We are in the midst of very strange times and we hope that you are safe and well wherever you are.
However, we hope you would be interested to know that the work of Touch of Hope is still continuing, and would like to know our future plans.

I went to Osijek on March 4th travelling on an empty plane to Munich and a half full plane to Zagreb. The main purpose of the visit was to lead a weekend interactive workshop at the Red Cross Centre in Orahovica for the group which came to Nuneaton just over a year ago. Orahovica is a beautiful little town set in wonderful countryside just one hour from Osijek. The Centre always has immaculate lawns! It is wonderfully equipped with a swimming pool and it is one of my favourite places to meet. Joining me was our ‘new’ but not so new co-worker Snjezana Kovacevic. Nena Arvaj who has been our co-worker for a very long time is now working full time at Osijek hospital and cannot be our co-worker now. We thank her for her commitment and expertise. However, she did come to the workshop and helped with translation.

Some thoughts on Reconciliation

I have been part of the Community for Reconciliation (CfR) for nearly 30 years and Chair of Trustees for nearly 8 years.  For a small organization we are quite complex and it is not easy to say in a few words what we are about – CfR is different things to different people.  You may have visited Barnes Close, the home of CfR.  But CfR is much more than that.   A recent review of our overseas work was very encouraging. Projects in Romania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and previously India are well supported.  But you know most about Footprints and the fact that you are reading this is demonstration of your support for the work that Clive Fowle and others have been doing in the former Yugoslavia for many years.  I recently visited Croatia and Serbia as part of a small group led by Clive and Inderjit Bhogal and just over a year ago I visited our partners in Kenya and Rwanda.  So what have I learned about reconciliation in these and other travels?