Whilst in Moldova our volunteers had a well deserved afternoon out at a local orphan summer camp

                                                                 

Click here for our other photos from this years trip

Before and After Photo

Childrens Feedback

Trebujeni and Locals

Welcome to the 2011 Team and the before and after shots of our work!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Click here for

Before and After Photo

Aid Drop

Childrens Feedback

Trebujeni and Locals

Here are a few photos of the local children, families and the surrounding area of Trebujeni.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Click here for our other 2011 photos!

Before and After Photo

Aid Drop

Childrens Feedback

Click Here to view the full newsletter

Two US volunteers Andy and Alex contacted TEECH back in July, as you can image the charity were delighted to have an international offer of help.  It went something like this…………..

I have been serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova for about a year.  I came across your website and was inspired by all of the projects your organization has undertaken.  With that in mind, I would love to help you with your project in Trebujeni.  I would be able to help you on site during the two weeks and assist with anything before or after you leave.  Also, if you need more help, there is a large network of other volunteers in the country that I could ask.  Most of us speak Romanian and some speak Russian.

And after the project in August…………..

I wanted to thank you for all of the work that you have done to improve the lives of the whole Trebujeni community and the youth at the summer camp in Soldanesti!  While they couldn't express their gratitude enough in words, you certainly could tell by the abundance of food and wine that came our way, especially on that one fateful day.

Alex and I had no idea what to expect when we left our communities for a couple weeks to help a charity with little more than a few e-mail exchanges.  At our first greeting with Alan and John, it was easier for me to understand the Moldovans than the British, because as Alan would say, "I don't speak the Queen's English."  Luckily enough, we were able to establish an understanding through a crash course in British English about torches, spanners and the like.

We really enjoyed working with you to help complete the project.  We understand that you were so busy working to complete this year's project that you hardly had a chance to check out sites for next year.  

If you would like, Alex and I could work with some Moldovan partners to submit project proposals for your consideration.  That way, you would have a pool of potential sites to evaluate where the largest needs are and have someone on the ground in Moldova to help make the necessary arrangements before your arrival next year.  

Also, we could help you design an application process and connect you to networks to get the word out. This would ensure that you have an annual supply of locations for your consideration.

We were inspired by all of your passion and hard work to improve the lives of Moldovans and would love to help you even further your mission to assist and empower Moldovans throughout the country.

 It was little short of a miracle that so much was achieved in such a short period of time this year. Only the total commitment and dedication of the volunteers, who gave up 2 weeks of their annual leave and raised sponsorship and or paid for the privilege made it possible.

When Alan our project manager and John our planner arrived at the school, three days ahead of the coach, there was no water into the school at all. When we made a temporary connection in the boiler house, not only did the numerous leaks flood the boiler room but when we reached the dining room we found about 2 inches of water at the deep end [the floor slopes towards the kitchen]. We had to engage the services of a local plumber to sort that out for us!

Read more...

We were due to jump on the 3^rd August but at 4.30pm on the 2^nd it was cancelled. Unfortunately a double booking of the airfield meant that all jumps on the 3^rd and 4^th were cancelled. Team FieldAvis went into action and had secured another jump at a different airfield within an hour of the anger and frustration subsiding.

Our new jump would be on the 5^th at Wanborough, about 30 mins from where we were based for the first jump (Nr Cirencester). The new jump would not be with the Red Devils but it would be the opportunity to skydive and fulfil our promise to all those who had sponsored us (thats you!).

 We were really lucky with the weather on the day. Claire and Richard went first and unfortunately Claire did not like it but she was massively brave and pleased to have given it a go. My turn came and I amazed myself...I seem to be really calm and not nervous at all (some sort of out of body experience I think). There were seven of us when I went up (and yes seven landed safely!). Those who were jumping on their own were 'dropped off' on the way up. I was probably scared when we fell out the plane but it all happened so fast I can’t remember!  The freefall is insane....blinking hec....you would not believe how fast it feels (well it is about 120mph!) but it has to be experienced to be believed. Once the parachute is open you go into a serene float down to earth. I felt sick at this point which started with a sharp right turn just after the parachute was deployed. My instructor asked if I was ok with the sharp turns...the answer was no! The sick feeling did not go away but we slowed down the decent and kept the turns at a more gentle pace which allowed for some sight seeing. The views were great and highly recommended and even though I felt sick I would still like to do it again (bacon roll on landing helped with the sickness).

