We received word today that our inventories have been approved by our partners in Belarus and the containers are now at the Port of Montreal waiting to board a ship for their cruise to Europe! Everything is on schedule for them to arrive in Mogilev by March 25th. Last week, on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday we loaded the three containers.
One of our exciting initiatives is to expand the outdoors club at the Chausy Orphanage. In the past few years we have delivered bicycles and camping gear, which they use in the summer to take the children on outings. This year we will be delivering 6 canoes along with paddles and life jackets.
This will allow them to take canoeing excursions as well. In order to carry the canoes we purchased a boat trailer and the guys at Selleck Mechanical built racks to carry the canoes. In the above photo you can see Brad and Colton from Selleck (as well as Murray Ferguson of CAC) standing in front of the trailer with the canoes loaded. These guys did a fabulous job and they did it for free! Since then the trailer has been painted and looks amazing, but I will post photos from Belarus with the kids from the orphanage.
Here is a picture of some of our great volunteers loading container number 1. This container is completely filled with parcels going to families in Belarus from families here in Canada!
Here Cathy Boone and Dave Shaw ensure that every box, bike and wheelchair makes it onto our inventory. We need to make sure we are 100% accurate in order to clear Customs in Belarus.
After the third container was loaded we have confirmed that we are shipping over 2,200 pieces totaling over 67,000 pounds (30,500 kgs)! Here is our loading crew at the back of container number three. Second from the right is Alex. We first met Alex at the Kostukovichi Orphanage while delivering there in 2007. Since then he has helped us deliver every year while we are in Belarus. Alex is now living with Jennifer Hopson (an Officer on our Board) and her husband in Caledon, Ontario and attending High School. I got a look at his report card (Jennifer is only a little proud) and he is doing awesome! Great work Alex, but we will miss you in Belarus! Click here to see a post from 2008 and scroll to the bottom to see a picture of Alex with Jennifer.
Now the delegation is preparing to go so we can meet the containers at the end of March and hand deliver everything. It is going to be an exciting trip with a lot of great initiatives!
Eric McKenzie
Thanks Connie Lou, those rules apply to the summer respite program only. Alex applied for a Canadian Student visa and was approved. Also, Alex has family in Belarus who could sign for him to come to Canada, remember not all children in orphanages are what we would call true orphans, but they can be put in the orphanage for various reasons.
Eric
how did Alex end up with Jennifer and her husband? it is wonderful, but i thought that one of the regulations that you had to agree to was that they would return after the six weeks. wasn’t there a big to-do over a family who wanted to keep an orphan?
once again, i am amazed at the dedication of everyone involved.
great work, to those in the pictures and those on the side, cheering and giving.
Looks like a lot of really hard work ~ and what a great idea ~ they will love the canoes! It looks like an amazing Brockville crew!