Nicolaas and Maki Hilferink wrote us a letter in 2002 telling us about the plight of the Mureş Romania village of Miheşu de Câmpie. Rather than us tell you about it, let's have Nico tell you in his own words. Following is his letter and the letter he first received from Ana-Reghina ("Gina"), along with two pictures of the village's dancers.
You may contact Niko at the following address:
1201-88 Somerset St. W.
Ottawa, ON K2- 0H6
Canada
(613) 233-4471
Please do read the remaining letters and view the color photos you will find below.
At the bottom of this long, long page are some more online references about Miheşu de Câmpie.
~ Dick Oakes
June 15, 2002
Dear Friends,
I need your help.
As you may know, I have traveled to Romania at least once a year for the past 30 years.
In 2001 I was in the region of Mureş, working on new dance material, visiting many villages. Just recently I received a letter from one of these villages. It was written by Ana, the only fluent English speaker in the village. They asked for help to bring them into the 21st century, and to make their village more liveable.
To make my letter short, I have enclosed the letter Ana wrote to me and the two photos she sent of them in costume!
What I am asking for is money. $5.00...$10.00... as much as you can spare. I will personally take this money with me on my next trip which is planned for Sept./Oct. 2002.
I am not registered as a charitable organisation, so what you give me is what will go to Romania. Obviously I have already paid for this mailing and I will pay for my own travel expenses, as always.
My plan is to take the money I collect to Romania and spend it there on needed articles. I already have friends and contacts with people who have business and/or work in places that could provide the materials and expertise to raise the standard of the most rudimentary things in the daily lives of these villagers.
So please, read the enclosed letter from Ana and respond as soon as you can, in whatever way you can. Checks should be made out to Nicolaas Hilferink. I can only give you my word, which I do, that everything you send will go to this village.
I will also send you a follow-up letter telling you about how successful my trip was.
Hoping to hear from you by mid-September, I remain
Yours very sincerely,
-- Signed --
Nicolaas Hilferink
I begin my letter by introducing myself in order that you should understand better the aim of my actions.
On the 1st of May 2001 you have paid a visit in our village, Miheşu de Câmpie. Among your hosts, you've met our new mayor who has been trying hard to change something referring to the situation of our community.
It's quite hard to notice that you can't do almost anything in order to improve men's life. We live in a zone which haven't yet benefited by any helps programs.
While in our (aids) country different programs for helping communities have been taking place, our ex-mayor has neglected the village's problems being preoccupied more by his personal interest.
Hoping you'll be able to help us, through some partnerships or foundations you know, we are going to tell you our complaints.
We have in our village a lot of plans of general interest which really need restoration and endowments.
The Cultural Club and the Youth Club (where you've been our guests) need improvements: a sound line, a video line for dancing study (the dancers group). It also need a beat installation; in the kitchen: a refigerator, tables, chairs for organizing the reunions. For the Youth Club we need a sound line, light and a protection set.
The Secondary School lacks: desks, chairs, blackboards, bookcases. The actual furniture is since my father has studied there and it is really deteriorated.
It's a painful thing for us to realize that only 10% of 400 pupils saw and work with computers. Our school has the necessary space for a computers lab but we lack the apparatus. The Education Ministry especially endowed the schools from towns, even if there the Café Internet and other places represent some possibilities where young men or students can learn to use computers or navigate on the Internet.
From this point of view, in our village and other ones the young men or children are simply illiterate.
During the Winter, the coldness enters the classrooms and pupils learn with clothes on them; this year many of them has got ill. It is maybe useless to remind they don't have a thermo headquarters.
We have in our village a Football Associations; the young men would like to practice this sport but they don't have the necessary outfit: sport shoes, balls, nets, tennis tables, rackets...
Our mayor intends to add a sport hall, but, firstly, we have to raise the building (and this costs a lot of money), and than to endow it.
Our Medical Unit must also to be improved and endowed: 2-3 emergency stretchers, roller chairs (there are persons with handicap who can't afford such chairs). Of course, a computer for a possible evidence should also be necessary, an ambulance which could transport people to Emergency in a short time (it could be driven even by the town hall's driver).
In the Cultural Club's building there are four empty rooms (they don't have furniture). They were build in order to house persons in case of floods or land slide, fire or other dangers.
The town hall owns lands (ground) (there are some reserves which don't belong to people). These lands must be tilled and administered by the mayor, but we don't have 1-2 tractors, a mower, a harvest machine, a sower machine (shortly, we don't have agricultural equipments).
Using the money obtained through these produces, we could renovate the old bakery.
If the town hall had more functional objectives (units), this extraordinary man (who has a vast manager experience) should be able to raise the people's living standard from our village, and he should contribute to our region's development.
Just think what a bless could be for our community and not only, if one of the ex-C.A.P. would be endowed with some devices for our milk's remaking. In our region, on a radius of 70 kilometers such points of remaking haven't ever existed. We live in a field region which is rich in animals, but unfortunately these basic produces can't be remade. This center could be developed here because our village succeeded in introducing the current water, we have railway and roads. The village is situated at an equal distance of four towns which could also become trade centers. And this factory could offer a work of places (jobs). If the town hall can't get these devices (apparatus), maybe somebody among you, an investor who would be interested in achieving it.
It is pleasure for me to try and procure a helping hand, a cooperation or a partnership for my village. I strongly belief that, doing this, I'll receive a helping hand when I need it (I'm sure I'll need help, because I want to become a doctor and this is a very long and hard way).
The mayor had this initiative and asked me to speak with you over the phone. Believe me, I couldn't afford call you up.
This sad letter was written under the mayor's piece of advice who is a good and unselfish man (as I've already told you).
The village now needs your additional support.
May, 2003 (condensed)
Dear Friends,
I promised to send you a report on my fund-raising for and travels to Romania and I am pleased to be able to do so at this time. First let me say, "Thank you very much for helping me accomplish this feat!"
I was unable to travel in October 2002 due to work here in Cincinnati, however, I had already planned to travel for danbce research purposes and left on April 23, arriving in Bucurest on the 24th. On Saturday, May 3, I took a taxi to Tirgu Mureş. I was met by Ana and her father; her full name is Ana-Reghina, and she is most frequently called Gina. The drive to Miheşu de Câmpie lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes and Gina spoke very fast for almost the whole ride!
Ana-Reghina ("Gina") with
her father and mother.
There is no hotel, but I was made as comfortable as possible in a room in the Cultural Center. I stayed about 48 hours in their village, which, I discovered, is ithe main village in a communal collection of 8 smaller villages. Having been to her village, I now know what she meant when she asked for help bringing them into the 20th century. The majority of the buildings, even the school, do not have running water, so outhouses are the norm. Basic living standards pre-date the First World War and at the rate they make any progress on their own, will take another 50 years to even come close to today's standards--if they ever can.
On Sunday, May 4, I was given a tour of the village, met the Principal of the school and his wife, the Assistant Principal. Both of these people are full-time teachers in addition to their administrative positions and most often work 12-hour days. I went to the church and was taken to Solovastru, where a festival was going on. About a dozen music and dance groups were there and I saw friends and performers I had met on my previs visit two years ago. Mr. Cotarlan, the Cultural Director of the state of Mureş, announced my presence and the purpose of my visit. Much appreciation was shown by applause and requests by various groups to visit their villages!
On Monday, May 5, I handed Petru Fargau, the mayor of Miheşu de Câmpie, the $4,000.00 (U.S.) that I had colledted and he was very grateful and impressed that I had been able to raise this much privately. He gave me a signed, notarized receipt and we sat down to discuss how best to use it. We decided that re-activating the bakery would contributye directly to the autonomy and eventually the financial gain in the area. However, we are $4,000.00 short.
Bakery building without ovens with which to bake
Of the other projects, the school is a primary concern. There are Kindergartens being run in some of the villages, but the main Elementary School (K - 8) is located in Miheşu de Câmpie, and has about 700 students in 16 classrooms. Most of these children walk to school every day, and you must know that in this land of harsh winters, there is no such thing as a "snow day."
The teachers still write their tests and exams individually by hand, for there is no access to a photocopier. Does anyone know of a company that could sell or donate photocopy machines to this school Can you imagine how long it must take to hand-write each test paper?
The Kindergarten teachers begged me for a playground: there is absolutely nothing for these children to play on--no swing, no teeter-totter, now whirl-around . . . nothing.
Playground without playground equipment
The school heating system predate the Second World War and consists of ancient tiled stoves inefficently placed in each classroom and which run on natural gas, are often cracked and leaking carbon monoxide directly into the classroom, making it necessary to open the windows. A central heating system would cost about $8,000.00.
Classroom furnaces
leak carbon monoxide
The classroom furniture, which also pre-dates the Second World War, is falling apart and would cost about $6,000.00 to replace.
Classroom furniture predates World War II |
Science classroom without science equipment |
The Medical Center is located in a house that was poorly built to begin with and suffered damage during the earthquake 10 years ago. Basically, the townsfolk are just waiting for it to collapse. In the meantime, the doctor comes to town once every week or two and sees patients that otherwise have to drive to the hospital in Târgu Mureş for critical care. Medical and dental tools and equipment are scarce and out-dated. It would cost $14,000.00 to construct a new building to house the Medical Center.
As you can see, many thousands of dollars still are needed, not including the photocopier or computers!
