Field report from Norvell Van Coots.

During this trip ten (10) Orphanage-Boarding Schools (Gimnasul-Internat) were visited. The specific workshops were evaluated, a meeting was held with each Orphanage Director and with the appropriate instructors. Each site has a small clinic which were visited. When possible, discussions of needs were held with each of the Nurses or Physicians present at the clinic.

Ceadir-Lunga, Gaugazian Autonomous Region, Moldova:

1. New Director in place for the past 2 years
   
   
2. Woodworking is doing well with phenomenal results. Artistic work of the children has steadily improved and become refined. Need new basic tools for wood shop, as well as new tools for carving and fine detail work. Instructor will provide a detailed list to Angela.
   
   
3. Carpet making program and textiles program are doing exceptionally well with high quality output.
   
   
4. The clinic is in need of basic equipment for physical therapy for pediatrics ages 4-16 yo.
   
   
5. They have equipment for a dentist, however they can not afford one on staff. Can we possibly find someone to sponsor a dentist to visit 2x per week?
   
   
6. There is also a need for behavioral health counseling for some of the children. Can we find someone to sponsor having a BH counselor or psychiatrist periodically evaluate and treat the children as needed?
   

1. The Director has become more aggressive in developing extracurricular activities for the children, based on the success of our training programs there. She has requested assistance at any level, with the following new workshops.
   
   
   • Bakery: needs oven, pots and pans, mixing bowls and utensils.
     
   • Bee houses for honey bees and special machine for extracting the honey (approx Lei 2000)
     
   • Tools for the shoe repair workshop. Currently children are fabricating their own tools.
     
   • Equipment for beauty salon
     
   • Additional fabrics for making clothes in the sewing workshop (for making National costumes).
   
   
   
2. There is currently no hot water in the dormitories. They would like some new beds, and they need a new refrigerator in the kitchen.
   
   
3. The clinic needs basic equipment to outfit a dental clinic.
   
   
4. The woodworking and carpet making workshops are doing very well, and aside from prime materials, they are not in need of any new equipment.
   

1. The carpet making workshop is doing exceptionally well, with the creation of high quality runners by the children. These have been entered in several regional contests and have always won first prize.
   
   
2. The Director would like to have some one sponsor 2 children to visit the USA.
   
   
3. The Director has invited our participation in the celebration of the 50 year anniversary of the orphanage on 16 NOV 2010. The Director was in the first graduating class from this same orphanage.
   

1. The woodworking, carpet making, and metal working workshops are all doing very well. The students work always takes 1st Place in any regional competitions in which they participate. Other than prime materials, there are no specific needs for these workshops.
   
   
2. The clinic needs basic equipment for a dental clinic and also needs equipment for physical therapy for pediatrics ages 4-16yo.
   

1. Both woodworking and carpet making/textile workshops are doing well.
   
   
2. New tools are needed for the carpet making class. A special pair of scissors was purchased at the price of $20. Additionally the tool for beating down the carpets is needed.
   
   
3. The clinic needs the following items:
   
   • Medications for the flu
     
   • Two sphygmomanometers one with pediatric cuff, one with adult sized cuff.
     
   • Electronic thermometers
     
   • A weight scale
     
   • An otoscope/ ophthalmoscope set
     
   • Wood tongue depressors ( they actually asked for metal sterilizable tongue depressors, but that is very old fashioned and is an infection control risk)
     
   • Paper drinking cups
     
   • Small instruments such as forceps, tweezers, and bandage scissors
     
   • A small table top model steam sterilizer
     
   • Several pediatric and adult sized stethoscopes
     
   • Trays for sterilization
   
   
   
4. In January they will be hosting a conference on carpet making and have asked us to provide them with a PROXIMA projector to attach to their computer for projection of power point slides during the conference.
   

1. Carpet making and wood working programs are going well. No new equipment needs, only prime materials. Also the children are doing needle point and knitting.
   
