a week in moldova

THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF OUR RECENT VISIT TO MOLDOVA. We stayed at the home of the Callanders - Aussies who currently are the Divisional Commanders. Moldova in size equals about half the size of Tassie with more than 5 times the population.

Monday 24th Nov. – we departed Moscow early morning arriving in Moldova for lunch. Following lunch the afternoon was spent in a range of meetings and discussion with Oxana ( Project worker) her assistant Eric and also other Divisional Staff. We also caught up on emails and Ron did some further work on the next project Board. The work continues even while we are on the road.
Monday evening we dined out with other visitors in Moldova at this time. Andy's Pizza - but they do nice steaks, salds and the sweets were scrumptuous.
We concluded the day with a visit to the DHQ apartment that is currently being renovated as a project. Work is nearing completion and funds have been spent. That was about a 15 hour day!


Tuesday 25th.
A trip to the embassy to secure our return visa to Russia took most of the morning. We were pleasantly surprised with the speed and attention to have this processed in just 1.5 hours - we had expected to take a week for this to happen.
During the afternoon we continued our discussion with project worker and sat in on a Divisional Project Board.

Wednesday 26th.
Lyn worked with Oxana looking at Child Sponsorship while Ron spent some time with Eric the Swedish Volunteer who has arrived for a year to work at DHQ and in the division. The afternoon was spent a range of work related activities and emails. During the day there was a large snow fall - it was amazing to sit in the office - looking out the window as huge snow flakes fell and covered the ground. The workers on the building site next door continued to work through the day.

Thursday 27th
With an early start we headed off in the Bus to accompany Ian, Viv, Oxana, Eric & Galena. We visited Chadir Lunga Corps to deliver humanitarian Aid , then on to Cahul to look at the hall building under construction. The main purpose of our trip was to visit a Kindergarten that had received project funding for improvements. This Kindergarten is situated in the southern part of the country some 3 hour drive from the capital. Situated in a small rural village, the centre accommodated 100 children for 7 hours a day which included 3 meals. A ‘western equivalent’ would see this as a child care centre. A place for smaller children to attend while mum & dad worked. Here there is no doubt that mum & dad were out to work – most likely in the farming fields around the village.
The drive to the village across the rural areas took us through the fields and many small villages along the way. It was an interesting introduction to the way of life here in Moldova. The sights and scenes along the way telling the story of the way of life here, of struggle and subsistence living. The common sight of water wells reminding us that there was no running water in these villages. The daily task of collecting water to meet their needs from strategically placed wells is the part of life in these regions. The view into their yards - to see the animals and livestock contained in the small area. The garden plot staked out, with preserved grain and corn hung out to meet the needs of the winter months. The deteriorated and aging infrastructure reminded you constantly of the journey of this region through the soviet era and now into privatisation. Who is now responsible to repair the road that is so full of pot holes, the buildings that are falling down. The common means of transport in these region still remains the horse and cart although vehicles are becoming more evident as they also make the travel through the narrow roadways more difficult. The sight of small herds of animals from the villages being shepherded along the roadways is a way of life as the animals are grazed and at the end of the day each animal is returned to their homes. It was interesting when we travelled into the late afternoon to watch the cows who found their way naturally back into the yards. Sheep need a little more direction and require herding. But at the end of the day the shepherd takes the flock he has cared for and drives them through the centre of the village and delivers the animal to the home from which they came. Most of these small villages are only one street and so you definitely drive through the centre of town.

The Kindergarten we visited welcomed us with a typical Moldovan meal and then we were given a tour of the facility. We entered each of the rooms where children are cared for in their age groups from 3 to 7 years when they start school. We toured each of the rooms where the children were in their afternoon nap period. Each little bed contained a small person and in some cases they lay awake and looked up from their beds with their big eyes as these visitors intruded into their space. We were able to see the resourceful way they use limited resources. We looked at equipment they purchased with the funds and also some essential refurbishment and new play and teaching resources. Again we reminded of the legacy of post soviet management. Here was a very old building – no sewerage, no running water, the toilet block an external outhouse, the kitchen in an separate building across the yard with no connecting pathways. Thee water supply was from a well with a hand winding bucket on a chain from which all water was collected each day. This was their way of life.

At first we began to be concerned that there was no running water, and then we saw the toilet block – a concrete building with 20 small holes in the concrete floor (boys to the left and girls to the right – no divider) No sewerage connection. You cannot have one without the other, no running water without the drain to clear it. The problem is complex. The town council who manage the site have been promising for years that something will be done – but there are no funds. And there are so many other priorities. The roof leaks badly in this very old building, there is little heating. The play equipment in the yard is ancient but well used. We observed the kids waking from their naps and the trek they would make to go to the outside toilet to ‘squat’ over the hole in the ground in a cold concrete building some 50 yards from the house. We shuddered at the thought of it ( and crossed our legs not wanting to go there) – but soon realised that what they had here was probably far better than they would have in their home situation and it definitely was clean, well, as clean as you make a 100 year old concrete slab! We spent a few minutes with the younger children as they had their evening meal of milky rice and watched as parents came to collect their kids at the end of the day. We struggled with the magnitude of the need. What could we do? What should we do? And the most sobering thought was that here in Moldova there were probably 200 more Kindergartens just like this. Here were very dedicated teachers shaping the lives of future Moldovans, 7 hours a day, making the best of every resource they could acquire and in a clean and orderly environment making a difference in the lives of these young people.

