CHERNOBYL CHILDREN'S PROJECT (UK)

Convoy update

The journey across Europe was uneventful apart from the intense cold when temperatures fell to minus 17 during the night which made sleeping very difficult particularly in the smaller truck as the cab heater did not function. The cab interior was thick with ice each morning and the best comment to make is that it was a pleasure to get up.

The customs procedure was extended into the second day as we had major problems in reconciling the weights of the loads – manifest against the customs weigh scales. So each vehicle had to pass through the X-ray machine in the morning.   Unloading in Zhlobyn customs later in the day we were warned that every box would be weighed as they had been informed of the ‘problem’ by the border customs. Similarly the big trailer was fully checked at the school No 5 – a procedure that took a full day.   In both cases  no problem was found and we expect the weights to be accepted as correct.  There is no doubt that customs procedures for humanitarian aid deliveries have been tightened and are being enforced.

We completed the unloading process in Zhlobyn and in Gomel at School No 5 and the co-ordination centre and are now using the days before out return journey to visit our projects in the Gomel region. Visits to Klimovka and Duanovka are complete and today we visit the Psychiatric hospital and Retchista a boarding school for disabled children.

More later if we can make the connection with the net.

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