Just prior to our last meeting, we heard from Kathi Perkins in Romania. She is traveling as part of a District 7780 delegation on a Vocational & Cultural Exchange trip.
Kathi says that it has been a great trip so far. The Rotarians from Bucharest clubs are very warm and hospitable. One of the clubs is conducted in English, primarily for expats living in Romania for the short term. They observed several projects including an after-school program for musically talented children, a pediatric hospital where Rotary has been supporting the creation of a cardiac surgery unit, a day & boarding school for profoundly deaf children from pre-school to high school and including a vocational program, and a day & live-in hospice program for both kids and adults. At the boarding school, classrooms were cheery and well-equipped, thanks to Rotary and the staff the team met who were enthusiastic about their work.
Exchange of banners in Bucharest & music students
On May 1 (Labor Day in Romania) they left Bucharest headed for Sibiu. They did some site seeing along the way that was arranged by a local Rotarian. They also stopped briefly in Bran, the location of the castle that has become known as Dracula’s Castle. The next morning, they started the day with a visit to a hospital where they met one of the doctors who repairs spina bifida in children. Kathi says that his work is fascinating and the hospital has many similarities to American hospitals. They also toured the city of Sibiu where they were preparing for a summit of EU presidents the next week.
Since then, the team has continued traveling around Romania. They have stayed with host families, attended Rotary meetings and discussed community needs with local dignitaries. The team returns on May 13. We’ll look forward to the team presentation about the trip at RotaryFest on June 22. Plus we’ve also arranged for Kathi to present to our club on July 9.
District 7780 Romania Team