We arrived home later in the evening from the return journey through narrow potholed roads reflecting on the different way of life here and thinking about what we as an army are doing or could be doing in this place.


Friday 28th Nov
It was back in the bus again as we travelled to visit the project as Rusca womens Prison. Here the Army has developed a project in the prison to teach basic computer skills. The programme is run three times per year so that 15 ladies nearing release are able to gain a certificate in computer skills. A computer teacher is employed three days per week and one day per week we have a support worker come in to do personal and spiritual development with these ladies. This she does over a meal and a cuppa whilst the ladies are in their class time. The relationship with prison authorities is excellent and we have an open door to the prison for these activities. There is also need for humanitarian aid here which is distributed as needed as the ladies are not supplied with clothing and must supply their own, which in many cases is not possible.

We were given a tour of the facility – to see the accommodation and work areas. Some 200 ladies are in this place. This is a program of excellence and is making a difference in the lives of these ladies.

Saturday 29th Nov
Today we again travelled out into a rural village to observe the medical clinic in action. We started out from the ‘medical centre’ in Chisinau that is operated by Doctor Carraman and his team. This clinic is open for the poorest people and provides medical checks and free medication. The ‘mobile’ clinic takes up to 8 doctors out to a village to respond to the medical needs of the village people and distribute free medication to people who might not otherwise be able to access this care. We pay the doctors $30 for this days work. There are 45 clinics held each year. We arrived at the village of Negrea to see the queue of people spilling out onto the path. The 2 room waiting area wall to wall with people. Today there is no electricity. The wood fires were being stoked for heating. The people were gathered around for a bible reading – Dr Carraman says they need Jesus more than the medicine – so we have a short message and prayer before we start. Notice is given that this is the last time the clinic will come to this village. Budget restraints will change the course of work into the future. Also changing medical response in communities means that we need to look again at this work we have done for many years now in this format. And so there were some speeches to acknowledge the work of the clinic, the queues reformed and the doctors get to work. Aproximatley 200 people will be seen before the day is over.

The doctors set up in their small rooms – the cardiologist and GP in one room, the paediatrician in another, the gynaecologist in another and the ladies GP and nurse in another. In the other room the dispensary was set out and the pharmacist would distribute free medication as prescribed by the doctors.

Today was typical of the other village days – where most of the people would walk long distances to come to the clinic or arrive in their horse and cart. Through the dense crowded waiting room they waited their turn to be seen by the doctor, some just for checkup and medication, some quite ill. We observed one young boy being checked for chronic tonsillitis – his throat nearly closed over with infection and glands the size of large marbles. There is some emphasis on vitamins and natural remedies but also there is a large supply of medication distributed and some of the elderly were observed to depart with plastic bags full of medication to keep them going for the next months until the clinic would return. Young mums were given 2 tins of baby formulae and vitamins.
On this day there was a wheelchair from the humanitarian aid shipment to be delivered to an elderly lady bedridden because of a stroke. Ian was the driver of the bus and we were led up a very slippery, narrow track to reach the village house to deliver the chair. We entered the home of this lady who had not left her bed for 2 years. We spent a few minutes in the house and Ian & Viv were lead to pray with the family – they in their language and we in English. The Lord’s Prayer is something that unites us whatever our culture or language. It is understood and shared. The road down the hill was slightly improved and we made it safely back to the main road – but it was good Ian’s blood pressure was not checked then. It had been a very challenging and difficult road to negotiate.

We arrived home late into the evening again as the slow and dangerous potholed roads of country Moldova presented its challenges to the driver. This again was a day to witness the army in action – following its slogan – Heart to God ---Hand to man.

Sunday 30th
We opted for a short drive today and attended the Sunday service at Chisinau Central Corps. Today being the first Sunday of advent the meeting involved a number of the Home League ladies in readings and candle lighting It was good to sing some carols (in Russian) and be reminded that Christmas is coming. There was a good spirit in the meeting and a small group of young people departed for their activities during the meeting. On our way home we had a look at the market area – this is where Moldovans go shopping. It has previously been described as ‘Victoria Market on steroids’. Absolutely a challenge to every sense – all the sights , smells and sounds that you could imagine. I think I am now vegetarian!!! The fish market just passed as a possible source of food but the meat market????

Monday 1st. Dec.
Today was a day for observation and reflection. Ian & Viv were back to the office to catch up on work, as they had been out with us for the previous week. We took a stroll through the centre of Chisinau, down the main street, through the large church and other areas, parks and shops. We walked to the War memorial area to see the changing of the guard. The walk did us good as we took in further sights and sounds of this region and took some time out to think about the days and experiences of our week in Moldova

Tuesday 2nd Dec.
Our week came to a conclusion with some time in DHQ to catch up on emails and finalise any discussions and then it was to the airport for our return flight to Moscow. Our trip through passport control so different to the first flight form aus. From Moldova we were the only non nationals on the plane - everyone else went to the Russian section or to transit lounge. so we had the choice of 3 windows and it was straight through to pick up our bags and within 20 minutes of landing we were in the car and on the way back to our little flat. Our first visit brought us through large queues and waiting for nearly 2 hours. We were sitting drinking milo that Tara had sent to Moldova ( sure to get through post there) by 9pm and tucked into bed by 10.
It had been a most interesting week - good to see the army in action and also very good to share with fellow aussies. Great to relax in their home and catch up on stories from home and family.

So it is back to work in Moscow and the interesting world of Projects!!!