   
2. The textile/ sewing program is in need of eight (8) new sewing machines. The current models are each more than 50 years old and are no longer able to be repaired.
   
   
3. The clinic has many of the same needs as Straseni.
   

1. The woodworking program is going well, and the carpet program is exceptional.
   
   
2. The ceramics class has a new instructor, a former student who could not find work or school after graduation and is now living at the orphanage and teaching the children pottery and ceramics. Additionally he is allowed to make items for sale at the local market in order to enhance his income.
   
   
3. Clinic has the same basic needs as Straseni.
   

1. The woodworking program is going well. A special building was constructed to house this program. The children are working diligently but it takes them a long time to complete projects.
   
   
2. The carpet program is going well and has the same constraints.
   
   
3. The Director would like to have a shoe repair workshop so that the children will have a trade when they return to their villages as they will most likely not have any opportunity to go to higher education.
   
   
4. The clinic needs the following items:
   
   • Weight scale
     
   • Sphygmomanometer with pediatric and adult cuff sizes
     
   • A nebulizer machine
     
   • Stethoscopes with pediatric and adult sized diaphragms
     
   • Electronic thermometers
     
   • Disposable tongue depressors
   
   
   
5. As the orphanage at Cupkui has recently been closed by the Ministry of Education, the pottery wheel and kiln will be moved to this location and we will initiate a ceramics workshop at this site within the next 30 days.
   

1. There is a new Director at the site. He has been there approximately 1.5 years.
   
   
2. The woodworking program is one of our very best sites, and the exhibition room is exemplary.
   
   
3. The carpet making and textile workshop also continues to do exceptional work.
   
   
4. They have asked to have their stipends increased. I provided an on-the-spot gift of Euro 10 to each of the instructors.
   
   
5. The director has asked us to start a workshop on basket making. This region was known for its baskets and wicker furniture. The costs will be minimal as there is significant amounts of prime materials in the area from cane and cornstalks.
   

1. Meeting with Dr. Danii, Deputy Minister of Education for Special Schools.
   
   • Dr. Danii understands that the economic situation currently will not allow us to expand to the promised total of 20 sites, and has extended our work approval indefinitely. He basically indicated that we are welcome to continue the project as long as we want to do it.
     
   • He provided us with several recent publications which show the science behind what we are doing at the orphanages and how this helps with the psychological well being of the children.
   
   
   
2. Meeting at the Ministry of Health.
   
   • A meeting was held with the Minister of Health, his Deputy Minister, and the Director of the Department of Mother and Child health. We discussed the work with the orphanage clinics as well as the work done in support of the best practice guidelines created by USAID and the Millenium Challenge corporation. They gave us great praise for our work in creating a teledermatology network using the laptop computers and VisualDx beta programs provided to us several years ago by Logical Images Corporation. All of the laptop computers are still working and are in use at all of the orphanage clinic sites and at the Central Dermatology Hospital in Chisinau.
   
   
   
3. Meeting with LTC(ret) Brian Anselman, Director of Logistics and Administration, US Embassy, Chisinau, Moldova.
   
   • Apprised Mr. Anselman of the project.
     
   • Provided him with samples of the children’s work to share with Embassy staff, and Diplomatic Wive’s Club. There may be some interest in selling some of the items at the annual Diplomatic Community Christmas Bazaar. This is legal inside of Moldova and has been “blessed” by the Ministry of Education. All proceeds from the sales of these items will go directly back into the orphanage workshops to purchase more prime materials and equipment.
   
   
   
4. Meeting with Dr. Petr Grosdev, owner of GRINFOR Handmade Carpet Factory
   
   • He continues to supply us with large end items of equipment at nominal cost, and provides subject matter expertise to several of the workshops.
     
   • He has developed several new patterns of carpets, and I personally purchased two new ones for the use in exhibitions and fundraisers for Project Moldova in the USA.