Semi-annual report of 2004

At this time we would like to inform you once again about news from Transcarpathia, individual projects in the first half of the year as well as current charity drives.

I stand behind it with my own name!

Dr. Claus Hipp

With this statement, Dr. Claus Hipp promotes his all-natural nutrition for babies.
He studied law and got his degree in art from the Heinrich Kropp school of painting in Munich. Since that time he has been active as a recognized international free-lance artist under the name of Nikolaus Hipp. Since adolescence he has played oboe and English horn. In 1963 he joined the family business HIPP, which he has managed since 1968 together with his brothers. Claus Hipp operates his parents' farm near Pfaffenhofen utilizing all-natural methods.
For him, helping people in distress is part of one's Christian responsibility, of which he as a businessman has always been conscious. Now his name, Dr. Claus Hipp, also stands behind the work of our benefit society. He is delighted to be an honorary spokesman and looks forward to successful cooperation.
In addition, the HIPP company also maintains a plant in Uzhgorod in Transcarpathia.

Auxiliary transport

At the moment our sixth auxiliary transport effort this year is underway. Besides goods such as medication, eyeglasses, toys, good-as-new clothing and candles, which are always on the list of things to be shipped, other items included heating units, ceramic tiles, washbasins, tires, dishes, cutlery, eye exam equipment, dentist equipment, and a bilge pump, to name just a few examples. In the same context we also mustn't leave unmentioned the fact that as a charitable organization we are not exempt from rising fuel costs.

Situation on location

Since 1 May 2004 Transcarpathia lies right on the border of the newly expanded European Union. Hungarian citizens are discovering more and more the low cost opportunities at their doorstep--with the result that many prices on the Ukrainian side are rising noticeably.
There is a growing number of people in central and eastern Europe who have to get by with less than a Euro (about a dollar) a day. The territories of the former Soviet Union, especially Ukraine, are marked by disastrously collapsing incomes and an especially dramatic rise in poverty, according to western estimates.

Projects and Support Efforts

The construction of playgrounds at the kindergarten of the Reformed Church of Feketepatak and the kindergarten in Halábor are moving along. Contracts to build the various play-sets have been signed with different laboring companies of the region, and some of the work has been completed. Preparatory work in the perimeter has also been done. The completion of the project has been delayed on account of a tragedy in the family of Pastor Zán, who is not able at the moment to oversee the activity very intensively.
The oil press purchased by the benefit society works well from a technical point of view. Depending on the quality of the raw material, 100 kg of sunflower seeds yields on average 20 to 22 liters of oil. Following initial tests, the people are now convinced of the quality of the final product. As experience has shown, it will be necessary for this year's harvest to implement various improvements from an organizational standpoint.

Children at the foster-home in Ilonca

At the moment donations are being received for the state-run foster-home in the town of Ilonca. We would like to fulfill one of the greatest desires of the home's director and buy a pair of shoes for each child by the end of summer. Prior negotiations on this matter resulted in an anticipated cost of 10 Euro (about 10 dollars) per child. I was able to visit this foster-home in May when I traveled to Transcarpathia and obtain an actual image of the situation. It is shocking to hear the individual tales of woe there. There is for example Mischa. He has lived for many years in this foster-home, yet Mischa’s parents are both still living. However they are divorced and have both started new families. There is no room with them for Mischa or his two sisters, who live in a different foster-home. They were simply cast off. By now Mischa is 18 years old and this summer will have to leave the only home he has known. From now on he is legally responsible for his life, but has no concrete idea of how life is lived "outside", or how he can ever get by.
Every one of the over 80 children between 6 and 18 years old receives a wash cloth, a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, things which are also on the wish-list of the foster-home.
For the children it was a little like Christmas, and the children's faces alternated from surprise to joy. For everyone there were also volleyballs and soccer balls and a volleyball net. We would like to present every child with a children's Bible.
We are asking for donations for our plans at the Ilonca foster-home. Please use the key-word "shoes" or "foster-home".
During the past winter families in distress in the community of Vári received free firewood through our financial support. By the end of this year the village is to be added to the natural gas network. With each bit of progress, of course, the people will have more expenses. It is estimated that each house will have to be charged 170 Euros to get connected to the system. These added costs, of course, also apply to the soup kitchen. Furthermore Pastor Zán has reported that there is no assurance that funds will be available to obtain food for the soup kitchen in Vári next winter, which puts its operation into question. We would also like to help out here. Donations are being sought for this purpose, keyword is "soup-kitchen".
Last year we purchased for Pastor Zán a very well maintained VW-minibus and asked you for donations. We were overwhelmed by your reaction and were able to pay off the first of two loans at the very end of 2003. But the further we get from the initial appeal, the smaller the donations for this special purpose become. We will pay off the outstanding loan in good order in the next few weeks. For this we will basically need to use up the remainder of our financial reserves--money which will no longer be at our disposal for our other projects and appeals from Transcarpathia. Nevertheless let me very sincerely thank all of you who contributed to the success of this great and important endeavor.
For today we send sincere greetings from Lengenfeld and our wish that you may have a nice and refreshing summer. May God be with you!

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