The Orphanage in Calarasi, Moldova
 

Last year I rode from my home in Southwest Germany to the Black Sea. On the way, I visited the orphanage and school for mentally handicapped children in Calarasi, Moldova - an experience which prompted me to do something to help the poor kids there. To be able to raise some money for them, I decided to write a book about motorcycling in Eastern Europe, which of course includes the ride from Bühl to Calarasi and back.

The book was officially launched at the first Horizons Unlimited Germany Meeting, but I still have a lot of books to sell in order to raise enough money to renovate the remaining 7 toilets there, which urgently need some attention - see the attached photos for an idea of the current condition.

Hopefully, you’ll support my chosen cause by buying a book. Actually, don't think of it as buying a book, but giving money to a poor orphanage and getting the book for free! I am paying all of the printing costs myself, so that every single penny/cent earned from the €15 (approx. GBP 12) cover price can go directly to the orphanage.

The main book data is as follows:

126 pages, printed on high quality art paper
82 colour photographs
11 maps
English language
Every single cent of the €15,00 cover price goes to the orphanage in Calarasi

For more information on the book and a couple of extracts, please go to http://www.jeder-kilometer-zaehlt.de/EN.html and click on “News”.

Please PM me if you would like to contribute and thank you in advance for your kind support!

Dave

So you pay for the printing yourself and give all income as donations. I think you really belive in it then.


I will buy one even though I usually don't read travellers stories (I prefer to experience them myself).

PM sent

Yes, I do believe it's a worthy cause.

Thank you Peter. I've sent a PM back.

I'm In Calarasi
 

Hello,

I'm an American Peace Corps Volunteer working in a village outside of, Calarasi, Moldova. I toured in the US a lot before coming here to volunteer for 2 years. I hope to someday do an around the world tour.

Anyway, what orphanage are you supporting and how did you come to find them? If there is anything I can do to help you from here let me know. I speak fluent Romanian now. Do you have any plans to come back here in the near future?

Ryan

Hi Ryan,

It's a real shame you weren't there a year ago when I was there. There are several orphanages in Rayon Calarasi, but the one we're supporting is the one in the town. As you probably know by now, street signs are not a Moldovan stong point, so I can't tell you which street it's in, but I could give you the GPS coordinated.

As you may know, Bühl in Germany is one of the twin-towns of Calarasi, whicg is how I got involved - through the local goverment.

I wanted to return this year, but due to changee in jobs which involves a lot of travelling, I will be on a business trip (actually, in the US) when the next visit from Bühk will take place. Don't be surprised when 15 German cyclists, plus local government members, support vehicles and the like decend on the town in about three weeks from now. They will have an interpreter with them, plus one cyclist from Calarasi is on his way here now to be able to ride with them.

I really appreciate the offer of help, and if you don't mind, I may well call on your help if need be. The only problem is that most of the guys coming over only speak German with only one or two English spreakers amongst them.

All being well, I may visit towards the end of this year, or if that fails, next year definitely. If you're still there, I'll be sure to look you up!

Many thanks once again and enjoy the Calarasi night life:innocent:

Bummer, Actually I was here a year ago. I'm actually in a village about 16km outside of Calarasi. I'm familiar with the orphanage there, but I haven't visited, although I've been to a couple others.

Feel free to give my info to the guys coming. My cell phone number is (sent via PM.) If something happens, I do happen to know a German working in Chisinau who knows Romanian and English too.

Any chance you would be willing to sell me a digital copy of your book? I could paypal you the money. I promise I won't distribute the digital copy. I want to buy the book, but won't have any room to take books home with me in November. :-)

Ryan

EDIT: Removed Phone Number

Hi Ryan,

Once again, many thanks for your offer. If you really don't mind, I'll pass the info on to the leader of the cycle group. Although it's much appreciated, I'm not sure whether you should be posting you cellphone number on the internet - PM would probably be better in the future. Regarding a digital version of the book, I'll PM you.

Best regards

Dave

Unfortunately, I just registered on the forum and don't have the required 8 posts to do a PM. I'm can't figure there are too many people out there looking to spend money calling a prepaid phone in Moldova at > $0.25 per minute.
I did edit my post to remove the number though. If you haven't recorded it yet I assume you can PM me and i can reply.

