Next Trip to Malin.

I will soon be setting of on my next visit to help the children in Malin Hospital. I am hoping to return to the village where Bohdan Sobolevski lives,to see how he is. I also want to visit the orphanages where some of the hospital children have been sent to.
I am flying this time as I am not carrying my usual bags of medical supplies as no companies would help me.But when I am over there I will help the Doctors to provide medical items,medicines,food,clothing and other things the hospital needs for the children. The World wide Economic situation has effected Ukraine,and Malin hospital's financial position,which was already bad,has deteriorated. But I must do what I can for the children in their care. I would like to thank people who gave me donations to help,and assure them that 100% of their donations are used to help the children. I have always paid all my own expenses, and I will continue to do so.
I will post a blog. on my return.

mini bus to Malin

As soon as the woman on the bus listened on my phone she smiled as Dr.Victoria explained the situation. When she handed it back to me I said to Victoria understand! she said yes. Relieved the hospital knew I was not lost after all and was on the correct bus. The driver was collecting fares,however when I tendered my fare of 12 grivna, he said something, but what just then the telephone woman came and sat beside me handing the driver 2 grivna on my behalf (apparently the fare can vary dependant on the mini bus drivers company) I decided to practice my Russian language by thanking Galina for helping with the phone and the fare, she explained that she lived on the outskirts of Malin and worked in Kiev. I was aqble to tell her about my family and she told me about her own family, this conversation took a lot longer than normal due to the language barrier, but we managed. I asked her where she worked, replying with a few words which I never understood Galina brought a square of paper from her bag handing it to me,unfortunately I did not know the wording on the paper. Suddenly Galina reached into her large shopping bag and produced a bag of doughnuts " I work " here. A Bakery,she worked in a bakery offering the bag to me I took a doughnut, I was hungry and the doughnut was great. Later on the journey the bus left its normal route turning into a forest track as the road ahead was blocked. We were at least 40 minutes driving through the forest finally emerging back on the normal route. Finally I began to see parts of the surroundings that I recognised, Galina who had been an interesting fellow traveller stood up to leave asking if I knew where to get off in Malin, insisted on handing me another doughnut before getting off. I have found that Ukrainian people are generally friendly and helpfull on my travels. At last I arrived in Malin, snow covered roads and icy pavements. Next blog finding how to get to the hospital from the centre of Malin, on my own.

bus to Malinpart 2

Having the Mini Bus Terminus in sight was a definate success, I would soon be on my way! However I could not find a bus with the Kiev / Malin signboard on the windscreen.
It was a very cold day, and I tried asking various queuing passengers about a bus going to Malin,no luck. After walking around the area looking for a bus with a Malin sign for another 15 mins. I found it, on a board leaning against the windscreen, Kiev/Malin I hurried forward with my large holdalls thinking at last I am on my way, but there was no room for my luggage. What could I do but watch the bus leave without me.At least I was waiting at the correct bus area. I tried to ask a man also waiting around but my russian language/accent was not understood. 35 minutes later another bus going to Malin arrived, boarding as soon as I was able to,my mob. rang it was the hospital,where are you Jim I could not,reply properly,suddenly I had an idea handing my mob.to a woman sitting behind me, I said in in Russian,please talk to my Doctor friend. Lookig puzzled she took my mob.and listened.

Find a bus to Malin part 1

In 2007 I went by Metro and Mini Bus from Kiev to Malin Hospital accompanied by Anatoli,no problem. Two days later I set of on my own to Malin with clothing for the children in the hospital. I managed to get the Metro ticket, but after two stops realised I was going the wrong way. I got of at the next station, and went back to the original station got off and looked at the list of stations once more. I counted the number of stops to the station near the Mini Bus terminus and made sure I was near enough the door to get off with my large holdall of clothes,as it was "Sardine Time " on the Metro. Watching and listening carefully,to the onboard,next station announcments, I arrived at the correct station.
Good I thought I should arrive at the hospital as arranged by Anatoli and the Doctors at the hospital for 13:00 hrs. Not good I wandered among the underground,stall holders selling a variety of goods,looking for the exit that would lead to the Bus, up one, back down, try another further along the tunnel,no luck. Tried to ask a few people but either they did not understand me,or I them. Went up a third exit and emerged in a market area with lots of stalls and shops beside a busy road, but no Mini Bus terminus.
There were bus stops with trolleybuses, also mini Buses but I had no way of finding out where to get my bus. I tried asking in a couple of shops, but as before no communication was possible. Eventually I made my way over some rough ground behind a stall selling shoes and came to a railway line,and I was happy to see that behind the
railings of the railway was a bus station, where I could just see what looked like Mini Buses at the far side. Making my way slowly back down the stairs to the underground stalls I walked past an avenue of flower sellers and passing through plastic curtains I went up stairs emerging near the bus station. Was it the correct place hurrying over the road passing under a flyover, I was relieved to see the Mini Bus Terminus at the far side.However by this time I was already late,and due to be further delayed.