My instructor had plenty of one liners to ‘keep me cheerful’, some of which I cant really write down (due to their rudeness) but I will fill you in when I see you (or email me back and I might tell you). Asking me in the plane when we had reached 1 mile up whether there were any clubs I wanted to join was just the start! Obviously the rudeness and cheekiness did lift my spirits.

During the dive, I would like to observe that clouds smell of smoke – this was noticed whilst rushing through them at over 100mph! And that being in a plane squashed between someone else’s legs and then having the cameraman sitting between your legs is quite interesting....only slightly less room than on an easyjet flight!

I attach one photo - yes it is me! I will send out some more when I get them.

If you have never skydived before then what are you waiting for! Get yourself out there and do it. If you are scared of heights then trust me this does not even come into play. I am scared of heights but it did not even cross my mind...it is nothing like being on a building and looking at the ground. And don’t be scared that anything can go wrong, because to be honest you could just as easily be run over tomorrow (I am full of cheerful thoughts!).

Anyway......

Claire, Richard and I would not only like to thank you for sponsoring us to jump but for taking the time to read this and put up with loads of plugging for the event and badgering for money. I know I really appreciate all your support and Help for Heroes are hugely grateful for your generosity.

To date we have raised £3,417 with a few pounds still to collect.

Our web page will remain active until October if you would like to read any of the witty comments left by you all.

http://www.bmycharity.com/skydivefieldavis

We did have the jump filmed therefore once I have received the DVD and vetted the content I might let you have a look.

I look forward to telling you all about my next adventure...roll on 2012 (suggestions welcome). It might involve more skydiving!!

Love to all

Holly

Following the massive success of our two previous shoeboxes appeal, TEECH plan to make this an annual thing!  We normally visit for Christmas day and so can receive your shoeboxes as late as mid December!

TEECH have many collection points around the UK so if you cannot get to us please contact us to see if we can make arrangements for collections.

The 2011 poster will be added later this year but here is the 2010 one in the meantime!

Please come back later to this page or sign up to the newsletter for further information when it is available.

On 20th May & 18th June 2011, TEECH held its first orientation days for this years project.

It was great to see previous volunteers returning, existing and new volunteers.

Talks from TEECH Chairman Rob, Vice Chairman Vic, Secretary gemma & Welfare trustee Becki.

Schedule of Events

10am – Informal meet and greet with tea, coffee and biscuits

10.15 – Welcome to TEECH from Rob our chairman

10.30 – CRB Checking from Becki

10.45 – Project & Packing List info from the Trustees

11.30 – Q&A

TEECH volunteer Marty Hawkings has signed up for the Great East Swim at Alton Waters in Suffolk on 11th June 2011 to help raise money for TEECH. The event is held every year and brings in swimmers from all over possibly due to the open swim (ie no lanes, walls etc..).

More information on the swim event...

Marty can be sponsored by contacting gemma@teech.org  

BT's Matthew Steward is quite happy to admit that he doesn't enjoy driving that much.

And so you'd think that volunteering to drive a transit van packed with tools and equipment from Ipswich, all the way across Europe, to Moldova and back might not be high on Matthew's 'to do' list.

But you'd be wrong.

"I was at work one day last August and I received an e-mail asking for last-minute volunteers for 'Mission to Moldova'- a project being run by a charity called TEECH," explains Matthew

"The mission was all about travelling to Moldova an turning a disused classroom in an orphanage in Falesti, into two toilets/washrooms, one each for boys and girls. They needed someone to get involved with the labouring and do some long-distance driving. I didn't have a holiday booked and it looked like such a brilliant cause. I just had to e-mail back to the organisers telling them to count me in."

