Home of Hope Bakery Begins!

"Be A Smile" young ladies from Holland donated 3,000 Euros to the HOH Bakery!

Tony with the children and staff of HOH orphanage.

Monday, July 8^th, 2013. A great friend and representative from Rotary Club of Tower Hamlets, London, arrived in Elbasan to meet the staff of Home of Hope (HOH), assess the unfinished bakery, and to meet the Elbasan Rotarians.  Since April, HOH funding has been severely cut by their major donor CRY, and it is vitally important that (1) HOH becomes sustainable without dependence on donors in order to survive. It was while I was living at HOH in April that I learned of their financial troubles, and with the help of my colleague, we decided that completing the bakery was the best option to help the orphanage become sustainable. (2) The Bakery also brings job experience, business skills and income opportunities to the older children of HOH, who by law, have to leave the orphanage by the young age of 15. This project meets two of USPC COD goals.

Racks and a mixer are already in place. 

We spent Monday morning talking with Alban Nedelko, director of HOH.  We toured the Orphanage, took pictures of the bakery, and discussed all issues and challenges facing the orphanage and the bakery.

 This diesel oven needs to be sold and replaced with an electric oven.

By law, these 15 year old kids need to leave the orphanage. The HOH Bakery will give them business skills, employment opportunities and the income they need to be successfully independent.

That evening we all attended Rotary Club of Elbasan’s meeting.  Because the funds for the bakery will be channeled through Rotary, the Rotary Club of Tower Hamlets will be working closely with Elbasan Rotary Club. In attendance were Hajdar Sejdini, the Current President, Albana Drenogllava, Past President, Edmond Kristo, Treasurer and several other key members. As this is the first international project that Elbasan Rotarians have done with another club, it has taken them awhile to set up an independent Club bank account. It was a successful night with new friendships and plans set into action.

Meeting with the Elbasan Rotarians and their crucial role in the HOH Bakery. 

Tuesday, July 9^th, 2013. We headed to Spille Beach to enjoy the day with the HOH kids and get to know the staff better. Spille Beach was made possible by a group of 8 young ladies from Holland who raised the necessary funds to take HOH on summer vacation for 8 nights.  Their group name is “Be a Smile”. We met these amazing young ladies, and learned how they each became involved with Be a Smile, and what brought them to Albania to do this great act of service.  I had met their leader Anouk Vaarkamp in April while visiting HOH on my first day of practicum during PST. She told us today that they had raised extra money and were donating it HOH for the bakery!  We had a special ceremony and they presented Alban a check for 3,000 Euros.  We now had the start up money we needed to begin! 

( Above) The HOH group with the girls from Holland. (Below) Me with the girls.

We sat down with Alban and made a plan of action, discussed necessary start up costs, and set up a time frame for action:

Step one:  Sell the old diesel oven

Step two:  Find and price a new electric oven

Step three:  Get electricity operating

Step four:  Buy pie machine

Step five:  Begin producing pies while waiting for oven 

When the oven is ready to be bought, the money will be sent through Elbasan Rotary. I will be the main accountant for all the funds. Working closely with the accountant of HOH and the Treasurer of the Elbasan Rotary Club, I will record the transfers, the deposits and all of the expenditures for the bakery into Quickbooks accounting program. I will maintain accountability in every way and send regular reports to Rotarians, HOH, Be A Smile, and USPC. The journey to sustainability for HOH has begun!

Foundation "Home of Hope" Elbasan, Albania