I am going nuts, stir crazy, orphan crazy!!! I am BORED again of my tedious little life and need a new project to look forward to and to plan and organise and shop for! I am missing Ukraine and the children oh so very much, my heart is heavy thinking about them and wondering if they are OK and if they're happy and safe and healthy. I need to go back to Ukraine ASAP, and do things slightly differently this time. I didn't really get chance to find out about the children as individuals; why were they at the orphanage, how long they'd been there, what was their "special need" etc. We were left without a translator or teacher a lot so we were just about to communicate through gestures to the children ... lots of gestures, charades and giggles!


I have two projects maybe on the horizon. One is a hosting programme for children from Belarus affected by Chernobyl. Even though it was over 20 years ago now the land around the area is still very reactive and the children really benefit from "clean air holidays". Just 4 weeks in the UK breathing fresh air, eating fresh produce adds 4 whole years to their life span!!! I emailed the local contact for it yesterday. I haven't heard back yet. I know it was only 24 hrs ago but I am very impatient. I don't do waiting!!!!


My other project is to be coordinator at my office for a Operation Christmas Child collect of shoe boxes. It's only June 1st but I'm already begging everyone to save their shoe boxes. I am just not a shoe-buyer so I never have boxes!


Yesterday I got out all my bags of donations left over from trip #1 to Ukraine and sorted into things that could go into the shoe boxes, and things that could be given to the Belorussian children - clothing, shower gels etc. But my feeling of I NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW is overwhelming. Someone, help me, suggest something!!!!



Here's some more photos from Ukraine. My heart aches for these children and to see them again.

The little group at the Special Needs home: