There were young men using the work benches, sawing metal and making springs. The teacher, a metals engineer, explained that they have a good variety of tools and equipment of which she is teaching the pupils the names and uses of through a mix of theoretical and practical lessons. She said they then plan to do set project work with a finished outcome.

In the sewing room the textiles professor had two groups at work in sets of 4. One group was knitting parts for a doll. The whole class will be knitting the various parts and then it will be sewn together. The other group had card and material and were designing a fashion outfit each. The teacher explined that they hope to make these outfits and then exhibit them in a fashion show at the centre.

The craft room has an array of evidence of creative works. The staff and children make use of everything they can get hold of. They had cut grooves into card through which they had strung string and through this the students have used lengths of colourful material to create weavings. The pupils come into the craft room in the afternoons and make their creations. The teacher explained that they are going through consumables at a fast rate and always need new supplies. They need bulk glue/paints/paper etc which they can purchase locally but need a budget for this. There are also 2 large potters wheels in the room ready for use. The Director explained that once they have put up plastic sheeting to protect the walls and floor and brought in some clay they will start using them. As there is no kiln at present they will be restricted on the products they are able to produce at present.

As I walked past the comfortable and welcoming lounge/music room one afternoon I saw a group of friends happy being with each other watching television. There are lovely leather sofas, a hi-fi system, a few musical instruments but the room is lacking books, a piano, CD's and tapes.

There are a large number of PC's in the ICT room which were donated by an english primary school in working order, unfortuately once they had travelled out to Romania and up into the room and switched on they found that they are not now working. The good news is that a handy technical chap has been looking at them and with some swapping of parts has already managed to get two of them up and running so they will very soon be in use.

The garage is still a project to be begun as there are no funds for this at present. The hope is for this to become a work shop learning basic mechanics and car washing.

Below are excerpts from Adrian Woodroffe’s emailed accounts of the ‘Foundation for Life Centre’s’ volunteers trip Saturday 17th-Sunday 25th February 2007. The accounts do not include all emailed information but seek to provide the reader with a general account of activity and work to the FFL Centre during that week. Photographs to accompany the text can be viewed on the ‘Photographs’ page of this website.

Sunday 18th
We had a quick tour of the 'Foundations for Life Centre' (FFLC) which really is looking very good indeed - thanks to Director Delia and the team of builders/painters/decorators who have been working there for about four months now. Well done to all concerned.

Then it was downstairs, back in to the Robert Cole Centre where I gave the new comers and old-timers a tour of the Day Centre, culminating with showing them the gymnasium, which is full of furniture and equipment, some needing assembling, for the FFLC. They spotted the two potters wheels and were relieved to see that is what they were - and not kilns that I had mentioned in previous correspondence. Potters wheels are obviously sssoooo much lighter than kilns and so it shouldn't be a problem getting them up stairs and in one of the rooms in the FFLC.

We went back in to the gymnasium where the volunteers tried to find all the parts for two eight-seater carousel units and then they manhandled one set upstairs to the Volunteers bedroom where assembly is due to be contemplated before actual assembly is made in the soon-to-be computer room in the FFLC.

I managed to escape around 6:30pm before any hard work commenced. I think the painting, decorating, cleaning, cabinet moving and furniture assembly is to begin in earnest tomorrow. Hopefully the local cockerel will be crowing again in the morning so that the volunteers don't oversleep.

Tuesday 20th
Those volunteers have been working hard today.

Virtually all the furniture, cupboards, wall charts and other stuff for the Foundations for Life Centre has now been positioned in the various rooms and the volunteers even managed to stop for a coffee - before 9:40am!

Only one of the two carousel desk units (for eight people to sit around) is required for the FFLC, but it was too large to fit in to a single room and therefore it's been assembled in two parts - half in the IT room and the other half in one of the other rooms. However, that has resulted in the remaining carousel unit having a spare centre support piece but no legs. I'm sure it won't be a problem because the Romanians are very resourceful and I'm sure someone will be able to knock-up enough new legs for it.

