucks that can/want to transport relief supplies to Romania has become a lot more difficult, there is now more freight to Romania than from Romania. The price of a transport is also rising sharply as a result. We finally managed to find two trucks at the last minute that could load in Broek op Langedijk. This time a Polish truck also arrived, never before.

On Friday afternoon, March 26, they arrived about the same time. We first filled the truck with destination Botosani for a quarter with clothes, blankets and sheets. He then drove to Jack Wagenaar in Oudkarspel, from whom we received five thousand kilos of ware potatoes. In Broek op Langedijk we were able to fully load the truck.

At about half past five we had the two trucks squarely full with nice stuff. The collected food and hygiene packages go to Botosani and from there it goes into the Ukraine. Cristi will pay extra attention to it.

Here is the link to load photos for Botosani.

Here the link to pictures of the loading for Marghita.

This year we have already been able to send 17 trucks with relief supplies.

Henk Muller also sent photos of all the work what how does. Sowing in the gardens has started and I expect the Spunta seed potatoes to go into the ground next week. They are also back at work in the Viorel greenhouses, things are slightly different from what is customary in the Netherlands.

Here is the link to photos.

Cristi's depot in Botosani, as I wrote earlier, has become an important distribution point for aid to refugees and residents of Ukraine. The photos in the album speak for themselves.

Here is the link to photos.

The Phoneo Foundation from Reghin is busy with the reception of people from the Ukraine and the collection of relief goods in the Netherlands and the transport to the Ukraine.

Here is the link to their Facebook posts.

Willem Twijnstra sent pictures of the unloading of the rusk and other biscuits that we could give to his friends from artosfundacja.org.pl/. This organization has a warehouse in Poland and from there it goes into the Ukraine.

Here is the link to photos.

Attila is busy with spring work on the farm in Marghita, next week they expect some rain, something they are looking forward to, it is too dry at the moment. Assistance with products from this farm will increase.

Next week we have another challenge on the program, we are going to make the 4.200 Easter packages.

Cleaning up the warehouse on Tuesday and arrival of the foodstuffs from the Spar and the same for the empty boxes from the Dozenhal from Ermelo.

Preparing everything on Wednesday and preparing the pallets with goods on the roller conveyor.

On Thursday and Friday we will pack the boxes together with what we hope will be a lot of volunteers. On Friday we will have a stock of 4,200 packages with mainly food and hygiene products. These are sent to our depots and contacts in Romania as soon as possible. Due to the many problems that the poorest part of the population has to deal with, the demand is even higher than normal.

Good that we can all achieve this together. It is great to see how much support we can count on from companies, individuals, associations, schools and our regular partners.