Pete Schofields Humanitarian Trip To Dorohoi, Romania, 2016
   
After 1,850 miles of driving through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria and Hungary, my brother in law Tom and myself arrived in Romania, lots of security at the border, passports checked good job I had grown my moustache.
Map of Romania showing Dorohoi
Our destination on the Ukraine border
Driving through Romania the further towards Dorohoi we got the noticeable change in roads more potholes and less cars, lots of horse drawn carts, even oxen drawn carts, we eventually arrived at our destination "The Centre of Hope" set up by two of the most caring people I have ever met Peter and Lesley, who have given their lives to helping the poor of Dorohoi.

Road sign outskirts of Dorohoi
Peter and Lesley receiving knitted goods
After a welcome cup of tea we were taken to see a lady named Maria, who's daughter had abandoned her children, three boys, grandmother Maria who is not very well at all looks after them the best she can, the boys are now looking after her, the house is in a bad state as you can see from photo's
Top left back of House only two rooms usable:- Top right front of house.
Bottom left Maria, Tom and Pete
Bottom right boys doing the washing.
Strange thing is they all seem happy never heard one complaint just thankful for the things they received, realise how lucky we are.
Next off to see a young family, who were struggling to make ends meet, a young couple with six children, all explained in the following photo's :-
Two roomed house
Pete with his new found family
Left photo shows Dragos youngest son grinding peppers to make a paste for use on bread the father Ghita had been paid for a job he had done in three trays of peppers, such is the way a type of barter system.
Right photo Pete being shown upstairs room by mother Irina, room not used in summer too hot to sleep, everyone sleeps downstairs.
Since leaving the family we have bought them two goats, they will now have milk to make butter, cheese and other dairy products, the goats are a Billy and a Nanny so they will with a bit of luck be able to breed.
After another cup of tea, we bade farewell to Peter and Lesley and the rest of the children at the centre and made our way back home, it takes some time to realise how lucky we are particularly when only a few miles from the centre we pass through a town like the next photo, makes you wonder, this is known as a gypsy village!
After a long drive home through Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France plus a drive through the Somme, across the channel to Dover, then back to Horwich, tired but glad to be back, 3,700 miles on the clock, back to normal.
 
Footnote from V.Ill.Kt. Frederick E. Hargreaves, P.G.H.Chan., Deputy I.G.
We all know the ethos of Freemasonry is "to help those less fortunate than ourselves", but one of our members recently went the extra mile, or rather 1850 miles, to put those words into practice.
Above you have read of the journey recently undertaken all the way to Romania by Ill.Kt. Peter Schofield, P.G.W.of Reg., of Dr.W.R.Waters Conclave.  I had to persuade him to allow me to share his story because he didn't do this for any form of publicity, and even in this article he doesn't mention that this was the second trip he's made there delivering as many items as he could transport (not only the woolens he mentions but also everyday items which we take for granted, such as Paracetemol and Toiletries etc etc). I feel sure that readers will all agree that he deserves this recognition for such a selfless and Christian act.
Near the end of his report the mention of purchasing goats reminds me very much of the proverb - "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  Well done Peter, you are a credit to this Christian Order.