The attached two photos (on the ‘Photographs’ Page) show Director Delia Barzu, the team of volunteers and half an assembled carousel desk unit in the IT room.

Wednesday 21st
I left home at 7:30am in order to be at the Robert Cole Centre (RCC) in time for the planned 8:00am departure for an 'excursion' with some of the volunteers. Jayne and Lyn were to stay behind as they were keen and eager to paint Director Delia Barzu's office in the Foundations for Life Centre (FFLC).

The rest of us got in to one of the RCC minibuses but as there was then going to be a delay until the driver arrived, I took the opportunity of popping in to the RCC to talk to Lyn and Jayne about a musical keyboard for the FFLC.

After our excursion, during which we visited a state-run institution where around 150 patients live; three lovely bungalows, set in beautiful countryside where 36 special needs young adults live; and a hospital to visit some children and adults suffering the effects of HIV/AIDS, we got back to the RCC at 2:15pm.

Jayne and Lyn told us that they'd managed to put two coats of paint on the ceiling in Delia's office, plus one coat of paint on the walls. (I think a further two coats of paint was speckled all over their faces and clothing.) The walls of Delia's new office certainly look very colourful and bright. In fact, Jayne has promised to buy Delia some sunglasses to help protect her eyes from the glare! Louise and Julie immediately began painting the walls in the entrance corridor to the FFLC. Karen and Stewart went in to town to change some money and I was forced to sit with Lyn and Jayne and drink cups of tea and have half a cup-a-soup.

Thursday 22nd
Today the team of intrepid volunteers have been painting, moving more furniture and making bits and pieces out of odds and ends. Please see the two attached photos (On the ‘Photographs’ page). One shows a handmade coat rack for the Woodwork room made by disassembling a table and using the base support unit and a set of blunt 'cup hook' screws. (The other photo is for the Sewing room and is of some wool that has been knitted together and made in to a lovely and colourful pattern and inserted in to one of the wooden photo frames that came here on the last truck. The artistes responsible for the attached creations are holding their respective masterpieces in the photos attached. Two sets of each were made. Total cost for all materials purchased... around £1.

I think it's really good that the volunteers have been so practically and actively involved in making such lovely items for those two rooms. I hope it will be both an encouragement and an inspiration to the teaching staff and children. Perhaps the youngsters in the FFLC will be able to design and create beautiful, practical, useful, aesthetic and wonderful works with the facilities and opportunities they are provided once the Centre is up and running.

Also today Louise checked the sewing machines and advises that they are all in good working order. She said that some are particularly good. I mentioned that Casa Lumina have a number of sewing machines too but that I thought some may be in need of attention/repair. Louise indicated that she'd be happy to take a look at them so I phoned Sister Betty to see if Casa Lumina would like to take up that offer…she's keen for Louise to have a look at Casa Lumina's sewing machines and she'll get them and whatever parts for them she can find and have them ready. Louise will go to Casa Lumina at around 10:00am tomorrow.

The volunteers tried to continue with some painting in the FFLC today but as some flooring had just been laid it wasn't practical or possible for them to get to the areas that needed attention.

Referring to the workmen, one of the volunteers said that she'd never seen so many men doing nothing. I explained that I thought they were possibly trying to comply with some sort of international building regulations. However, they must have been doing something right, because the refurbishment works for FFLC really has progressed considerably and the rooms are looking very good indeed.

Friday 23rd
As the workmen at the FFLC were laying floors in the rooms where the volunteers had hoped to paint, the volunteers couldn't get in to those rooms and so they didn't have a very productive day in the FFLC yesterday.

Louise and Julie went to Casa Lumina yesterday morning and managed to have a look at all the sewing machines they've got there - advising as to which ones are in working order and they will provide details as to what parts are needed for those that aren't. What was thought to have been one complete knitting machine, packed in three separate boxes, was also looked at by Louise and Julie but it seems to be parts for two separate such machines. We'll see if we can track down the person who had sent the boxes here and hopefully the rest of the parts could then follow.

