The first evening of the cooking class found Casey and Mrs. Dottie leading. Casey made homemade tortillas for a fajita and some sugar cookies! Over twenty people attended.
The ladies cooked some American type of foods, but used ingredients that the Bulgarians can find in their stores. After dinner each evening, students from the New Life English class, from the past several months, “practiced” their English with the team members. There were many great conversations at our tables.
On the final day, under Holly’s direction, the ladies made homemade pancakes, homemade syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, a fruit cup and cinnamon rolls! They did an outstanding job! Pancakes and syrup were a new dish that many do not make in Bulgaria. Cinnamon rolls are very few and far between, and sliced strips of bacon is not often done. The ones who attended were so excited, ate very well, and we even gave them the recipes in Bulgarian so they could make pancakes and syrup on their own! I had a teenage girl tell me she was excited about coming because she came to have the pancakes!
It was a great morning with 50 or more people attending, including the Mayor of Svishtov and the head doctor of the children’s ward along with three nurses! The mayor of Svishtov and the director of the children’s ward came in person to say, “Thank you to The Hanna Project for what you have done for our town!”
A local newspaper also came and interviewed us about our project. We were able to share about other THP projects that we are involved in around the world, as well as share some of the reasons we were in Svishtov this year.
Here is a part of what the newspaper printed,
“The children’s ward of the hospital, ‘Dimitar Pavlovich’, was repaired by volunteers, members of the American non-governmental organization, “The Hanna Project”. The funds for the repair of the value 7 200 Leva were submitted by the organization, and the labor group was completely voluntary… For four days a children’s ward was transformed beyond recognition. With the donated funds and charity work, the team painted the hallway and 10 rooms (6 in the teen sector, and 4 in the nursery). “The Hanna Project also purchased new beds, mattresses and furnishings for the rooms, as well as furniture for the dining room. The beds all have new bed linens, which unfortunately are scarce in Bulgaria,” said the head of a children’s ward Dr. Daoud. The doctor was impressed by the smiling and hard-working Americans, their charity and the hearty improvements to the hospital!