Dog Story 2

Returning from looking at all the artist's displaying their paintings in a street market, I headed down a steeply cobbled street towards the river. It was a very interesting street with a small theatre and small picturesque church.View photo of Theatre. I noticed a statue further down the street, (see photo)leaving the statue I wondered who he was, his name is in the Ukrainian language. Hearing snuffling and whimpering I looked down to see 5 puppies trotting out from under a parked car,a black and white collie dog was on the pavement near the beige coloured pups. Camera ready I started to take some photo's of the pups when I heard snarling and felt a sharp pain in my leg,I jumped round nearly dropping my camera. The collie was hanging onto my leg,I managed to free myself by spinning round. Needless to say all I got was a photo of the sky,no puppy photo's. After this dog bite I had a couple of marks on my leg,thank goodness I had been for my anti rabies injection prior to that years visit.

Dog story 1.

A few years ago while staying with my friend and his wife,there was a pollution problem with the main water supplies to Kiev. Citizens had to collect water from deep wells in various city locations. The weather was very cold with lots of snow and ice about. As we were down to the last,former soft drink bottle, of water Anatoli asked me to help replenish the water in the apartment. Walking in the bitterly cold but bright day carrying an assortment of empty plastic containers,we joined a long queue of water collectors, pensioners, children,disabled people,workers, all filling various types of container's from the communal well in one of the many parks. I wondered how such a scene would look back in the UK. Eventually we reached the well and filled our containers with water uncontaminated by chemicals, unlike the main water supplies.
The weather had improved since we set off on our water quest, and the sun shone through the clouds, I was however proceeding carefully,as laden down with two bags full of bottles of water I did not want to slip and sprain or even break my ankle in the icy conditions.
I was walking down a steep slope,watching a pack of dogs running about, there are many packs of stray dogs around the city suburbs. I watched as a large black pregnant dog ran in our direction passing behind me, I tried to look round but nearly lost my footing. Suddenly I felt a pain my left calf muscle as the pregnant dog gripped my leg in its massive jaws, I managed to swing one of my bags of water at the dog,as did my friend and the dog released its grip. Anatoli warned some mothers walking their children about the attack dog. When we got back to the apartment, I was very worried about Rabies as feral dogs can carry this potentially fatal virus. However although my skin had indentations, the surface was unbroken,the heavy denims I was wearing had protected me. I resolved there and then to get a course of anti Rabies injections when I returned to Scotland.

School visit part 2

When I recovered from the realisation that I was "the School Event " I was taken on a tour of the School which was very interesting. There are 1200 pupils and gaining educational qualifications are a high priority for the pupils as they progress through their school years. The School has a lot of old worn out facilities,despite this the pupils are proud of their School and respect the teaching staff. At the end of their final year their is a Graduation Ball with all the young ladies in long gowns and the young men in suits.
I was taken to see a permanent exhibition in the School Museum dedicated to a young girl called Nina Shoshena and her family. Nina was a pupil at the School, pictures of village and School life hang on the Museum walls, the girls who showed me round explained in English that Nina was a local Heroine. In 1942 during World War 2 during the German occupation of Ukrainian Territory Nina Shoshena who was a member of the local area resistance refused to give information about the resistance to the German Army. As she sheltered in a house with friends and family surrounded by troops,she bravely continued to oppose requests to surrender. Machine gun fire and Mortars pounded the house and most of the resistance members including the schoolgirl Nina Shoshena were killed. When I heard this story and looked at the faded black and white photographs It was like being transported back through time.
Just at that moment the lights in the Museum went out! but two of the girls went to fetch a couple of torches to carry on. Why did the lights fail when they did? Who should know.