On the 5th September, my co-driver Ricki James, a Solicitor in our Cardiff office and I will be setting off to Bulgaria as part of the CWU Humanitarian Aid Convoy to Bulgaria. The Simpson Millar vehicle is loaded with clothes, paint, cleaning products and medical supplies and equipment that has been raised by the staff over the last few months. A total of 10 vehicles are making the trip which will take us through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and on into Bulgaria. When we arrive we will be splitting into 4 groups to deliver aid to orphanages at Razdavitza, Pleven, Panagyurishte and Samokov.
The harrowing conditions in some of Bulgaria's orphanages were featured in a Channel 4 documentary earlier this year entitled 'The forgotten children of Bulgaria'. Recent development of tourism on the Black Sea coast gives a misleading picture of life in other part of the country where the infrastructure is much less well developed and conditions in general are still very primitive.
The convoy leaves on Friday 5th September and I will be writing a daily blog which will appear here about our progress over the course of the trip which will conclude on Sunday 21st September. Subject to internet connectivity the blog will be updated daily and I hope you will follow our progress.