Saturday 24th
On their last full day here, the volunteers cleaned the rooms in the Foundations for Life Centre in the morning, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning tables and chairs and positioning some more of the furniture in the rooms there. Understandably, with the workmen cutting and laying floor tiles; drilling and fixing; installing and fitting etc., there is, and will continue to be for some time, considerable dust and debris.

I took the attached six photos in the afternoon (on the ‘Photographs’ page). A huge amount of work has been undertaken in the rooms of the Foundations for Life Centre. (The last photo is of the roof of the garage we have relatively recently purchased - and as can be seen, much work is needed - for which funding is required - to make the garage suitable and secure for the storage of the Robert Cole Centre vehicles.)

Back in the volunteers room at the RCC, Jayne and Lyn were going to do some cleaning, in an attempt to tidy up a bit before leaving in the morning and they were also going to label and seal the boxes in that room, whose contents are destined for use within the Foundations for Life Centre.

All six volunteers and I went to Intim restaurant where we all had very good (and extremely hot) meals. Towards the end of the evening I asked each of the volunteers what they had found to be one of the best or most rewarding parts of their trip here.

Their individual responses included: seeing Casa Lumina and the youngsters there (and how totally different it was compared to the awful conditions in which they had been living prior to 2000). the prayer session at Casa Lumina on Friday afternoon seeing the lovely Miorita bungalows painting and getting the rooms ready in the Foundations for Life Centre and seeing the significant changes that had been made to the rooms at the Foundations for Life Centre.

Earlier in the evening Lyn had given me a lovely A3 size poster of musical instruments that is to be put on a wall in the music room in the Foundations for Life Centre. In order to make it more long-lasting I took it home and have laminated it.

I hope you like the attached photos (on the ’Photographs’ page) and approve of how the volunteers have left the Foundations for Life Centre. They've all indicated that they may return here sometime.

Adrian.

17/11/06 Adrian writes;
As you can see from the Photographs page, there are many workmen there, very actively working. New double-glazed windows have been installed, electric wiring has been connected to a number of the rooms with light sockets and two electric sockets in most of the rooms. The computer room has wiring for quite a lot of plug socket outlets. A huge amount of work has been undertaken - a credit to those responsible. Particular thanks and gratitude to Delia for overseeing this very important work in order to further improve the skills, abilities and future of the youngsters who have graduated class 8. Well done!

Adrian. Comanesti, Romania

13/10/06 Adrian writes;
On 5th October 2006 I was advised that it will be necessary to have a "Project" undertaken for the refurbishment works. That will involve a company coming to the Robert Cole Centre and measuring each of the rooms on the 1st floor where the refurbishment for the Foundations for Life Centre is to take place, taking due account and consideration of the proposed changes we want to make ( e.g. partial removal of some walls etc.) A similar measurement exercise was undertaken earlier in the year in order for the Robert Cole Centre to get the Fire Authority's approval before the necessary Accreditation or Licence was issued.

I hope that company will be able to produce more than a mere plan of the rooms on the 1st floor of the building, but also to incorporate appropriate Contract particulars, Management of Works, Quality Standards/Controls documentation as well as possibly providing documentation to cover the necessary Supervision/Inspection during the works. Perhaps they could also help with the definitions for Materials and Workmanship, Schedule of Works, Electrical specification, Contract Drawings and Tender documentation. I've already begun to document some of the above and when the company comes to do the measurements I'll arrange to go through those details with them and see what they can help with.

Adrian. Comanesti, Romania

31/7/06 Adrian writes;
We hope to undertake work on the 1st floor of the building in which the Robert Cole Centre (Special Needs School) is located. We are planning to create a Vocational and Life-skills training centre, initially for 12 of the children who graduated class 8 in June 2006 so that they can be further helped to develop and grow in their understanding of life, their surroundings, their culture and also in order to give them a greater purpose and improve their levels of self worth, helping them to more easily and readily integrate into society.