Just read your book Dave - superb selfless effort on your part and a very, very worthy cause for anyone not sure about buying the book

Many thanks for the kind words! Sales are going well and I've already raised over €1200 from kind-hearted souls buying books. I'm hoping to sell a few at the HU Meeting in the UK this coming Saturday. If you're there, I hope to be able to say hello to you. :thumbup1:

Dave
Bought your book from the ukgser forum, read it and enjoyed it!
Maybe catch up with you at the horizons meet this weekend

Many thanks to all at the HU Meeting this weekend that either bought a book or attended my talk/presentation (and an extra special thanks to those that did both :thumbup1:).

It was great to finally put faces to the many names I know from this site (plus a couple of others) and I had a really enjoyable day yesterday chatting to so many great people.

Cheers once again!

Dave

Sold Out!
 

I’m pleased to be able to say that I’ve now sold out of books. Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising action by buying books and a very special thank you to all those who also sent additional donations. I have just handed over a cheque for a whopping €2807,37 to the project. Some work has already been carried out at the orphanage using the project money, the most important being a complete new roof, so hopefully the damp walls and ceilings are now a thing of the past.

I hope to visit the orphanage again next year. If this works out, I’ll post an update following my return.

Thank you once again and a very happy new year to you all!

Dave

Only just picked up on this tread... well done Dave, thats brilliant; could do with a few more people in the world like you!

Thanks for the kind words! :thumbup1:

Great work, looks like they really need the support. Congrats on selling out.

I am so glad to hear that you did this, Ghost Rider! The Moldovan orphans really need our help. The statistics concerning what happens to these kids is heartbreaking. After they are released from the orphanage, many commit suicide. Of those that don't, some 80 or 90 percent of the girls go into prostitution and a similar percentage of the boys go into organized crime. Without some assistance and support, their futures are absolutely bleak at best.

We have been sponsoring a little girl named Felicia in Falesti for the last 3 years, and are planning to visit her next fall while we are on a six month tour of Moldova. We were thinking of leaving the bike in Romania, worried about the crime levels in Moldova, but I am encouraged to reconsider riding in after hearing that you had a good experience, Ghost Rider.

I would love to have bought one of the books, but I am very glad that you sold out and were able to raise so much for the orphanage. Any chance of a second printing? If not, I was wondering if I could pay you to send me the content electronically?

Thanks for helping the children of Moldova!

-Adam

p.s. If any one is interested in sponsoring an orphan in Moldova, please contact me and I can put you in touch with an organization that is doing fantastic work there. (Sweet Sleep)Felicia recently wrote us and said that one of her good friends, Sophia, does not have a sponsor.

Hi Adam,

I've just ordered a small (20 copies) extra print run. I'll let you know when I have stock.

Cheers:thumbup1:

The Orphanage in Calarasi, Moldova
 

Hi Ghost Rider
Only just joined this site so late to the thread, congratulations on selling out and raising the money. I would love to buy and read the book and help make a difference, so save one of the 20 for me. Let me know when they are ready.

Hi Adam, Hi Jaydub,

I now have a small stock of books if you're still interested. The orphanage donation fund is now officially closed - with all of our local actions, we managed to raise €42,800 in total. This means I'll sell the remainder of the books at a reduced price - basically my cost price and nothing else.

Hi Ghost rider, congratulations on total raised. Yes am still interested in your book, I will PM you.
Jaydub

Wow!! well done Ghost Rider, that is an awesome amount.
Im planning in Mid June-July to do a trip from UK-Russia passing through Romania + Moldova. I would really like to volunteer for a few days /a week somewhere.
Your cause sounds as good as any and i would particaulry like to work with children. Could you send me please some details if it is possible to volunteer at the orphanage??
Cheers,
Rob

Hi Rob,

You have a PM... :thumbup1:

my birth place
 

hi my name is eli, from the uk, been 18 years since from that orphanage. I am adopted from that orphanage in May20th 1995 do you have a contact number as I need to ask them a few questions, I have pics of the orphanage, my name is Marian Olariu, please can you help me get the number for that place thanks.