So, dear friends, you can see how much your help was appreciated and how much more help is needed. I am very gratified by the response of the villagers and I sincerely hope I can continue to help them as they struggle to improve their daily lives.
If you find that you can offer additional support, please do so knowing exactly how critical and humanitarian your help is. I offer my thanks and wish you and yours all the best.
Until we meet again I remain
Yours sincerely,
-- Signed --
Nicolaas Hilferink
August, 2003 (condensed)
Dear Friends,
In April, 2003, I traveled to Romania to attend a dance course and to visit the village of Miheşu de Câmpie. As it turns out, Miheşu de Câmpie was established in 1923. It is the central point and the largest of a commune of about 8 villages in Central Transylvania.
I met with the mayor, Mr. Fargau, and gave him the $4,000.00 (U.S.) that I was able to raise the previous year. The town council decided that the best place to start was the Bakery. By the way, I have just heard from Gina that the Bakery building is nearing completion, though they do not have enough money to buy the ovens!
In order to keep this letter short, I will itemize the needs of the village, as well as the approximate dollar value, when possible.
1.) The Bakery: Ovens $ 4,000.00
2.) The School: Central Heating $ 8,000.00
Furniture $ 6,000.00
New/used Computers
New/used Photocopiers
Kindergarten Playground
Equipment
3.) The Medical Center: New Building to be built $ 14,000.00
New/used medical &
dental equipment
4.) The Community Center: Building Renovation $ 10,000.00
___________
AMOUNT NEEDED NOW: $ 42,000.00
So far, I have received donation amounts ranging from $5.00 to $1,000.00 and no amount is to small. If you just happen to be able to put me in contact with a company with connections to Europe for computers, photocopiers, or medical/dental equipment, I will gladly follow up on those leads!
I hope to return to Romania soon--I can just smell th fresh bread baking when the ovens can be installed!
I want to remind you that I am not a registered non-profit organization, so you can be sure that everything you send me goes directly to the village of Miheşu de Câmpie!
I urge you to remember the joy and pleasure you feel when you hear the music and dance the dances I have taught over the years and remember the people of Romania--and this is just one small village. I am not asking for indoor plumbing, though that would be nice. These major engineering issues can be addressed when Miheşu de Câmpie can support itself beyond the pre-World War II standards in which it is not trapped.
Please help me in any way you can and know how much your humanitarian help means. We may not be able to fix the whole world but we can help these people!
Yours sincerely,
-- Signed --
Nicolaas Hilferink
September 12, 2004 (condensed)
Hello folkdancers everywhere!
Nicholaas Hilferink and I have just returned from a very rewarding engagement. Nico was invited to teach his remarkable Romanian dances at the New Mexico August Folk Dance Camp in Socorro, New Mexico. He asked me to go along and we extended our stay by a couple of days so we could enjoy some R&R together as well as have the opportunity to dance together.
We raised more than $1,000.00 for Miheşu de Câmpie during the weekend for which we are most grateful. We thank the organizers for their hospitality and we thank all of you who donated your dollars for "our" Romanian village.
We also thank Dick Oakes for his ongoing support of all things folkloric!
Sincerely yours,
-- Signed --
Maki Hilferink
For more information regarding Miheşu de Câmpie, please go to the following sites. Otherwise, Google "mihesu de campie." --Dick Oakes
http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaPortul/pictures/stransylvania/mihesu_ms.htm - Women's costumes of Miheşu de Câmpie.
http://www.geo-strategies.com/activepages/colmap6.pl??1?2250,1600 - A view of the proximity of Miheşu de Câmpie (upper right) to Turda, Romania.
http://www.hartionline.ro/ro/harta/f3.html - An even closer view of the area around Miheşu de Câmpie (bottom middle).
http://www.multimap.com/wi/23796.htm - A yet even closer view of Miheşu de Câmpie!
http://www.romanian-companies.ro/harta/mures_mihesu_de_campie.htm - Here's a satellite view of Miheşu de Câmpie!
http://www.enzia.com/Pages/Railpg3.html - Romania had a variety of narrow gauge (760 mm) railways; the Targu Mures - Miheşu de Câmpie passenger service ceased in 1998 but all is currently in situ. (May take a while to load the page.)
http://www.decisionevent.com/html/romania_rail_visit.html - A definitional mission (DM) was conducted by TDA in 2001 to identify projects, such as Romania's railway needs (including the beautiful mountain area of Miheşu de Câmpie) and areas of interest to US industry.
http://www.beyondtheforest.com/Pages/CFR6.html - Down the page, you'll find a local train at Miheşu de Câmpie.
http://www.destinationromania.eu/ - There's an article about the train that goes to Miheşu de Câmpie.