Orphan Grain Train International Efforts - Latvia

Introduction: Latvia received its first Orphan Grain Train humanitarian aid shipment in April 1993, and has been a major recipient of Orphan Grain Train relief shipments since then. All Orphan Grain Train relief shipments to Latvia are processed through the Latvian Red Cross. The 2000 report from the Red Cross tells the most hopeful story yet, in the eight years since Orphan Grain Train shipments have been sent there. Glory be to God!

From Ingrida Belkovska, Director of Latvian Red Cross
(as printed in Orphan Grain Train Summer 2001 newsletter)

"Our dear friends in the far away America! "It is the first spring of the new Millennium, in Latvia it is already the tenth spring after regaining of independence. Riga like a fiancée is being dressed and prepared for its 800 years anniversary, which will be celebrated in August this year. Yes, it is already 10 years when we are a free country.

"But the arrangements of putting into order industry and agriculture does not come so easy, it is a hard, slow process in order to achieve the improvement in life style. Only those who have state paid jobs or private businesses are living a normal life, and those who have built their welfare in not very honest way. But the rest of the population is having hard times. This refers to country people, farmers, intelligence, medical workers, those who work in education and culture, many people cannot find jobs.

"The biggest sufferers are children.

"The state financing for medicine in Latvia is one of the lowest in Europe. Also, taking into consideration the general economic situation, people cannot go to doctor when it is needed with their health problems, and there are very many cases when it is too late to help them. The number of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, diphtheria, HIV/AIDS is increasing, and unfortunately use of drugs (narcotics). To some extent this is the result of bad social situation here.

"Therefore, as you can understand, Red Cross has lots of work to do in this situation. Therefore, in the name of all those people and institutions that we can help with your support, I would like to express the biggest gratitude and thank you. Our warmest regards to those people who collect the things, to institutions and organizations and people who donate things, to people who sort them and put in the boxes, who prepare the containers and send them over to us. Also our biggest thank you to those people who search for and get the money for shipment of the containers. God bless you all for this huge support!

"Your support is received in whole Latvia, and probably even there is not a single hospital, orphanage or old people's house, school or social centre, that during those years more or less have gained something from your shipments. This can be very well seen in the following table:

Year
Containers received:

(40-foot-long,
steel, shipping
containers) Private persons
who received
humanitarian aid Institutions that
received aid,
including prisons
hospitals, churches
and schools

1996

5

61,310

439

1997

16

135,759

333

1998

20

158,500

474

1999

18

134,081

478

2000

23

189,738

529

Total:

82

679,388

Avg. per yr.: 451

Total weight:

903 tons

"These are fantastic figures, but behind each of those figures - enormous gratitude from the receivers.

"Your support has been significant for the improvement of health situation and social sphere here in Latvia -bed linen for hospitals, working uniforms for medical workers, different medical equipment, equipment for disabled, and hospital beds. We have tried to provide this help to Riga where most of medical institutions are located, and the countryside where often the hospitals have been turned into social help centres, where old people are placed, especially during the cold wintertime.

"We are looking with big hopes at our young generation. They will be the ones who will help Latvia to gain its good times. We believe that with their knowledge, clear mind working abilities, Latvia will become a self-sufficient, rich country, and will be able to help the other countries, where there will be problems. Probably it is not so easy ideologically and materially to get out of those consequences of 50 Soviet years. But we are very proud and this gives us hopes and belief, when we see how our school children gain success at different international, European and even worldwide contests, also when our sportsmen gain good results, our artists, singers, painters are recognized in the world. We are glad that people and also state structures gradually are turning to moral values. Our belief and hope is a country with highly educated and spiritually rich people. The archbishop of Latvian Lutheran church Janis Vanags, the cardinal of Catholic Church Janis Pujats, also the leaders of other confessions, are gaining authority and recognition among the people.

"And now about the most difficult part of this letter.
We have a Latvian folk song that says - it is not easy to climb the mountain, but God, give me better the chance to climb the mountain than to fall from it. It is very difficult to ask for help, so God, give me the chance to be the one who gives and not the one who asks. It is very difficult to ask. The only calming is that I am asking you in the name of our people, of my country. We would be very grateful if you could continue this fruitful mission in the same or similar contents as up to now. Our warehouses are empty again.

"Wishing you and your loved ones all the success, good health, God's blessings."

Sincerely Yours, Ingrida Belkovska, Director, Latvian Red Cross