People form Bratsigovo collect aid for the Zambian children. Grateful for the help over the years, they took initiative. Gordon Merk reports.
The Club for People with Disabilities in Bratsigovo was busy collecting aid for our children in Zambia! Due to their gratitude for all the help they received from FCTrelief over the years, they took the initiative to give something back. Gordon Merk reports.
‘You reap what you sow,’ they say; and it is true. In Bulgaria they say, ‘when you do good, good will come back to you.’ This, too, is true. And then there are people, who want to help others because of the gratitude in their hearts. This is the case in the small town of Bratsigovo, in the Pazardjik region at the foot of the Rhodopi mountains. Bratsigovo is a town that used to be famous for its school of architecture and the stonemasons and their craft, some even working abroad. Today, Bratsigovo is more like a village. Life is not easy for people with disabilities and the elderly. Yet there is hope!
Over the last years, the club for people with disabilities in Bratsigovo received generous support and aid for its people. Via ‘Heart for Bulgaria,’ we helped a lot and the people are grateful. After a presentation by Gordon Merk in their venue about his trips to Zambia and the work there of FCTrelief, the club decided to launch an aid campaign for our children in Zambia. And it was a great success!
Among the donations are school materials and clothes, and some old ladies knitted thick winter socks and clothes! It was a great joy to see how people with modest means were able to collect so much. We are very grateful to them. ‘When you do good, good will come back to you.’ The heart that we carry for Bulgaria, has turned the people into having a heart for Zambia.
The next team travelling to Zambia is getting ready, and a part of the Bulgarian donation will arrive in Zambia in October; the rest will follow soon. Heiner and Chris Merk will again be in action, accompanied by Erich Vracko and Judith Mueller. On a special note, we may mention that the Londino family will also travel to Zambia. The interesting thing about this family is that Eva and Pietro adopted two wonderful girls from Zambia some years ago. This will be their first trip back to their former home country. Gordon recently spoke to them and they seemed a bit nervous about it, but also excited.
We wish all of them a safe journey and a great adventure on African soil. We look forward to hearing about their experiences! We want to thank everyone from Bratsigovo who donated, as well as all our sponsors who support our work so faithfully and generously. Each donation makes a difference—thank you!
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