"Bitterly cold winters are quite common in Moldova," says Matthew. "The children at the Falesti orphanage had to go outside to use the loo whatever the weather and that can't be right.

To read the full article click here

It all started with the need to do a project around ‘Enterprise’ as part of a Rich Task or cross-curricular topic, but some of our Year 9 pupils like to do things a little differently these days.  They wanted an enterprise that was about doing something for others.  Their research led them to the TEECH shoebox appeal, and things snowballed from there, which happened to be appropriate this Christmas.

Five pupils set about collecting shoeboxes, deciding what should go in them and costing them.  That was the easy bit.  It was at this point that they realised that unless they were going to pay out of their own pockets, they would need to raise some funds to pay for the contents of the boxes.

Luckily, other pupils in Y9 had also begun enterprise projects, and they were all planning to make money by selling items for Christmas.  These generous people all volunteered to give their profits to fund the shoeboxes – it truly was their own idea.  So the whole project was brought together in a coffee morning for parents.  The parents bought the gifts and the money raised went towards the shoeboxes.

In addition, the five pupils who were working on the shoeboxes used an assembly at school to ask fellow pupils to pay a pound to take part in a mufti day.  The funds raised also went towards the shoeboxes.

In terms of their curriculum, Y9s covered areas of the Opening Minds curriculum relating to citizenship, researching information and working in teams.  They used money skills for maths, as well as sorting and estimating size – everything had to fit the boxes.

They used the Internet and other ICT skills, including making an advert for their product, which formed part of their assembly.  They developed literacy skills - writing for a purpose and presenting their project.

 All in all, they had a thoroughly good time, with the added bonus that someone was going to benefit from their hard work.

Crosby High Specialist Humanities College is an 11-16 school for pupils with multiple learning difficulties.

TEECH would like to save a huge festive thank you to all those that contributed to our shoe box appeal, we collected over 400 boxes which was truly amazing!

Read more...

2011 Project - August 13th - 27th

SITE: Village School, Trebujeni, Moldova

LOCATION: Approx 50 km north east Chisinau

Read more...

TEECH is back with a 70's-90 in 2011 to help raise funds and awareness for the charity. The disco is returning to St Clements Social Club, Ipswich with the original DJ LEE J on 24th September 2011!!

Please help TEECH by purchasing a ticket and also distributing the posters. To download full sized pdf version please click on the above image

TEECH are also interested in donations for the event. If you can donate TEECH and would like some advertising in return please let us know!

Over the years CSD has always been a keen supporter of charities and organisations that seek to help individuals less fortunate than ourselves and in recent times have all helped to raise over £4,000 for Children in Need and Comic Relief. Although the company faces more challenging and difficult times financially, CSD remains fully committed to continue its help.

A few months ago staff were asked if they would be willing to help local charity TEECH by volunteering to take part in their 2011 mission to help refurbish a village school in Moldova. We also invited representatives from TEECH to come and talk to us about the work they do and discuss the opportunities with potential volunteers.

CSD were absolutely amazed by the response with over 20 people initially expressing an interest in supporting the work of TEECH and following further discussion 10 CSD volunteers have now confirmed that they will be joining the mission to Moldova this summer. They are: Nicky Sidhu, Adam Sessions, Sarah John, James Pawsey, Francesca Waugh, Holly Field, Natasha Corness, Lindsay Wood, Chris Turland and Kelvin Southgate.

They will join up to 30 other volunteers and help plumbers, electricians and carpenters completely renovate, refurbish and decorate the Village school over a two week period in August.

As part of their commitment to the project, the team have pledged to raise funds for the trip and have a target of £5,000. To achieve this ‘Team Moldova’ will be organising and running a number of fund raising activities inside and outside of CSD.

We wish the team and TEECH every success in their endeavours to make a difference to the lives of one small village in Moldova.