Wills power to deliver more vital aid to Eastern Europe

DRUMAHOE man Wills Lynch will travel to Eastern Europe for the nineteenth year running this May to deliver some much needed aid to some of the poorest people on the continent.

Wills has been travelling to Romania since the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu's regime in 1989 left the nation an economic basket case and its people in the most dire poverty imaginable.

The Waterside aid-worker has organised a Gospel Concert to raise funds for aid for the children of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania and is appealing to the wider community to come along and support this worthy cause.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The concert will take place in Glendermott Presbyterian Church Hall, Drumahoe, on Friday, April 23, 2009.

Special guests lined up for the concert include the Emmanuel Gospel Group, Matthew and Naomi Campbell, Paul Irwin and James Strange with a selection of music also from Melanie and David Darragh. All proceeds will go to Help for Children Europe, an officially registered charity set up by Wills as part of his Eastern European aid mission.

In July 2008 the worst floods suffered by the Ukraine and Northern Romania in over a century wiped out both life and livelihood there. More than 20,000 homes were flooded and 7,000 people had to be evacuated by boat or helicopter.

Dozens were killed by the time Wills arrived and the humanitarian aid he brought to this impoverished part of the world was needed then more than ever.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Last year Wills had the assistance of two eager volunteers from Lisneal College who made the trip for the first time - Naomi Beattie, from Altnagelvin, and his own daughter Judith.

Wills will be accompanied this year on his trip to Moldova, Ukraine and Romania by David Robinson and Paul Darragh.

The trio will distribute food, sweets, medication, books, pencils, crayons, knitted hats, scarves, and baby clothes (knitted by local people) etc for the children in these very poor areas and also the schools.

He will also be distributing medical supplies to medical centres and hospitals. On his last trip he visited orphanages in Ukraine and Romania, which are in a very poor condition, and also street children in the village area where the people are without running water and electricity.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is clear from the photographs of his last visits that his efforts are very much appreciated by the people in these countries.

"They do appreciate the efforts," he said. "The people were very happy with the work that was done during the floods. The Mayor of one of the cities came back and asked me if it would be an idea to come back to the orphanage given the work that we had done.

"A week or more ago I sent out a load of medical stuff, chocolates, sweets, medical stuff, pencils, books, colouring-in material. They are for the wains in the orphanage - to give them something to do - and to help them colour in because they do learn and they do have studies but they don't have the books and that. It's nice to give them something to do.

"Also a lot of people around the city here knit hats and coats and blankets and all which is very good quality and all the stuff we take out is new," he added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wills said none of the work being done on behalf of the misfortunate of Eastern Europe would be possible without the generosity of the people of the city and beyond.

"All over this city people have put their hands in their pockets and helped me through the years and without their help I couldn't do this," he said.

"But as you'll see a lot of people will come to the concert as a one-off and also we'll run an exhibition of about 20 or 30 photographs and show people exactly where the supplies have gone and I'd go around to groups and give a talk about it.

"That's not only here but as far away as Newtonstewart, Strabane, Donemana and right up as far as Maghera and Toomebridge and right around the whole area and in Donegal around Raphoe and that area people have helped," he added.

This years fundraising event for the children of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania will be held in Glendermott Presbyterian Church Hall on Friday April 23 at 8pm. Everyone is welcome.

Related topics: